Bellwork: 11/12/12
 Take out a sheet of paper and title it
“Comparing Literature: The Ransom of Red
Chief & Brer Rabbit and Brer Lion.
 Copy the following objectives:
To evaluate the effectiveness of an
author’s use of exaggeration, comic
language, & verbal & situational irony to
create humor in writing
2. To compare and contrast elements of
humor between a folktale & short story
“BRER RABBIT & BRER
LION” (PAGE 575)
AND
“THE RANSOM OF RED
CHIEF” (PAGE 579)
Ms. Walker
Comparing
Literature:
Elements of
Humor
OBJECTIVES:
1. TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
AN AUTHOR’S USE OF
EXAGGERATION, COMIC LANGUAGE, &
VERBAL & SITUATIONAL
IRONY TO CREATE HUMOR IN
WRITING
2. TO COMPARE AND CONTRAST
ELEMENTS OF HUMOR BETWEEN A
FOLKTALE & SHORT STORY
1. Comic Language: the use of nonsense
words where they don’t belong
 Pun: a play on words; using words
in the wrong context for some type
of effect (single words, phrases,
idioms, familiar analogies, etc.)
 Some authors create words for
comic effect.

He said he was so tired that he felt like a
Tickeria.
2. Verbal Irony:
a contrast between
what is said & what
is actually meant
(sarcasm)
3. Exaggeration/Hyperbole: the use of
overstatement for comic effect
4. Situational Irony:
a situation that is the opposite of what we expect or
what seems appropriate
“Oh! The Irony!”
Which element of humor is being used?
Comic Language, Verbal/Situational Irony, or
Exaggeration?
 The Senator hit the ceiling when he read the
headlines.
 He’s so thin that if he turned sideways, he would




disappear.
It (the cold weather) stabbed like a driven nail.
A teenager waits patiently to take his/her driving
portion of his/her driver’s license exam, but
during the exam, hits a car from behind
Sam said, “Nick played a great game; he struck out
three times.”
Carla called the child “Grace” after she tripped
over the toy.
Which element of humor is being used?
Comic Language, Verbal or Situational
Irony, or Exaggeration?
 The Senator hit the ceiling when he read the headlines.





(Exaggeration)
He’s so thin that if he turned sideways, he would
disappear. (Exaggeration)
It (the cold weather) stabbed like a driven nail.
(Exaggeration)
A teenager waits patiently to take his/her driving portion
of his/her driver’s license exam, but during the exam, hits
a car from behind. (Situational Irony)
Sam said, “Nick played a great game; he struck out three
times.” (Verbal Irony)
Carla called the child “Grace” after she tripped over the
toy. (Comic Language: Pun)
HOMEWORK: 11/12/12
Review your notes on elements of
humor. If you have access to the
internet, look up additional
examples of each. Select one of the
four types of humor and create a
comic strip that represents that type
of humor. Use color in your comic
strip.
Pass up your
homework.
2. On a sheet of
paper answer the
question below:
(You may use
yesterday’s notes.)
1.
Which element
of humor is
represented
in the picture?
Explain your
answer.
Bellwork: 11/13/12
Read the comic strip. Explain how it
illustrates the term “flip flop” as a pun.
Read “The
Ransom of Red
Chief”
by O. Henry.
(page 579)
As you read, look
for examples of
Exaggeration, Comic
Language (Pun),
and Verbal &
Situational Irony.
Homework: 11/13/12
Finish reading “The Ransom…Chief.” (pages 580-593)
Answer the questions below in complete
sentences.
1. Page 590, 2nd paragraph:
How does Bill exaggerate his tortures?
2. Page 591, Letter to the kidnappers from
Ebenezer Dorset:
How does the letter represent Situational
Irony? (Consider the following questions:
What would you expect the father of a
kidnap victim to say? What does this father
say?)
Bellwork (11/14/12)
Place your homework on your desk. On a
sheet of paper, head it correctly & title it
“Brer Rabbit…” Draw the chart below:
Elements of
Humor
Exaggeration
Comic Language
Situational Irony
“Brer Rabbit & Brer
Lion”
Homework Review:
Which element is represented in each
statement(s) below and how do you know?
1. Page 590, 2nd paragraph:
How does Bill exaggerate his tortures?
2. Page 591, Letter from Ebenezer Dorset:
How does the letter represent Situational
Irony?
1. Which
element of
humor does
the picture
represent?
How do you
know?
2. Which type of irony does the comic
strip illustrate?
3. Explain how the comic strip uses
exaggeration.
4. “‘PowerPoint’ POISONING” is an
example of which element of humor?
Explain your response.
“Brer Rabbit & Brer Lion”
(page 576)
 an African American
folk tale (a trickster
tale)
 The narrator


