Humor has lots of purpose, and without it, frankly, life would be pretty
miserable. But what makes something funny? How do we know humor? What
do you find particularly funny? How has humor made an impact on the
novels we're read this term?
Humor is something that makes life interesting. It has two meanings. People often view humor as laughter and joy, but there is also a meaning we can see from the saying, "humor me" which means, give me a chance, listen to me. Humor in the terms of joy and laughter is a very interesting thing. Someone once told me that humor is funny because it is a place we can see ourselves in. It often has something to do with mistakes and errors that we can see ourselves making. People are humorous unconsciously because of this. The best of humor comes, not when it is forced but rather when it comes naturally, in errors or in jokes. And while it is in bad taste to laugh at someones mistakes, we often find ourselves laughing at them in comedy shows and such. Humor happens when someone normal and ordinary is forced to do something ridiculous.
I believe that humor interestingly has played an essential role in the novels we have read. At first thought this might seems incongruous, perhaps even inappropriate, given with the heavy topics at hand. After all, one might wonder, how could one make jokes about the horrors of Nazi Germany, the siege of Leningrad without mocking the topic? And yet, after reading these past three books (and Slaughterhouse-five) it seems that if anything there are few places where humor is so needed and impacting on lives.
To remain sane in the face of horrors, humor really become a necessity. Benioff writes that after walking in on cannibals, Lev and Kolya joke "free and easy, [like] two young men discussing a boxing match. That was the only way to talk. You couldn't let too much truth seep into your conversation, you couldn't admit with your mouth what your eyes had seen. If you open the door even a centimeter, you would smell the rot outside and hear the screams" (63).
I think that it was quite clear that humor had no greater presence than in the latest book that we read, City of Thieves. Throughout the novel there were many examples of humor, both in the dialogue of the characters, especially from Kolya, and in the text itself. There were clearly many reasons for the humor throughout the book. Leningrad while under siege was probably one of the least amusing and enlightening places during that time, so it would have certainly been a dismal story to read about without the presence of humor. Humor in many ways made the story and the experience of the characters bearable, and it made the story much for entertaining and engaging for the reader as well. While reading the book, some of my favorite moments and the ones that I felt were most gripping contained humor, like when Kolya used his charisma to get him and Lev almost everything that they needed, when it was exposed that Kolya had made up and entire book and author to test his ideas for a novel with Lev, and when Kolya tried to make his death easier for Lev by trying to make cheer him up. I think that we all as humans need to be able to see the humor in certain situations, because life and history is not always beautiful. Whether out of lack of regard for his own life, or a genuinely comical lens through which he viewed the world, Kolya was certainly the most facetious character from many book that we have read this term, causing other characters in the story, and myself as the reader, to become greatly attached to him as a character and increasingly invested in the story.
They say laughing is the cure for almost everything. A good laugh can turn instantaneously turn a bad day upside down. But why? Personally, I believe something is funny because it captures a moment. An element of simple truth. It is something that we may have known about for our entire lives, but hearing it out loud for the first time makes us laugh. I am the type of person to find practically everything funny. Jokes, movies, awkward moments – everything. And I am also known to have a bad case of nervous laughter. This came to life when I was nine and my five-year-old sister crashed into a tree while sledding and I couldn’t stop laughing. Not in her face, hunched-over laughing, but nervous laughing. I think that humor and laughing is a mechanism in which humans can hide behind. They can shield their insecurities and problems behind a jolly, full-belly laugh. And although that may seem unhealthy, laughing may be the greatest cure of all.
In the books we have read this term, humor has been a constant theme through and throughout. In the most recent book, City of Thieves, Koyla’s light-hearted, sarcastic outlook on his current situation helps keep him afloat. Instead of wallowing in the war, Koyla uses humor to push him through to the end. His humorous personality really becomes Lev’s rock, which readers can relate to in more ways than not. As I stated before, humor can be the most protective shield of all. The sturdiest choice of armor that Koyla has chosen to use during World War II; to help him keeping going and persevering on. As a reader, the humor makes these kinds of books, the ones that deal with such a dark point in world history, a little bit easier to read and digest.
Humor is one of the greatest things in life because it often times distracts you from the harshness of the rest of the world. I know personally, the more I’m able to truly laugh throughout a given day, the easier it is to get to the end of it and not feel exhausted and/or mildly depressed. I also find that some of the most amusing jokes are derived from moments we feel connected to -- like when we feel a bond with certain people or storylines in comedic routines, or when our friends make jokes about shared moments.
