Seminar in Reading and Interpretation (300-0-21)
Topic
Primal Jokes and Modern Memes
Instructors
Clay Ross Cogswell
Meeting Info
Harris Hall L04: Tues, Thurs 3:30PM - 4:50PM
Overview of class
This seminar introduces students to several canonical theories of wit, starting with founding accounts of laughter as based on superiority, often called "punching down," through recent work on psychoanalysis and embodiment. Ranging over a wide variety of texts—from Thomas Hobbes to Calvin & Hobbes, scathing satire of British imperialism to memes of the lost pandemic years, comic poems to comic strips—we will develop tools to analyze the aesthetic and political import of jokes and laughter. Drawing a long arc from the seventeenth century through the present day will allow us to appreciate, in rich historical context, the forms and social effects (not to mention the wit itself) of the texts we examine. Readings include Hobbes's Leviathan, Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal, fiction by Zadie Smith, performances by Reggie Watts, and Alison Bechdel's Dykes to Watch Out For. We will also analyze excerpts and episodes of contemporary comic media, including Beef. Please note that this class is not open to students who took an earlier version of this course.
Teaching Method
Seminar discussion.
Evaluation Method
Essays and class participation.
Class Materials (Required)
Smith, White Teeth (978-0375703867); Bechdel, Dykes to Watch Out For (978-0358424178); Swift, A Modest Proposal; Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes; short fiction by Lorrie Moore, Langston Hughes, and David Sedaris.
Texts will be available at: Norris Bookstore
Class Attributes
Advanced Expression
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area