“My Dad Makes Guns”

So, if you made it; I hope the WASL-fueled AP experience was everything you wished for and more. I hope to have a pretty good schedule of everything we’re up to between now and the AP test by Wednesday.

Hopefully, you read “Shooting Dad” by Sarah Vowell.  I’ll ask you to answer question 4 and characterize the types of humor in the piece and include at least 10 examples.  Then, we’ll share.

Next, we’ll talk a bit about irony and read this piece from the Guardian.

1. Why does the writer say “We have a grave problem with this word?”
2. Define what you think the author means by Socratic irony? Give your own example.
3. The explanation of Romantic irony is even harder. Give it a shot. Be romantically ironic. I dare you.
4. In the discussion of Irony as a tool of dissent, Heller says this “Where irony springs up as a response to being lied to (by authority, or prevailing culture, or whatever), it is still adhering loosely to Chaucer’s model – it states the lie in order to expose the lie, and is therefore a route to truth.”  Paraphrase and explain what she’s saying.
5. Ok, how about Phase 4, aka us. How does Heller think irony gets used now?  Give me an example in your own experience.
6. What does Heller mean by: “The end of irony would be a disaster for the world – bad things will always occur, and those at fault will always attempt to cover them up with emotional and overblown language.”
7. Why is American telly better than British telly? How does the Six Feet Under example show that?
8. Skip the Germans. And then talk to me about instant messaging and irony. Why is it hard? Or is it?
9. Explain how the conclusion is ironic. Whatever.

HW: Find something ironic. Bring it. Write about 100 words on the nature of its irony. Try not to implode.

Image credit: Guns, c.1981-82 by Andy Warhol art.com