These comedic principles can be observed throughout the frameworks of The Book Thief and City of Thieves. The horrible experiences the characters in these books go though make us care all the more for them, thus creating a bond. Because we feel a sort of empathy towards them, we’re surprised when they’re able to make light of the situations they’ve faced. They use comedy to make their soul-crushing realities manageable.
The thing that makes something funny is that it has the ability to make you laugh. In any given situation anything can make you laugh. Humor can take all different formations, whether it be something someone said, actions that a person does or a sound that is made. I find the littlest things funny because it's easy to make me laugh. I'm usually laughing all the time due to the fact I have weird sense of humor. Humor has made a huge impact on the novels that we have read this term because of the subject we are learning about. Since we are dealing with such a heavy topic the idea of a little humor in the books that we have read make it easier to relate to and take the heaviness off of the topic a little bit. This is important because it helps make it easier to cope with what we are reading and discussing.
Everybody needs humor in their lives. Humor is what offsets those dark moments when you need something to feel good about, but happiness just isn't an option. The more humor, the better. There really is no way to define humor. There is no set criteria for what is humorous, and what is not. Humor is whatever makes us laugh. It's that light at the end of the tunnel, something that can keep us going. The ability for people to laugh about something in the worst situations is a true testament to the power of humor. Humor is particular to every individual. It's whatever evokes a laugh or a smile. It can be anything, anywhere, anytime. I personally love humor. I love how I can find humor during a wrestling practice between trips to the trash can to throw up every organ in my body. My teammates and I take pride in being able to laugh at our situation, and just how brutal it is. It brings us together. A world with no humor is a world I don't want ti live in.
I believe that humor is what keeps life interesting and bearable. Funny situations can come from being able to relate to someone or something in some way. Another source of humor is misdirection. Someone believing something about the state of the world and acting upon that belief when the belief does not hold true for most other people. Another form that humor can take is slapstick: a very physical form of humor. I believe that humor makes the City of Thieves more enjoyable to read and overall more bearable. Being about such a grim topic, I am surprised that the author was able to create humorous moments in the book.
Humor is something that makes life interesting. It has two meanings. People often view humor as laughter and joy, but there is also a meaning we can see from the saying, "humor me" which means, give me a chance, listen to me. Humor in the terms of joy and laughter is a very interesting thing. Someone once told me that humor is funny because it is a place we can see ourselves in. It often has something to do with mistakes and errors that we can see ourselves making.
ReplyDeletePeople are humorous unconsciously because of this. The best of humor comes, not when it is forced but rather when it comes naturally, in errors or in jokes. And while it is in bad taste to laugh at someones mistakes, we often find ourselves laughing at them in comedy shows and such. Humor happens when someone normal and ordinary is forced to do something ridiculous.
I believe that humor interestingly has played an essential role in the novels we have read. At first thought this might seems incongruous, perhaps even inappropriate, given with the heavy topics at hand. After all, one might wonder, how could one make jokes about the horrors of Nazi Germany, the siege of Leningrad without mocking the topic? And yet, after reading these past three books (and Slaughterhouse-five) it seems that if anything there are few places where humor is so needed and impacting on lives.
ReplyDeleteTo remain sane in the face of horrors, humor really become a necessity. Benioff writes that after walking in on cannibals, Lev and Kolya joke "free and easy, [like] two young men discussing a boxing match. That was the only way to talk. You couldn't let too much truth seep into your conversation, you couldn't admit with your mouth what your eyes had seen. If you open the door even a centimeter, you would smell the rot outside and hear the screams" (63).
I think that it was quite clear that humor had no greater presence than in the latest book that we read, City of Thieves. Throughout the novel there were many examples of humor, both in the dialogue of the characters, especially from Kolya, and in the text itself. There were clearly many reasons for the humor throughout the book. Leningrad while under siege was probably one of the least amusing and enlightening places during that time, so it would have certainly been a dismal story to read about without the presence of humor. Humor in many ways made the story and the experience of the characters bearable, and it made the story much for entertaining and engaging for the reader as well. While reading the book, some of my favorite moments and the ones that I felt were most gripping contained humor, like when Kolya used his charisma to get him and Lev almost everything that they needed, when it was exposed that Kolya had made up and entire book and author to test his ideas for a novel with Lev, and when Kolya tried to make his death easier for Lev by trying to make cheer him up. I think that we all as humans need to be able to see the humor in certain situations, because life and history is not always beautiful. Whether out of lack of regard for his own life, or a genuinely comical lens through which he viewed the world, Kolya was certainly the most facetious character from many book that we have read this term, causing other characters in the story, and myself as the reader, to become greatly attached to him as a character and increasingly invested in the story.
