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Essay Available:
Pages:
6 pages/≈1650 words
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Check Instructions
Style:
MLA
Subject:
Literature & Language
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 21.6
Topic:

Watch two comedy choose one and write about it regarding monologue and soliloquy

Essay Instructions:

Choose one of the comedians Hannah Gadsby’s “Nanette” and Hasan Minhaj’s “Homecoming King.” to answer what is the message of this monologue/soliloquy? How does their form of the monologue/soliloquy help the reader to feel empathy and accept this difficult idea? Both of them are available on Netflix. I will also attach a prompt.

English 110
Spring 2020
ESSAY #4: COMEDY, THE FIRST PERSON, & EMPATHY
Background: In this unit, we’ll watch two comedy specials that function as monologues and soliloquys: Hannah Gadsby’s “Nanette” and Hasan Minhaj’s “Homecoming King.” Both of these pieces are like first-person essays, or like memoir, combined with an artistic, deliberate visual performance. These comics use their comedy as a way to discuss difficult issues, like homophobia, sexual assault, racism, and class. We’ll also read critical essays on first-person writing itself, and consider how these theories can help us understand these comics’ messages. 
Every choice the comic makes—what words they choose, their punchlines and repetition, their eye contact, their movement, their gestures—are all a part of their message. The way they tell their story is as important as the story itself. Their first-person narrative and performance help us, the audience, feel empathy for the speaker in different ways, and help us accept difficult issues that we might not accept otherwise.
Learning Goals: Your goal for this essay is to expand your knowledge of close reading of literary elements (essay #1), analysis of broader themes and structures (essay #2), integrating a real-world lens (essay #3), and combine all of these skills into one coherent, analytical argument. 
The task:
Choose one of the comedians from this unit, and then write a 1,500-word essay answering the following questions: 1. What is the message of this monologue/soliloquy?
2. How does their form of the monologue/soliloquy help the reader to feel empathy and accept this difficult idea? 
How to do it: More detail
You will be considering how the comedians in this unit use first-person narration to convey their message. Remember to analyze means to break down. You should treat your chosen monologue/soliloquy the way you would any of the pieces we’ve read this semester, and consider how the different tools the comic uses come together to create meaning. 
For your thesis: This is another way of asking about the theme of the piece! But in this case, you’re specifically considering the relationship between how they tell their first-person story, empathy, and their message.
For your body paragraphs: Consider the tools the comics use/the elements of the comedy routine, both verbal and visual (specifically, metaphors and similes, structure, pacing, word choice, tone, posture, facial expressions, visual elements, gestures, etc.) and how each allows us to develop empathy and connect with the speaker in order to accept their idea.
Audience: Consider your reader as someone not in our class. They will need context and explanation for who your comic is, what their special is about, and any key terms you’re using. 
Outside Source Requirement:For this essay, please integrate at least one of the critical sources on first-person narratives we discuss in class/I provide for you to help support your argument about the comic’s message. Your source should be integrated in a meaningful way, rather than just thrown in as a single quote. (more on next page)
Need help? Review my lecture videos, your homework and prewriting assignments, and make an appointment at the writing center, or with me! I’m happy to help.
Requirements (what to do to pass)
(A essays do these things very well and are highly polished)
- 1,500 words minimum
- Demonstrate your analysis and close reading skills throughout
- Demonstrate knowledge of literary elements
- Include a compelling introduction that includes a hook, introduces your chosen piece, and includes a thesis
- Include evidence—each body paragraph should include at least one quote from either your chosen comic or a critical source
- Meaningfully include at least one critical source
- Includes a conclusion that answers the “and now what?” question
- Be thoroughly proofread (especially for homonyms and lowercase i's)
- Demonstrate knowledge of sentence boundaries
- Demonstrate deliberate paragraphing choices (one main idea per paragraph)
- Include a title 
- Use a 12-point, readable font
- Be double-spaced
- Include page numbers
- Include an MLA Works Cited page
- Be original work—As stated on the syllabus: You may not pay someone else to write your essay. You may not Google what others have said about the comic and use that to come up with ideas. All ideas must be your own. Our class time will help you generate your own ideas! You must write your paper yourself. Consulting sources that specifically discuss the comic, in physical print or online, will be considered cheating unless it is properly and judiciously documented.
Deadline Checklist
            Monday, 5/11: Rough draft due (required): Please upload your rough drafts to Canvas by midnight. (Note that you still have a week to turn this in, if you need to—no later than 5/18, please, so I have time to give you feedback.) If you would like your draft peer reviewed, please note it on your rough draft, and I will make sure you get assigned a peer review partner on Canvas.
            Thursday, 5/14: Peer review due (useful): Please upload your one-page letter OR video message to your peer review partner by the end of the day Thursday.
            Between 5/11 and 5/18: Meet with Jill. Please schedule a meeting with me through Canvas during this week so we can discuss your draft and any questions you have before the end of the semester! We can do Zoom or simple phone call—just let me know which.
            Friday, 5/22: Final draft due (required)! You must upload to Canvas in order to receive a grade. No later than midnight on 5/22. As this is our final class, please do not forget any of these steps! After the semester is over, it’s hard to track people down if you forget to upload your draft, and you don’t want a missing digital copy to be the reason you don’t pass this class.

