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CWL 320 Homework 1 Luong Nguyen Chu Huy 013998255 Instructions: Respond to each of the following questions with a couple of sentences. Insert your sentences in between the questions, save the document when you are finished and upload it to the BB dropbox. The questions ask you to show that you read (or watched) and understood the required readings (so far, Stott’s “Introduction”) and viewings (so far, The Hangover). Some of them might ask you to apply concepts mentioned in Stott to our readings and/or viewings. While you do not have worry about understanding every detail of the arguments presented in Stott’s chapters, you will find Stott’s text useful in analyzing comedies in your essays later in the course.

1. What are the five characteristics of comedy as a traditional literary form mentioned in Stott’s “Introduction?” Pastoral, farce, burlesque, pantomime, and satire 2. Look up a definition of one traditional comedy genre (such as farce or burlesque, etc.) which Stott mentions and write down its brief definition. Comedy of Manners: Comedy that satirically challenges the social customs of an upper-class society. It focuses on the behavior of men and women who violate the rules and manners of upper-class society. (http://english.tutorvista.com)

3. Choose 3 of the modern comedy subdivisions mentioned by Stott and give a contemporary example of each one (for example, 1. sitcom—Mike and Molly). 1. 2. 3. 4.

Sitcom, Romantic comedy - How I Met Your Mother Cartoons comedy - Kung Fu Panda Sitcom - Fresh Off the Boat Musical, Comedy-drama, Romantic comedy, Teen drama - Glee

4. Explain briefly what Stott means when he says that comedy has a “tonal quality rather than structural.” As my understanding, when he says that comedy has a “tonal quality rather than structural.” It means the meaning inside of the comedy is more important that the outside. In order to create a comedy at a moment, it needed to be specifically related to things around a human life. Whenever the comedy can represent who is that character, and how that character feel about the given situation, then the comedy effected

5. List three of the reoccurring themes in comedy mentioned by Stott and give one contemporary example of a reoccurring theme (for example—intellectual myopia is made fun of in The Big Bang Theory, especially in the character of Sheldon). 1. Relationship and dating is made fun of in How I Met Your Mother, especially in the character of Ted 2. Kung Fu Martial art is made fun of in Kung Fu Panda, especially in the character of Po 3. Asian Stereotype is made fun of in Fresh Off the Boat 6. What is our understanding of the history of comedy since Ben Johnson? History of comedy began from the small thing then started further. As it says in the book: “comedy begins as a simple song for a long voice... continual adaption, and as such offers greater opportunities for freedom of expression…” From my respective, comedy can be developed from an idea, then it comes to a well written sentence, then it comes to an action. 7. What purpose does comedy serve apart from giving pleasure, according to Stott? According to Donatus, he declared that the purpose comedy is to be essentially didactic, mirroring everyday life and schooling us in practical ethics 8. How does Stott explain comedy as a peculiarly human form of communication? As it states in the book: “comedy is certainly a social activity first and foremost, conceived of always with some kind of audience in mind, and everywhere produces from the matter of dominant cultural assumption and commonplaces…” 9. Explain one of the theories mentioned in the section “Comedy and Eccentricity”? According to Simon Critchley, the human being has a reflective attitude toward its experience and toward itself, living ‘beyond the limits set for them by nature by talking up a distance from their immediate experience’ in this theory, it says that human is a copied of the word around them, they develop their personality by experience communication with other people. The comedy could play an important part in this personality development of a person. 10. Which one of the mentioned theories in “Introduction” does Stott plan to follow in his book? (this is a trick question) Stott does not plan to follow in any of the theories in this book, because comedy is big, and dynamic....