Lindsey Couto

English 112B

Dr. Warner

November 29, 2006

 

Unit Plan:

A Subtle Laugh: Exploring Irony in Short Stories and Young Adult Literature

 

            Taking a look at contemporary portrayals of humor, it is clear that there has been a surge in the acceptance of crude humor. Popular movies such as American Pie, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, and Eurotrip utilize humor based on sexuality, bodily functions, drug use, and profanity to gain laughs. Many impressionable teens see these �mature� content movies, which actually depict other young adults as well as should-be responsible adults acting in very immature, uncouth ways, and then go on to imitate the images of humor that they see in their everyday lives. Often times in the classroom, not only are the imitations of pop-culture�s expressions of humor disruptive, but are also are inappropriate.

            Our job at school is not to just repeat the same kinds of humor that students get on the                   Comedy Channel or through lists of jokes on the Internet but to help students mature in         their taste and appreciation. We need to educate students to catch onto a multitude of     allusions and to have the patience required for reading and appreciating subtle kinds of            humor�While few people appreciate having jokes explained to them, analyzing humor          can be a good way to entice students into other kinds of literary analysis. Humor is an   obvious emotion, and students are genuinely interested in figuring out what causes them         to smile or laugh (Donelson and Nilsen, 167).

Exploring more subtle types of humor, irony in particular, allows students to broaden their humor horizons. No longer solely reliant on crude and obvious humor for a laugh, more subtle and polite humor is able to be valued and used by young adult readers. A curriculum structured around canonical short stories, enhanced by a popular young adult literary novel, and reinforced with contemporary media representations of irony as humor helps students to locate, understand, and appreciate the subtle significance of irony.

            The materials covered in this unit would work best in an 11-12th grade Short Stories class. Using O. Henry�s The Gift of the Magi and Thurber�s The Princess and the Tin Box as the canonical foundations for the unit, students will also enjoy the use of irony in Louis Sachar�s Holes. The Gift of the Magi is a short work which is humorous because of its use of cosmic irony. A husband and wife wishing to buy the other a Christmas gift each sell their most valuable possessions, and each of them uses the money earned to buy the other a present suited perfectly for the possession which was sold. Similarly, The Princess and the Tin Box surprises and amuses readers based on its cosmic irony, in which a princess is to choose a suitor based upon the present he brings her. Contrary to the idealistic fairy tale ending that readers have come to expect from a story beginning �once upon a time,� the princess makes a shallow and superficial choice and chooses the prince who has brought her an expensive and ornate gift. In Holes, there are many instances of irony. Besides cosmic irony, there are many examples of situational irony, Socratic irony, and dramatic irony throughout the story of 14 year old, down-trodden Stanley Yelnats. Sachar�s book is a quick read and provides excellent comic examples of irony which illustrate that while some uses of irony are subtle and play on readers� expectations, there are numerous other ways to use it as a humorous device.

 

 

 

Launching the Unit

Prior to reading The Gift of the Magi, The Princess and the Tin Box, or Holes, consider using some of the following activities as introductory endeavors into the examination of irony.

  1. Define irony, and the many types of irony. Using an overhead provide examples of each kind of irony, and have students take down definitions and examples.
  2. Hand out copies of the lyrics to Alanis Morrisette�s Ironic and play the song. Explain that the song in and of itself is ironic since, with the exception of a few arguable examples of cosmic irony, contains very little, if any ironies at all (wikepedia.com).

An old man turned ninety-eight
He won the lottery and died the next day
It's a black fly in your chardonnay
It's a death row pardon two minutes too late
Isn't it ironic... don't you think?

Chorus:
It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought... it figures

Mr. play it safe was afraid to fly
He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbye
He waited his whole damn life to take that flight
And as the plane crashed down he thought
"well isn't this nice..."
And isn't it ironic... don't you think?

Repeat chorus

Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think everything's okay and everything's going right
And life has a funny way of helping you out when
You think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up
In your face

A traffic jam when you're already late
A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break
It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife
It's meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife
And isn't it ironic... don't you think?
A little too ironic... and yeah I really do think...

Repeat chorus

Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out
Helping you out

 

  1. Discussion questions for students� writing journals
    1. What are examples of irony that you have seen in your own lives or in the media?
    2. Looking at the comic, describe the irony. What kind of irony is it? Where else have you seen this type of irony?

 (Guy & Rodd).

    1. How could Alanis Morissette�s �not-so-ironic� examples be modified so that they could be defined as ironic? Pick 5 lines and add to them so that they are instances of irony.

