Course Syllabus
Literature 344: Comedy & Satire
Term 11ew6: 06/27/2011 through 08/21/2011
Course Syllabus
Literature 344: Comedy & Satire
Term 11ew6: 06/27/2011 through 08/21/2011
Instructor: George J. Wilkerson, Ph.D.
Dr. Wilkerson completed a Masters Degree in the Syracuse University Creative Writing program and was one of the first head writers for Esther's Follies in Austin, Texas, described by the Austin American Statesman as “part vaudeville review, part improv tour-de-force, Esther's Follies takes no prisoners, offering biting, hilarious satire on all the news makers and events fit to parody.” He also worked as a stand-up comedian and as a joke writer for other comics.
Availability: I will be active in the discussion forums and other work areas in Blackboard at least five days each week. Most of our class interaction will happen there. Communication, when in the Blackboard environment, benefits the entire class. Email should be reserved for concerns of a personal or sensitive nature.
Required Text: American Humor: A Study of the National Character
Author: Constance Rourke
Edition: 1
Publisher: Harcourt,
ISBN-10: 1597401153
ISBN-13: 978-1597401159
Course Description
This course introduces students to an important type of Western literature that is found in almost every genre from drama (Aristophanes, Moliere, Wilde and Shaw) to poetry (Horace, Juvenal, Pope, Byron, and Frost) to stories and novels (Aesop, Chaucer, Voltaire, Gogol, Benson, Waugh and Roth). These authors and many others –including major authors writing today—have developed comedy and satire into an effective literary tool for looking at and critiquing their society. Each instructor will focus on a major period or target of this literature –for example, the Eighteenth Century or contemporary times or the medical, military, religious, or political profession. In all classes the emphasis will be on the differences between comedy and satire, their methods, and their purposes.
Writing standards and grading
Course Prerequisite: Eng120
Course Objectives:
The focus in this class is on the distinctive American ‘brand’ of humor and satire with a particular emphasis on the subjects of ethnicity, war, religion, and politics. Further emphasis is on the genres of humor, their history and derivation, methods, and purposes. By the end of the course, students should be able to:
Assignment Schedule
| Week | Module | Assignments/Assessments |
| 1 | Mark Twain | Discussion: Carrying on Twain's Tradition; The War Prayer; Twain's Subjects; Twain's Contribution |
| 2 | American Comedic Archetypes | Discussion: New Archetypes; Why is a guy in a dress funny? |
| 3 | Theories of Comedy | Discussion: Is laughter genetic; Superiority and Surprise; Waldspurger's Definition |
| 4 | Minorities and Women in Comedy & Humor | Discussion: The Jewish Contribution; Other Ethnic and Racial Groups ;Latino Humor Comments by Kat Williams Women: From Laughing at them to Laughing with them Assessment: Paper #1, Due March 30 |
| 5 | Dialects, and Accents | Discussion: The Tar Baby; Amos n’ Andy; Regional Accents; Myron Cohen; Word Play |
| 6 | Satire & Politics | Discussion: Swift's Modest Proposal; Flabby Satire; TV vs. Print Media; The Colbert Report |
| 7 | Contemporary Humor and Satire | Discussion: Chuckles Bites the Dust; Sam Kinison; What’s Taboo to you |
| 8 | Course Paper | Discussion: Wrap Up and Review Assessment: Paper #2, Due April 20 |
Assignment Descriptions
Writing Assignments There are two writing assignments, a mid-term and a final paper. The Minimum Size for each of these is 800 Words. They must meet the standards set put in the Assignment Standards document and the following technical requirements:
Discussion Assignments
Each week a discussion topic/question will be posted. Students are expected to respond to it and/or respond to what others have posted a minimum of THREE TIMES on THREE DIFFERENT DAYS. That means you will need to visit the Blackboard Course Page on at least three different days each week. Students who meet this requirement and whose posts contain contents as defined below will receive a 'C' for that Discussion based on the following criteria: Additional posts, as shown, result in a higher grade.
| GRADE | NUMBER OF POSTS | CONTENT OF POSTS |
| C | 3 | Responses of at least 25 words reacting to the item or to someone else's post |
| B | 5 | Three responses of at least 25 words reacting to the item or to someone else's post with at least one additional response that adds information or new detail to a topic or adds substance to what someone else has posted. |
| A | 7 | Three responses of at least 25 words reacting to the item or to someone else's post with at least two or more responses that introduce a new perspective on the topic or challenge someone else's post with new information or a fresh perspective. |
Final Grade Calculation
| Assessment Item(s) | Percentage of Final Grade |
| Mid-Term Paper | 30% |
| Final Paper | 30% |
| Class Participation/Discussion (8 weeks @ 5% per week) | 40% |
| Total Possible | 100% |
Official University Grading Scale
| Letter Grade | Numerical Equivalent | Points |
| A | 95 - 100 | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 - 94 | 3.67 |
| B+ | 86 - 89 | 3.33 |
| B | 83 - 85 | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 - 82 | 2.67 |
| C+ | 76 - 79 | 2.33 |
| C | 73 - 75 | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 - 72 | 1.67 |
| D+ | 65 - 69 | 1.33 |
| D | 60 - 64 | 1.00 |
| F | 0 - 59 | 0.00 |
| I | Incomplete | |
| IF | Incomplete/Failure* | |
| W | Withdrawn |