speaks directly to
readers
speaks with dialect and
comic exaggeration that
helps create a
personality as
distinctive as those of
the two animal
characters
from Brer Rabbit and Brer Lion
retold by Julius Lester
Brer Rabbit was in the woods one afternoon
when a great wind came up. It blew on the
ground and it blew in the tops of the trees. It
blew so hard that Brer Rabbit was afraid a
tree might fall on him, and he started
running.
He was trucking through the woods when he
ran smack into Brer Lion. . . .
“What’s your hurry, Brer Rabbit?
“Run, Brer Lion! There’s a hurricane
coming!”
Brer Lion got scared. “I’m too heavy to run, Brer
Rabbit. What am I going to do?”
“Lay down, Brer Lion, lay down! Get close to the
ground!”
Brer Lion shook his head. “The wind might pick
me up and blow me away.”
“Hug a tree, Brer Lion! Hug a tree!”
“But what if the wind blows all day and into the
night?”
“Let me tie you to the tree, Brer Lion. Let me tie
you to the tree.”
Brer Lion liked that idea. Brer Rabbit tied him to
the tree and sat down next to it.
After a while, Brer Lion got tired of hugging
the tree.
“Brer Rabbit? I don’t hear no hurricane.”
Brer Rabbit listened. “Neither do I.”
“Brer Rabbit? I don’t hear no wind.”
Brer Rabbit listened. “Neither do I.”
“Brer Rabbit? Ain’t a leaf moving in the trees.”
Brer Rabbit looked up. “Sho’ ain’t.”
“So untie me.”
“I’m afraid to, Brer Lion.”
Brer Lion began to roar. He roared so loud
and so long, the foundations of the Earth
started shaking. Least that’s what it
seemed like, and the other animals came
from all over to see what was going on.
When they got close, Brer Rabbit jumped
up and began strutting around the tied-up
Brer Lion. When the animals saw what
Brer Rabbit had done to Brer Lion, you’d
better believe it was the forty-eleventh of
Octorerarry before they messed with him
again.
Numbered Heads Together
Short Answer Questions (**2 pts. on the LEAP)
 Remember the following:
 Use TTQA (Turn The Question Around)
 Answer in a complete sentences.
 Use correct end punctuation and capitalization.
 Answer the question correctly.
 Remember the Numbered Heads Together process:
 Write your own answer.
 When instructed, all group members should lean toward one
another and begin discussing your answer choices.
 When all members agree on only one answer, stop discussion and
lean back.
 I will stop the group discussions (if they are still occurring) and
select a group member to answer the question as well as explain
HOW he/she found the answer.
 If a member does not/cannot provide the correct answer OR
explanation, the next group has a chance to answer and explain.
Elements of
Humor
1. Exaggeration
(second to last
paragraph)
2. Comic Language
(second paragraph)
Situational Irony
“Brer Rabbit and Brer
Lion”
Homework (11/14/12)
Complete the chart below by writing one
example of each element of humor from “The
Ransom of Red Chief.” (pp. 580-593)
Elements of
Humor
Exaggeration
Comic Language
Situational Irony
“The Ransom of Red
Chief”