Ability To Laugh Heartily English Literature Essay

What is meant? How does he larn to express joy? What roles do comics play in Modern society? ( Choose specific comics to discourse. )

“ I have since learned that that this ability to laugh heartily is, in portion, the redemption of the American Negro… ” ( Johnson, p. 26 ) what the writer tries to convey in this transition is the resiliency of the American Negro, at that clip, ability to happen a echt manner of demilitarizing others around them with this laugh. This laugh did non give proof to what another individual might state, but instead disregarded it in an retiring mode. This heartily laughter is non a gambit put on by the person but is portion of them ; and is more than a manner to demilitarize others but a manner of protecting themselves from what others may state: “ In fact they talked directly from their lungs, and laughed from the cavities of their tummy. And this hearty laughter was frequently justified by the droll wit of some remark. “ ( Johnson, p. 26 )

On page 26 when the storyteller states, “ I have since learned that this ability to laugh heartily is, in portion, the redemption of the American Negro… ” I believe that he is stating that in order to hold survived in their repressive and segregated society it was necessary that they laughed and found felicity as an flight from their unjust world. At the clip this quotation mark is spoken he is analyzing the lower category of black people that he had ne’er seen earlier. “ These people talked and laughed without restraint.. and this hearty laughter was frequently justified by the droll wit of some comment ” ( 26 ) . He saw the poorest of people showing felicity, instead than sadness about their conditions and non self-loathing and brooding on their state of affairs. As we all know it can be so easy to brood on our bad lucks, and it takes existent character to lift above and appreciate what blessings we do hold.

I believe that the storyteller learned to express joy when he joined his fellow lodgers for breakfast after his first dark in Jacksonville, and throughout his clip with these work forces at the cigar mill. “ It was non long before I enjoyed the spirited yak and badinage at the tabular array every bit much as I did my repasts, – and the repasts were non bad ” ( 31 ) . For the first clip in his life he finds himself working every bit opposed to being provided for and populating in conditions non to the criterion that he is used to. It is in these fortunes that for the first clip he learns the value of life in the minute and basking his lucks, instead than brooding on his socioeconomic position and race ( though these remain outstanding issues in his life ) .

The American Negro, harmonizing to the storyteller, has this ability to happen joy and felicity even though his batch in life does n’t advance it.

The storyteller states, “ I have since learned that that this ability to laugh heartily is, in portion, the redemption of the American Negro… ” ( 26 ) , and with that could be saying that without the felicity through the laughter that the slaves created, they would non hold survived what they were forced to digest. They were forced into atrocious life and on the job conditions, every bit good as hardly treated as human existences allow alone peers, and with that they learned to laugh and have some comedic alleviation in the cruel times to juxtapose the agony they were confronting. They were upset at what they were undergoing, but created their ain felicity in order to do it through.

in The Autobiography of an Ex-colored adult male by James Weldon Johnson, the storyteller says, “ I have since learned that this ability to laugh heartily is, in portion, the redemption of the American Negro ” ( 26 ) . During this clip, in the 19th and 20thy century, racial favoritism, and bondage was a outstanding issues in many American states. The segregation between the Whites and the inkinesss was a major issue, and both sides, largely the inkinesss faced many adversities and battles daily. It wasA believed that express joying heartily was a alone remedy for the Negroes to bury about their jobs they faced daily, and concentrate on holding a good clip, and laugh hysterically. The storyteller says, “ These people talked and laughed without restraint. In fact, they talked directly from their lungs, and laughed from the cavities of their tummies ” ( 26 ) . The inkinesss would come together at a nine, or a saloon, and they would merely express joy at random things, hysterically, and it shows that they were merely holding a good clip, and non worrying about issues bombarded mundane in society.

The storyteller tries to happen his individuality in life, he considers himself to be a white adult male because of his white tegument. However he assigns himself as a colored adult male every bit good because his female parent is coloured. He realized that “ for an blink of an eye I was afraid to look, but when I did, I looked long and seriously, I had frequently heard people say to my female parent: ‘what reasonably boy you have. I was accustomed to hear comments about my beauty ; but now, for the first clip, I became witting of it and recognized it “ ( 17 ) . This means that he was shocked that he was a colored adult male, and he did n’t desire to be a colored adult male in an inferior race.