Essay Sample Content Preview:
Your Name
Subject and Section
Professor’s Name
May 15, 2020
Hasan Minhaj’s Homecoming King Analysis
Hasan Minhaj’s stand-up comedy is a brilliant piece, full of thought-provoking monologues delivered in a perceptive yet light-hearted way. Minhaj’s message in Homecoming King is simple yet warrants the need for everyone to open their mind and have a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Minhaj did not mince words when he talked about (or made fun of if you will) the nuances of the society in general. The message here is as clear as crystal: there is a sad reality, a dimension where racism, how hard it is to make a living as immigrants in a foreign land, the generational gap, the American dream that everyone is after, etc. exist. Minhaj was born of Indian immigrants in the US, making him an American citizen through and through. However, as he spoke of his experiences in a comedic process, the reality of the disadvantages, discrimination, racism, and the perpetual chase of the American Dream, despite the seeming advantages brought by his citizenship, would have dawned upon the audience or online viewers like me.
Stand-up comedy has no apparent history or as to how it came to be. However, the definitive aspect of this art is the use of humor (Mintz, 1985). It has and always will be an essential part of the American pop culture, devoid of partiality, and full of social commentaries. It is a form of social joking, an on-the-spot art that provokes or warrants on-to-the-spot feedback from the audience. Feedback may include critical thinking, taking note beyond what has been said, and need not be easily offended by a truthful attack on the societal issues that people may face. It may be very well argued that a simple protest is needed in stand-up comedies. People do not only come for the laughs; people are also entertained by the quips and seemingly bold statements veiled in those monologues. This comedic style aims to appeal to a large number of the audience, whether they are on the one side of things or otherwise. The goal of stand-up comedy is to target the issue, make all sorts of people understand it, but it a fun away. Again, as part of the feedback, it is up to the people whether to get offended or not.
We all love humor. Mark Twain, a known humourist in his own right, once said that there is no greater weapon than humor. It might well be true to today’s stand-up comedy’s standard because it is through humor that these comedians can deliver a “light version” of the otherwise big and heavy aspects of society and its issues. And by “light,” I mean, humor can give us the strength to approach sensitive topics. According to Driessen (2016), humor through stand-up comedies often touches sensitive issues surrounding the aspects of sex, politics, race, and even food. Stand-up comedies are usually in-your-face performances; it is the job of the stand-up comedian to guide the audience and address them directly. This is why such a monologue is very useful; it bursts the comfort bubble of every listener/viewer, presents with real mind-blowing scenarios hoping to make sense of the issues that are otherwise hard to approach.
Personal experiences seem to compliment how ...
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