ENGL 260 - African American Fiction: Humor and Irony

4 HU, CD, WR
First Semester. African American humor has historically received little academic study. But the many anthologies of oral humor and the visibility of stand-up comedy invite us to examine the presence and role of humor and irony in African American literature. This course thus centers on a concentrated group of black literary humorists and explores various theories and methods (functional, structural, and cultural) for interpreting their works. Authors we will read include Chesnutt, Hurston, Hughes, Ellison, and Reed. American, Diversity, Post-1900.

Prerequisites & Notes
Prerequisite: See headnote above. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Ms. Johns

Credits: 4 hours