A ” I have since learned that this ability to laugh heartily is, in portion, the redemption of the American Negro… ( 56 ) ” . What is a laugh? A laugh is holding amusement towards something said or a amusing action done. It makes the individual relieve themselves of emphasis and makes life merriment. When a individual laughs they largely ignore the things around them and acquire caught up in the minute of basking themselves, without believing who ‘s watching them. The storyteller learns to express joy because he experiences hard times in his life, such as his female parent death, losing his money or even losing his occupation in the cigar mill. But he learns to recognize it is what it is. Life does non halt, bad things happen for a ground. So accept it, and larn to bask life and laugh about it because there are ever people who have it worse than you and you should be grateful for what you have. In add-on the storyteller realizes that even in rough conditions in life, learn to populate and happen beauty. “ Ma fr’en? He ma fr’en? Man! I ‘d travel to his funeral jes ‘ Delawares same as I ‘d travel to a folk singer show ” ( 56 ) . When person dies their is heartache, nevertheless there should be felicity as good, because it is portion of life and we should accept it. A individual starts a new universe of life. Furthermore, the storyteller experiences that even though the colored people have a changeless battle in life, particularly the hapless people, they are loving life, because before the civil war they were slaves. But now they are free, and can make whatever they want, even though they are hapless they laugh it off: “ Merely one thing about them awoke a feeling of involvement ; that was their dialectaˆ¦I heard it in all of its comprehensiveness and freedom ” ( 56 ) . “ And how the scene of the battle has shifted! The conflict was foremost waged over the right of the Negro to be categories as a human being with a psyche ” and now they are free ( 75 ) . Therefore love life for all it is, for what you have, because you do n’t cognize what you have until it is gone. The problems that one has, laugh it off, and enjoy life. Accept who you are and what you have.

The novel The Autobiography of an Ex-coloured Man by, James Weldon has a clear focal point on the adversities and battles on both sides of racial favoritism in America. In my sentiment the citation, “ I have since learned that this ability to laugh heartily is, in portion, the redemption of the American Negro… ” ( 26 ) Is really really powerful, in the fact that it is really true.

2nd portion:

A Comedians in modern society provide amusement, offer a interruption from world and can besides educate about societal norms and social issues every bit good as interrupt down some societal barriers that are hard without comedy. The comedian which readily comes to mind, who I have watched infinite times on the telecasting and have besides seen unrecorded, is Toronto Born Russell Peters. His Acts of the Apostless are based upon doing merriment of all races in a manner which is clever and by and large non-offensive ( to each their ain sentiment ) . In a society where people are so nervous about whether or non they are being racialist, comics like Peters help to ease our tensenesss, laugh about our ain backgrounds, and co-exist in a multicultural society. Recently I saw one of Larry the Cable Guy ‘s public presentations on the comedy channel. He was entertaining and did convey to light issues about socioeconomic category, leting those in his depicted place, every bit good as the flush to laugh and portion the same amusement. Comedians like Steven Colbert and John Stewart both address societal issues in a manner which is entertaining and can do you inquiry and critically analyse the subjects at manus. It is clear that comedy does more than merely supply amusement.

The functions comics play in society isA amusing reliefA where they make their audience relax, laugh heartily at random gags, and be relieved fromA emphasis, A battles, or problemsA many face daily. Comedians bring together a absurd ambiance for people to bask, and laugh until their tummy hurts, and theyA tear from express joying so hard. Celebrated comics in our modern society are Russell Peters, and Dave Chappell. These two celebrated comics are of racial minorities, and they tend to hold a good clip doing amusing gags about their ain race. For illustration, Russel Peters is Indian and he makes random gags about Indian people how they smell every bit good as how inexpensive they are. On the other manus, Dave Chappell is black, and he makes screaming gags about black people such as how black their tegument is, and etc. These two comics make racialist footings about other races such as Chinese, Latin, and Judaic people. Today in our modern society, when racialist gags areA spoken approximately, they are non taken earnestly, and people laugh along with them. However, if a racist term, or gag was said by someoneA in the 19th or twentieth century, it would be taken earnestly and would be considered brutually violative to another. Furthermore, in some instances, that individual could perchance be imprisoned, or even killed.

A A A A A A A A A A A The functions that comedians play in society are of import because they make life merriment and joyful even in the rough times. Comedians can do merriment of serious things without sloping any blood. Meaning they can do a gag out of something and no 1 will mind it. For illustration Russell Peters, he makes merriment of cultural backgrounds, races, and civilization but he does it in a manner that people enjoy his show. The functions that comedians play in the modern society aid interrupt world, emphasis, racism, etc. Many things that are serious or debatable in life can be eased by comics. Besides, comedy can assist with biass and let others to accept societal norms that one may non wish about another individual or civilization. Comedians allow of import topics to be discussed freely and doing visible radiation of certain subjects allows society to get by with some topics easier. For illustration, Chris Rock, a black comic has routinely made gags about black people even though he himself is black. This allows all of society to recognize that yes their are some issues in the black community but besides A that non all people from a peculiar race, faith or ethnicity are the same. When he is doing gags about black people he is indirectly indicating out that generalisations can be exploited in comedy but they should non be utilized to judge others.

