ENGL255N: Honors Humor in Literature & Other Media

Class Program
Class Hours 3 Lab Hours 0 Credits 3

Students will examine and enjoy a variety of forms of humor and comedy from early Greece to Elizabethan England to present day England and America while developing and strengthening their writing skills in critical analysis and evaluation. The readings and visual presentations will cover a broad spectrum of humor,including romantic comedy, comedy of manners, absurdist comedy, situation comedy, wit, satire, parody, irony, stereotyping, and farce. Through discussions and writing, students will examine the various techniques through which humor criticizes human nature, analyzes society, and expresses differing political and world views. Students will learn to write effective literary analyses and evaluative reviews. The authors and performers of humor and comedy under study may include Aristophanes, Shakespeare, Moliere, Wilde, Twain, Will Rogers, Winston Churchill, Thurber, Flannery O'Connor, Neil Simon, Edward Albee, Dick Gregory, Jon Stewart, and Tina Fey.

Prerequisites

A grade of 'B-' or higher in ENGL110N or ENGL101N and permission of the Honors Program Coordinator.

Notes

This course fulfills a General Education Core Requirement: English/ Communications.