Entry 2: What is Humor?

Over the weekend, I asked people what they thought humor was, in addition to some similar questions. I asked all girls, but I didn't think gender would have a big impact on the answers I received. The girls had a synonymous definition for humor, something that makes you laugh. Although the answer itself is slightly vague, it is descriptive enough. Humor can be interpreted differently for everyone, which was supported by the girls not specifying a particular type of humor, such as dry humor. To get a more personal sense of what made them laugh, I asked some of the girls what was the most recent thing to make them laugh; they responded with "this," and laughed at the awkwardness of the situation. In addition to trying to make the interview more personal, I asked people what they thought negative humor was. The girls responded with something along the lines of "something that brings others down." Negative humor is often used in bullying situations since it can make others laugh and indirectly support you while still hurting the target. Overall, the girls had similar answers for all the questions. In a perfect world, the girls would have told about an actual incidence they found humorous, instead of calling the interview funny, but their reactions still showed their distinct personalities. Fom how they started the interview to how they finished it, no two interviews were alike; this is just like how everyone laughs at something different.

Entry 1: Asking Around--Literature and Civilization?

For our first assignment, we were asked to interview three people around the TCU campus. Our task was to ask our interviewees three questions: what is literature, what is civilization, and what do you think will be taught in a class called Literature and Civilization? We got a variety of answers from the people we saw at the TCU bookstore, the perfect place to discuss literature. The most common response to the question, "what is literature?” was the interviewees talking about books. One in particular had a more in depth explanation of literature; he even made a point of acknowledging the obvious answer that all the other interviewees answered. The next question, "what is civilization?” on the other hand, temporarily stumped most of the interviewees. While some gave up right away, others racked their brains to think of a suitable answer. The verdict? Civilization is people, society, and what people create. By the time we got to the final question, some of our interviewees seemed a little apprehensive. Nonetheless, we continued the interviews with a smile. The responses for our final question varied; one answer that personally stood out to me was how literature and culture have changed overtime. The interviewee based his answer off of a "Brit Lit" class he had previously taken. Overall, our interviewees had varied responses to every question, demonstrating the role personal interpretation plays in understanding any type of English class. Since not one answer was alike, it was clear that by the end of the class, all of the Literature and Civilizaiton II students would have unique, but more informed, ideas about what literature and civilization truly are.