Ryan Clough

English 112B

Professor Warner

11/27/2012

Annotated Bibliography: Humor in Literature

            Humor is a critical component of humanity.  From our years as a baby to later stages in life, laughter will always be a primary emotional response to a wide range of experiences.  Humor tends to relate to all types of people because of its therapeutic tendencies. Humor appears to help an individual�s psychological and physical well-being- for example, helping someone cope with stress and adversity. Young adults experience a different type of hardship during development, and humor may be one of few outlets utilized.  Making light of an unwanted situation does not only heal, but can also help young adults learn more about themselves. Taking things too seriously may counteract against humor, but there is a middle ground with when to be serious and when to joke. Teaching young adults this discrepancy is crucial to their ability to understand circumstances and learn about helping others in times of need. Helping young adults grasp a larger understanding of the depths of humor can be extremely useful at all times in their lives.

 Most humorous novels are primarily seen as didactic pieces of literature that do not challenge readers in a complex manner. Young adults would likely find these novels to be more beneficial because of their ability to make light of common teenage struggles. Heartaches in school and with friends are a common theme in young adult humorous novels. It can be argued that authors in most genres use humor to help fluctuate moods of characters and to make their novel memorable. For a less motivated reader, finding humor within a text could serve as a useful tool to promote participation in reading a novel. This exercise can also instigate active reading- critical for more complex novels. In my centerpiece novel, Holes, there are many features of humor intermingled within the story. There are examples that deal with irony, exaggeration, ambiguity, word play and incongruity. These are common features that humorous novels possess due to their nature of being more obvious than subtle humor such as sarcasm.  The use of humor in adult literature is a great way to relate to teens and to give them a chance to look at the bright side of a difficult circumstance.

Annotated Bibliography

Bray, Libba. Going Bovine. New York: Delacorte Books, 2009. Print

All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It�s not a lot to ask. But that�s before he�s given some bad news: he�s sick and he�s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he�s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most. (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6512140-going-bovine)

            Libba Bray really stretches the realistic life of a teen to throw a different feeling on the novel. She exposes a serious threat felt by Cameron and how he deals with it during the story. It can put things into perspective for teens with lives that are not similar to Cameron�s. Appreciating life is crucial for teens and this book introduces new ways of doing so.

Ferris, Jean. Love Among the Walnuts. New York: Harcourt Children�s Books, 1998. Print.

Sandy Huntington-Ackerman's life becomes increasingly complicated when his bungling, moneygrubbing uncles try to shanghai the family fortune by poisoning a birthday cake. Luckily, those conniving uncles prove yet again that they can't do anything right. Instead of bumping off the whole family, they put Sandy's mom and dad and their pet chicken into mysterious comas. Sandy joins forces with his loyal butler and a wise and wacky nurse to save his parents and squelch his uncles' felonious high jinx. (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/440419.Love_Among_the_Walnuts)

Jean Ferris is able to produce wacky family members that Sandy Huntington-Ackerman must deal with throughout the story. The stereotypical �crazy uncle� throws Sandy a major curveball in life. A very unusual plot can give a young adult a chance to expand their mind and enjoy the ride that Ferris takes the reader on. Humor is an obvious intention of Ferris which allows this novel to be considered a humor novel for young adults.

Korman, Gordon. Schooled. New York: Hyperion Paperback, 2007. Print

Capricorn (Cap) Anderson has never watched television. He's never tasted a pizza. Never heard of a wedgie. Since he was little, his only experience has been living on a farm commune and being home-schooled by his hippie grandmother, Rain. But when Rain falls out of a tree while picking plums and has to stay in the hospital, Cap is forced to move in with a guidance counselor and her cranky teen daughter and attend the local middle school. While Cap knows a lot about tie-dying and Zen Buddhism, no education could prepare him for the politics of public school. (http://www.amazon.com/Schooled-Gordon-Korman/dp/1423105168)

The degree of exposure that Capricorn Anderson has not faced creates a very fascinating look into a large transition he undergoes. Cap is a very humorous character (sometimes on accident) because of how little he has experienced as a teen.  His changing circumstances can be beneficial for any teen going through a large transitional move.

Korman, Gordon. No More Dead Dogs. New York: Hyperion Paperback, 2002. Print.

Nobody understands Wallace Wallace. This reluctant school football hero has been suspended from the team for writing an unfavorable book report of Old Shep, My Pal. But Wallace won't tell a lie -- he hated every minute of the book! Why does the dog in every classic novel have to croak at the end? After refusing to do a rewrite, his English teacher, who happens to be directing the school play Old Shep, My Pal, forces him go to the rehearsals as punishment. Although Wallace doesn't change his mind, he does end up changing the play into a rock-and-roll rendition, complete with Rollerblades and a moped! (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/160698.No_More_Dead_Dogs)

            Young adults may find this particular novel to be easy to relate to because of its main premise. The story is an example of the consequences of high school and that dealing with them is the only way. Wallace is able to create a situation for himself that he finds to be enjoyable. Gordon Korman is always able to incorporate humor into his novels, especially for young adults. Not only are his characters amusing, but the plot twists are humorous by themselves.

Green, John. An Abundance of Katherines. New York: Dutton Books, 2006. Print.

