Essay #5: The Boundaries of Humor

In class, we will be reading and discussing several articles which explore the question of the limits of
comedy. Youll get to read, write, and think about these different writers perspectives on what should
and should not be joked about and come to your own conclusion. Well also continue to talk about what
an academic essay is and practice with the writing process we go through to create an academic essay.
The Assignment
For your fifth essay of the summer semester, you will take a stand on the boundaries of humor. Should
some topics be off-limits for comedy? If not, why not? If yes, what are some factors that determine
whether or not some topics should be off limits? To answer this question, you should use at least two
readingsfrom this unit or previous units from the semesterto support your position. You can also use
your own personal experiences and observations. The final draft should have all of the parts of an
academic essay: an introduction paragraph with a thesis, several focused body paragraphs with clear topic
sentences, and a conclusion paragraph. It should be at least three pages long, but you should shoot for
longer: four pages or so, typed and double spaced in MLA format.
Structure and Length
The final draft should have all of the parts of an academic essay: an introduction paragraph with a thesis,
several focused body paragraphs with clear topic sentences, and a conclusion paragraph. The final draft
should be at least four pages long, typed and double spaced in MLA format
Things to Shoot For
A clear, specific thesis statement in the introduction paragraph that directly answers the questions
in the assignment; for this essay, the thesis states your claim clearly about whether or not some
topics should not be talked about in a humorous way
Multiple body paragraphs that follow an organizational strategy
Body paragraphs that each focus on one specific subtopic related to the thesis; that subtopic is
clear in each body paragraphs topic sentence
Clear explanations of the key concepts from the reading
Body paragraphs that accurately summarize the reading and state and support your opinion from
the thesis
A carefully proofread final draft that is generally free of distracting and confusing sentence-level
errors and correctly cites the reading youve used
Tips for Success
Allow yourself enough time to go through the steps of the writing process (prewriting, drafting,
revising, editing)
Understand the writing assignment and respond accordingly.
Fully participate in the class Blackboard discussion so you can deepen your understanding of the
readings and get ideas for your essay
Use your Writer's Reference book and class materials to understand the parts of an essay and the
writing process and apply them to your work.
Deadline: Sunday August 7th