            After reading The Gift of the Magi and The Princess and the Tin Box, students can better understand the use of irony as a humorous literary device, and will have solid examples of cosmic irony. How does the use of irony work in relationship to the two short stories? Since the endings are so different from what the reader expects, did the use of irony enhance or detract form the story in the students� opinions? Using examples from the texts to support their opinions, explain how irony as a humorous literary device is useful, and in what contexts is it most appropriate?

            After reading the two short stories, have students consider how the stories would have changed with alternate endings. What ironic twists would the students employ if they were to re-write the stories? Working in groups of 4 or 5, have the students come up with their own variations on the stories, each with a different variation of irony (ie: situational, Socratic, cosmic), and remind them the more creative the ironic twist, the better!

Extending the Unit

            As a class, read Lois Sachar�s Holes. Some of the reading may be done in class, but the majority should be assigned as out of class reading. Students should be able to spot the several instances of irony throughout the book. Have them keep a record as they read of particularly striking instances of irony. After the reading has been completed, show the Disney adaptation of Holes. Have the students compare the book to the movie. Are there any new ironies that have been added? Have any been omitted? With a strong understanding and range of examples concerning the use of irony as a subtle humor, have students return to the Guy & Rodd comic or the Ironic lyrics. Have them create a short poem or song based on Morissette�s style which is an accurate representation of irony, or for more visual students, an ironic comic strip. Later, a class compilation can be handed out, and students who wish to share and explain their creations should have the opportunity to do so for extra credit.

 

Additional Young Adult Literature Selections for Consideration

The following Young Adult Literature descriptions come from Amazon.com, and have been suggested by LearnNC.com. For full citations, see the Works Cited section.

  1.  If I Have A Wicked Step-Mother, Where�s My Prince? by Melissa Kantor. [Lucy Norton is] transplanted from San Francisco to Long Island because of the marriage of her father, who continues to spend working weeks on the West Coast. She grapples with a pseudo-family existence with her step-monster, Mara, and her magpie twin stepsisters. Lucy's dual passions of basketball and art characterize her and help her make connections. Negotiating that minefield of adolescence, the high school cafeteria, she often takes a sandwich to the art room, where she enjoys the kindness of her teacher and meets Sam, a talented but rude artist. An astute remark about basketball gains her the attentions of Connor, the team star and all-around hunk. With his notice come Jessica and Madison, as friends. Lucy enjoys her rapid ride on the social surf, featuring drinking parties, melt-away kisses, even the much-sought-after prom invite, but her home life is still difficult�her stepmother is trying to win some kind of bitch-of-the-year award. To confuse matters, she feels an artistic connection with Sam, whose conversation and interests make Connor seem more ornamental than substantial. While savvy readers will anticipate Lucy's ultimate pairing and improved family relationships, most teens won't be disappointed in the pleasant confection of irony, wit, teen angst, shopping, girl talk, and flirtation.
  2. Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Garner. Updated to account for modern political sensibilities, these revisionist folktales reflect wit and an engaging knack for irony. In "Little Red Riding Hood," Grandma exacts her feminist revenge on the woodchopper, who "assumes that women and wolves can't solve their own problems without a man's help." In "The Frog Prince," the princess, now an "eco-feminist warrior," discovers that her dream frog is not a prince, but a real-estate developer. In other tales, Rapunzel becomes a self-reliant coffee-house singer and the Three Little Pigs armed guerrillas, while cultural imperialists such as The Big Bad Wolf and Goldilocks get what has been coming to them for centuries. The author strikes just the right tone here: clever, with more than a touch of self-awareness. And while each of these tales is short and easily digestible, in this case quickly read does not equal quickly forgotten. After one finishes this collection, "happily ever after" will never seem quite the same.
  3. The Fantastic Freshman by Bill Brittan. Stanley Muffet, a singularly ordinary kid, wishes to be a VIP when he starts high school. Unbeknownst to him, his wish is granted by a fat little statue inside a blue glass paperweight advertising an insurance company. Stanley becomes star quarterback, straight A student, and president of the student council. And, naturally, ironically, he becomes miserable as he loses old friends. The moral is delivered in a heavy-handed manner; indeed, the book embraces the obvious, the exaggerated, and the stereotypical. The head cheerleader is named Peachy Keene (that sums up the book's tone), and the librarian is portrayed offensively as an unmarried whisperer, finger to her lips, who is a stickler for rules and procedures. Young readers will empathize with the anxiety produced by the rite of passage of beginning high school and enjoy the magical forces at work in this fantasy.
  4. The Open Window by Saki. Saki is known for surprise twists in his stories and this is no exception. "The Open Window" explores a number of important themes. Mr. Nuttel comes to the country in an attempt to cure his nervous condition. He pays a visit to the home of Mrs. Sappleton in order to introduce himself, and before he gets to meet the matron of the house, he is intercepted by her niece, who regales him with an artful piece of fiction that, in the end, only makes his nervous condition worse.