When it comes to relationships, everyone has a type. Colin Singleton�s type is girls named Katherine. He has dated–and been dumped by–19 Katherines. In the wake of The K-19 Debacle, Colin–an anagram-obsessed washed-up child prodigy–heads out on a road trip with his overweight, Judge Judy- loving friend Hassan. With 10,000 dollars in his pocket and a feral hog on his trail, Colin is on a mission to prove a mathematical theorem he hopes will predict the future of any relationship (and conceivably win the girl). (http://johngreenbooks.com/abundance-of-katherines)

John Green has a knack for inputting humor into his novels. His characters were quite funny in Looking for Alaska, and he was able to do the same with Colin Singleton.  The plot takes twists with humorous undertones, including his history of dating 19 girls with the name Katherine. The novel takes a good look into the struggle of a teenage male attempting to find a comfort zone with women.

Heller, Joseph. Catch 22. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996. Print.

Set in Italy during World War II, this is the story of the incomparable, malingering bombardier, Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy—it is his own army, which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet if Yossarian makes any attempt to excuse himself from the perilous missions he�s assigned, he�ll be in violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule: a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but if he makes a formal request to be removed from duty, he is proven sane and therefore ineligible to be relieved. (http://www.amazon.com/Catch-22-50th-Anniversary-Joseph-Heller/dp/1451626657)

I was pleased to be able to find a canonical novel that would fall into the category of having humorous elements. Heller maintains a sarcastic and satirical vibe throughout the novel and uses this to play with more serious circumstances. Satire is used to lighten the mood because the story does deal with war-like situations. This novel would be an excellent choice for the classroom because of its use of satire among perilous moments in Yossarian�s life. Young adults would not only benefit from the exposure to satire, but also to view Heller�s interpretation of WWII.

Lubar, David. Sleeping Freshman Never Lie. New York: Penguin Group, 2007. Print

Starting high school is never easy. Seniors take your lunch money. Girls you've known forever are suddenly beautiful and unattainable. And you can never get enough sleep. Could there be a worse time for Scott Hudson�s mother to announce she's pregnant? Scott decides high school would be a lot less overwhelming if it came with a survival manual, so he begins to write down tips for his new sibling. Meanwhile, he's trying his best to capture the attention of Julia, the freshman goddess. In the process, Scott manages to become involved in nearly everything the school has to offer. So while he tries to find his place in the confusing world of high school, win Julia's heart, and keep his sanity, Scott will be recording all the details for his sibling's- and your- enjoyment. (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204297.Sleeping_Freshmen_Never_Lie)

David Lubar, a large proprietor of humorous novels, is able to produce a story that is not only hilarious, but informational for teens embarking on their first year in high school. It contains a unique edge because of Scott Hudson�s recordings that give realistic commentary on his perceptions. Young adults should be aware of the tough nature that high school occasionally offers.

Paulsen, Gary. The Schernoff Discoveries. New York: Delacorte Press, 1997. Print.

Harold Schernoff, 14-year-old science whiz and social nerd, has a theory for every problem, from dating, to bullies, to making money, to sports, to how to buy a car when you're underage. When he and his buddy team up to put his theories to the test, nothing goes according to plan. A ski lesson becomes: Mass x Acceleration x Slope of hill = eeeAAGGHHH. As for first dates, only Harold could mastermind such disaster. Only Harold could go fishing and get caught by the fish. (http://www.amazon.com/Schernoff-Discoveries-Gary-Paulsen/dp/0440414636)

Gary Paulsen is an author known for putting a taste of humor in many novels. Using a protagonist that overthinks is a humorous look into the mind of a newer teen. A common tendency of young adults is to overanalyze situations in order to make the right decision. Paulsen�s realistic teenage perception is useful for any young adults interested in a story that can relate to their own lives

Sachar, Louis. Holes. New York: Scholastic, 1998. Print.

Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes the boys "build character" by spending all day, every day, digging holes: five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn't take long for Stanley to realize there's more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption. (http://www.amazon.com/Holes-Louis-Sachar/dp/044022859X)

As my centerpiece novel, Holes contains multiple instances and features that best exemplify humor in literature. It may not be classified as a humorous novel, but the content contains aspects that would be helpful for a reader attempting to identify humor in a story. Young adults would not be able to help but find instances of irony, ambiguity and exaggeration.

Silverstein, Shel. �A Boy Named Sue�. 1969

            Shel Silverstein is able to produce a funny poem that was later turned into a hit by Johnny Cash.  The song tells the tale of a young man's quest for revenge on a father who abandoned him at 3 years of age and whose only contribution to his entire life was naming him Sue, commonly a feminine name, which results in the young man suffering from ridicule and harassment by everyone he meets in his travels. Because of this, Sue grows up tough, mean and smartens up very quickly, though he frequently relocates due to the shame his name gives him. Angered by the embarrassment and abuse that he endures in his life, he swears that he will find and kill his father for giving him "that awful name."

            I found that the poem was quite funny, but at the same time, powerful in its message. The only reason his father named him that was in order to ensure that his son would grow up tough. The message may not be overly humorous, but the story in the poem is quite funny. The lesson that it teaches is similar to Jake Wizner�s story, Spanking Shakespeare. A person cannot change the name they have grown up with, allowing for mental growth and the ability to stand up against people willing to bother you about your name.

Works Cited List

Nilsen, Allen Pace + Kenneth L. Donelson, eds. Literature for Today�s Young Adults, 8th ed.,                                                                                            

New York: Pearson Custom Edition, 2008.