Naughty Humans:
Comedy and Satire in Literature and Film
ENG 271: Intro to Lit. Genre | Writing Intensive (W)
Instructor: Aaron Ki‘ilau
Time: MWF, 12:30pm – 1:20pm HST
Format: Online Synchronous (Zoom)
CRN: 87875
Overview: This course will explore primary and secondary texts comprising the genres of comedy and satire in literature and film. We will consider how writers, philosophers, and filmmakers have employed comedy and satire for social comment, and consider the cultures as well that inform their inspiration. And since we are immersed today in a media landscape that transcends the written word, we will also consider the ways that musicians, artists, and online personalities employ comedy and satire. Each week’s readings/viewings will be grouped into themes surrounding what comedians are satirizing about humans and society(ies). Moreover, while some of our texts may be satirical we will also encounter some that are not necessarily funny. Throughout the semester, and as we work through time from Voltaire to Daft Punk, we will be compelled to ask ourselves what forms and functions satire and comedy serve for us today, and, perhaps more broadly, why we need to laugh in literature at what we struggle to confront elsewhere in our lives.
By the end of this course, students will improve their ability to question, read, analyze, and interpret a historic and thematic range of comic and satirical texts and scholarship. As a W Focus designation (writing intensive) course, students will also have produced at least 4,000 words of written prose. This course includes a written take-home midterm exam and will culminate in an oral presentation planned and designed by students that incorporates what they learn throughout the semester and extends it beyond our course to a text and/or topic of their choice.
And, time permitting, we may laugh with one another.
Assignments and Grade Breakdown:
- Written Midterm Exam (20%)
- Final Oral Presentation (40%)
- Final Examination (5%)
- Short Daily Talking Points (5%)
- Extended Weekly Responses (20%)
- Attendance and Participation (10%)
Note on TV/Film Texts and Technology: All assigned texts are mandatory for this course. The instructor will do his best to acquire and distribute excerpts from some of our texts, as well as to find more affordable, publicly available editions of our materials. A finalized list of required texts to purchase will be provided as the first day of instruction approaches. Many of our texts (i.e., films and TV episodes) may need to be purchased and viewed online, so reliable internet connectivity and an ability to purchase online content is important. The instructor has done his best to locate items that do not require subscriptions to streaming services. Moreover, the availability of these programs may change from month to month, so do not purchase these until you are instructed to do so. (In general, though, TV episodes and movies cost, respectively, around $1.99 and $4.99 each.)
Content Waring: Satire and comedy tend to exaggerate to the extreme some of the absurd, often unpleasant facets of the human condition. As such, some of the material in this course may be controversial and even offensive. The instructor makes no claims to agree with or condone exactly what is shown, and includes them primarily for literary analysis and instruction. And while genuine moments of comedy and tragedy are inherent to the material, a certain level of collegiality is expected in this course such that it fosters productive discussion. With that said, all students and the instructor are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with our Student Code of Conduct.
For more information please contact Aaron Kiʻilau at akiilau@hawaii.edu.