Other Ironic Books and Media to be Considered

The following descriptions come from Amazon.com, and some have been suggested by LearnNC.com. For full citations, see the Works Cited section.

1.    The Sniper by Liam O�Flaherty. Although O�Flaherty uses war as a theme in the story, the running theme in �The Sniper� is the basic irony of the war. Civil wars are generally infamous for putting brother against brother, or religion against religion, as was the case in Ireland for more than 80 years. The idea of Protestants and Catholics fighting against each other for any reason is simply paradoxical, especially when each claim that they are running on the fundamental Christian concept of �love thy neighbor.� During this war more Irishmen would die by compatriot hand than by their British enemies in the War of Liberation some four years earlier. However, the war was merely the setting of the stage that would send the actors into a far more warped dance.

2.   The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin. This short story is about an hour in the life of the main character, Mrs. Millard. She is afflicted with a heart problem. Bad news has come about that her husband has died in a train accident. Her sister Josephine and Richard who is her husband's friend has to break the horrifying news to her as gently as possible. They both were concerned that the news might somehow put her in great danger with her health. Ironically, Mrs. Millard reacts to the news with excitement. Even though the news is heartbreaking she is finally free from the depressing life she was living. She keeps whispering "Free! Body and soul free!� She now is happy because she doesn't have to live for anyone but herself now. At the end of the story, Mr. Millard opens the door and is surprised by Josephine's cry. Mr. Millard didn't have a faintest idea about the accident. With a quick motion, Richard tried to block Mr. Millard's view of his wife but it was too late. The doctors said she died of a heart disease. The story ends with a short phrase "of joy that kills".

3.     Thank You for Smoking directed by Jason Reitman. (Some scenes should be edited out of classroom viewing). Satirical comedy follows the machinations of Big Tobacco's chief spokesman, Nick Naylor, who spins on behalf of cigarettes while trying to remain a role model for his twelve-year-old son. Tobacco industry lobbyist Nick Naylor has a seemingly impossible task: promoting cigarette smoking in a time when the health hazards of the activity have become too plain to ignore. Nick, however, revels in his job, using argument and twisted logic to place, as often as not, his clients in the positions of either altruistic do-gooders or victims. Nick's son Joey needs to understand and respect his dad's philosophy, and Nick works hard to respond to that need without compromising his lack of values. When a beautiful news reporter betrays Nick's sexually-achieved trust, his world seems in danger of collapsing. But there's always one more coffin nail in Nick's pack.

Concluding Activities

                  After reading and examining different examples of irony, students should be able to recognize and appreciate the value of subtle ironic humor. As a final activity to wrap up the unit, students will create short videos. Working in groups, students will either write their own original scripts or re-write an existing short story using irony as the main form of humor. Creativity in writing, filming, and acting are encouraged, as the students are challenged to create innovative films. Movies should be no more than 15 minutes long, and after the projects have been graded, one class period should be taken to screen all of the films. After the films have been screened, students will vote or the best film. The winning group�s movie can then be submitted to the Associated Student Body to show during a lunchtime activity or rally as a way to promote the use of the subtle and sophisticated humor of irony.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

12, Nov. 2006. <http://www.amazon.com>.

Donelson, Kenneth L & Alleen Pace Nilsen. Literature for Today�s Young Adults.             Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., 2005.

Guy & Rodd. Brevity. 25, Oct. 2006.             <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Brevity2002443261025.gif.>.

�How Ironic!� LearnNC.org. 12, Nov. 2006. <http://www.learnnc.org/lessons/             anngerber952004881>.

Morrisette, Alanis. �Ironic.� Jagged Little Pill. Maveric, 1995.

O. Henry. The Gift of the Magi. <http://www.auburn.edu /~vestmon/Gift_of_the_             Magi.html.>

Thurber, James. The Princess and the Tin Box. <http://www.winglin.net/fanfic/                Thurber/> .

Sachar, Louis. Holes. New York: Yearling, 1998.

Wikipedia.com