ReplyDeleteThey say laughing is the cure for almost everything. A good laugh can turn instantaneously turn a bad day upside down. But why? Personally, I believe something is funny because it captures a moment. An element of simple truth. It is something that we may have known about for our entire lives, but hearing it out loud for the first time makes us laugh.
ReplyDeleteI am the type of person to find practically everything funny. Jokes, movies, awkward moments – everything. And I am also known to have a bad case of nervous laughter. This came to life when I was nine and my five-year-old sister crashed into a tree while sledding and I couldn’t stop laughing. Not in her face, hunched-over laughing, but nervous laughing. I think that humor and laughing is a mechanism in which humans can hide behind. They can shield their insecurities and problems behind a jolly, full-belly laugh. And although that may seem unhealthy, laughing may be the greatest cure of all.
In the books we have read this term, humor has been a constant theme through and throughout. In the most recent book, City of Thieves, Koyla’s light-hearted, sarcastic outlook on his current situation helps keep him afloat. Instead of wallowing in the war, Koyla uses humor to push him through to the end. His humorous personality really becomes Lev’s rock, which readers can relate to in more ways than not. As I stated before, humor can be the most protective shield of all. The sturdiest choice of armor that Koyla has chosen to use during World War II; to help him keeping going and persevering on. As a reader, the humor makes these kinds of books, the ones that deal with such a dark point in world history, a little bit easier to read and digest.
Humor is one of the greatest things in life because it often times distracts you from the harshness of the rest of the world. I know personally, the more I’m able to truly laugh throughout a given day, the easier it is to get to the end of it and not feel exhausted and/or mildly depressed. I also find that some of the most amusing jokes are derived from moments we feel connected to -- like when we feel a bond with certain people or storylines in comedic routines, or when our friends make jokes about shared moments.
ReplyDeleteThese comedic principles can be observed throughout the frameworks of The Book Thief and City of Thieves. The horrible experiences the characters in these books go though make us care all the more for them, thus creating a bond. Because we feel a sort of empathy towards them, we’re surprised when they’re able to make light of the situations they’ve faced. They use comedy to make their soul-crushing realities manageable.
The thing that makes something funny is that it has the ability to make you laugh. In any given situation anything can make you laugh. Humor can take all different formations, whether it be something someone said, actions that a person does or a sound that is made. I find the littlest things funny because it's easy to make me laugh. I'm usually laughing all the time due to the fact I have weird sense of humor. Humor has made a huge impact on the novels that we have read this term because of the subject we are learning about. Since we are dealing with such a heavy topic the idea of a little humor in the books that we have read make it easier to relate to and take the heaviness off of the topic a little bit. This is important because it helps make it easier to cope with what we are reading and discussing.
ReplyDeleteEverybody needs humor in their lives. Humor is what offsets those dark moments when you need something to feel good about, but happiness just isn't an option. The more humor, the better. There really is no way to define humor. There is no set criteria for what is humorous, and what is not. Humor is whatever makes us laugh. It's that light at the end of the tunnel, something that can keep us going. The ability for people to laugh about something in the worst situations is a true testament to the power of humor. Humor is particular to every individual. It's whatever evokes a laugh or a smile. It can be anything, anywhere, anytime. I personally love humor. I love how I can find humor during a wrestling practice between trips to the trash can to throw up every organ in my body. My teammates and I take pride in being able to laugh at our situation, and just how brutal it is. It brings us together. A world with no humor is a world I don't want ti live in.
ReplyDeleteI believe that humor is what keeps life interesting and bearable. Funny situations can come from being able to relate to someone or something in some way. Another source of humor is misdirection. Someone believing something about the state of the world and acting upon that belief when the belief does not hold true for most other people. Another form that humor can take is slapstick: a very physical form of humor. I believe that humor makes the City of Thieves more enjoyable to read and overall more bearable. Being about such a grim topic, I am surprised that the author was able to create humorous moments in the book.
ReplyDelete