English 101

This is a short essay that compares a common theme or motif in two works of literature.

Choose two works of literature that we have studied so far in this course.

At least one of these works must be from Unit 3 or 4.

Choose a common theme, topic, or motif in these two works.

Your essay should explore the following:

Similarities and differences between how the two works treat your theme, topic, or motif.
The significance of your theme, topic, or motif.
The main point you want to make about the theme, topic, or motif—in other words, an argumentative thesis statement.
Details from the literary works that support your thesis statement.
This essay should follow the basic introduction, body, conclusion structure learned in College Composition.

Your essay should be at least 500 words long.

100 Points

ANSWER

The theme of Wit and Humor

Introduction

In literature, themes are often hidden and varied. Themes are considered as underlying messages that the writer wants to get across. Understanding the theme of a story means understanding the point that is central to the story. While there exist countless themes in a book, there are a few most common themes which are considered Universal. This paper will focus on the theme of humor which is common in the two works. The paper will also indicate the significance of the theme and how it has been explored in multiple story scenarios.

The theme of Wit and Humor

Winnebago trickster tales are a group of intriguing fairy tales. The Trickster stories have been told for amusement as well as on sacred and serious occasions. With regards to the content, the tales are very humorous and much of the humor has stemmed from the fact that the tales are cunning. Most of the trickster tales have tried to combine moral lessons with humor. One of the humorous parts is in the story of the man who visited the thunderbirds where the grandchild is told that the bad spirit will ask for is to be prepared a sweat bath (Paul, 2018). The grandchild is given a warning about the stone, how it rolls as soon as it is touched, and how it will be carried home. It is humorous how a stone rolling down the hill can be the cause of death while rolling.

One of the most interesting and prominent features of as you like it is how humor is presented in a three-fold manner. There is a wholesome and healthy wit and humor of Celia, Rosalind, and Jacques. The humor presented by the characters can be described as healthy and natural which means it is spontaneous and unsophisticated.  In the play, as you like it, three different forms of humor have been displayed by different characters. For instance, Rosalind shows a healthy kind of humor while Touchstone employs humor in the court where he makes his humor very professional (Bourne, 2017). On the other hand, Jacques has been highly recognized for his melancholy which makes his humor morbid. For instance, even in circumstances that are close to gloomy, Rosalind deliberately uttered something funny. Her kind of humor is full of love and tenderness which makes it warm. The entire play, as you like it, relies on a humorous tone which makes it enjoyable. The play keeps the audience laughing and happy most of the time due to the humor and abundance on it.

Significance of Wit and Humor

With and Humor has been a way of describing the ludicrous parts of a story as it is in itself. Wit and Humor are very significant in literary work since it is a literary tool that makes the audience read and laugh (Chłopicki, 2017). It breaks the monotony, arouses the interest of the audience or reader, and eliminates boredom while reading a story (Singh, 2012). Wit and humor have also been used in the stories to imply the tone and style of the stories. Every reader or audience tends to respond to humor since humor is considered universal in creating a connection with the reader. For instance, high tension scenes have been intensified through a sense of humor.

Conclusion

Wit and humor have been a clever way of expressing thoughts whether aggressive or harmless. The two works have illustrated different forms of humor. For instance, the Winnebago tale of a man visiting the thunderbird has shown insightful humor while the play, as you like it has displayed a healthy kind of humor that has kept the audience happy. The two works have attempted to make the content amusing and laughable as well as keeping the audience engaged.

References

Bourne, C. M. (2017). Marking Shakespeare. Shakespeare, 13(4), 367-386.

Bronner, S. J. (2017). Folklore in the United States. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Literature.

Chłopicki, W. (2017). Humor and narrative. The Routledge handbook of language and humor, 143-157.

Paul, R. (2018). Winnebago Tales. The Journal of American Folk-Lore. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/534744

Singh, R. K. (2012). Humour, irony, and satire in literature. International Journal of English and Literature, 3(4), 63-72.