ENGL 260 - Black Humor and Irony: Modern Literary Experiments

Semester Offered: Second Semester
Credits (Range): 4 Hours
Attribute: 4 HU, CD, WR

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. Nature of Interpretation. American, Diversity, Post-1900. Enrollment Limit: 30.
Instructor: G. Johns
Prerequisites & Notes
Prerequisite: For complete prerequisites for this Introductory Gateway course, please refer to the English Program section titled “For Introductory Courses to the Study of English”.