Comedy plays an of import portion in modern society because it allows people to really bask express joying at themselves and others. It provides a manner to do “ merriment ” of other people without coming off as racialist or ignorant. For illustration, Russell Peters is known for doing gags about the manner his ain race Acts of the Apostless, talk, etc. every bit good as other civilizations such as Spanish, Lusitanian, Chinese, and so on. Peoples enjoy his gags because they know the purpose is non to sound racialist or rude, but because the gags are about ever true and that is what is amusing. The best attitude to hold is to be able to express joy at one ‘s ego ; this is common among comics. Bing able to express joy and bask another individual ‘s positions on political relations, civilizations, societal issues, and what non, allows a individual to be more easy-going and laid back. Acerate leaf to state, everyone needs a good laugh to buoy up his or her temper in dull state of affairss. Laughing contributes to happiness ; and at the terminal of the twenty-four hours, modernness is about felicity.

The importance of holding that “ ability to laugh ” is an immediately apprehensible thought to people. It is a natural portion of any individual ; for Johnson to indicate out specifically the laughter of the people in this scene conveys much about the province of how black people were treated during this clip. It should ne’er hold to come as a surprise that people are still express joying and merry, as it does to the Ex-colored adult male, and that is why that line has such an impact.

In modern society the importance of wit is non lost. Comedians make merriment of the boring parts of life, doing it less boring and nerve-racking. This has ever been true ; there are sarcasms and cartoon strips throughout history, but modern society takes wit everyplace it goes, as every medium we have has a wit subdivision to do visible radiation of it, even music. Weird Al, anyone?

The storyteller learns to express joy, I feel with each go throughing experience. Even after the loss of his female parent, and his journey to the South, etc, he finds those everyplace he goes with this much apprehended ability of echt laughter. As he notes in the South, “ The unkempt visual aspect, the shamble, slumping pace and loud talk and laughter… ” ( 25 ) To see those in conditions far inferior to his, with the a capacity to make something as free and joyous as laugh in inspirational. This adult male travels much of the Earth and sees people in all sorts of state of affairss and with all kinds of attitudes. I believe one of the critical points in his journey was at the really simple minute where he was watching a game between coloured common people, and he notes, “ I noticed that among this category of coloured work forces the word ‘nigger ‘ was freely used in about the same sense as the word ‘fellow ‘ … ” ( 43 ) He experiences this as an foreigner would the admiration at such colloquial norms, and this helps him to recognize that the words themselves do n’t needfully intend a whole batch until you put them in context. He learns to see civilization as something to be taken in pace, and temper is necessary in order to confront debasement.

The function of comics in modern times is to stand up in forepart of a by and large diverse crowd, and topographic point humorous ridicule upon opinion, stereotypes, human behavior, etc, in a manner that brings people closer in understanding. Most people can appreciate a comics gags because they take those things which are usually considered tabu, and throw them in the crowds face in a normally overdone mode. Comedians, some which were mentioned, including Russel Peters, George Carlin, Eddy Murphy, Dane Cook and Dave Chapelle, are all really controversial comics. They take those serious issues, race, political relations, gender, stereotypes, ETC, and writhe them in such ways that make it easier for people to see the absurdity of acquiring excessively worked up over issues which can so easy be turned amusing. As the storyteller provinces after seeing a comedian public presentation, “ Here was a adult male who made people laugh at the size of his oral cavity, ” ( 49 )

Comedy can be seen as a signifier of escape, similar to that of music. When we laugh we are relieved momently of present emphasiss and concerns, lean backing into light-heartedness and detaching ourselves from all of the earnestness in life. I know that when I ‘m holding a bad twenty-four hours, to watch a comedy series or film, I am taken temporarily out of my unpleasant province and into anew, coming out of it refreshed with new energy and ideas. A show that ever seems to take my head off problems is Trailer Park Boys, they seem to convey me back down to earth when I ‘m experiencing overwhelmed. Will Ferrell is a favorite comic of mine who plays characters who ca n’t of all time be taken earnestly.

Comedians relate their ain experiences to the audience, doing visible radiation of mundane occurrences within their environment, supplying cosmopolitan entreaty, “ When 1 has seen something of the universe and human nature he must reason, after all, that between people in similar Stationss of life there is really small difference the universe over. ” ( p.40 ) At the nucleus, all of humanity can associate to each other, with our basic demands, ends and desires, and of class our follies. Our nature entirely can so easy be mimicked. They ‘re making that indispensable connexion amongst us as a society, where persons can associate to one another as persons in modern society, exposing all the sarcasm and distinctive feature in life. Comedians help us interrupt out of minutes of isolation and hopelessness, promoting us to laugh instead than call or ramp out. Exposing obvious human idiosyncrasies and defects makes for good self-reflection. Much like to “ populate the inquiries ” as Rilke wrote, accept that we are, for the most portion, at a loss for replies and have a laugh at it! We can be no less naA?ve than a kid.


To me the citation explains, that there ‘s no usage in brooding on what has been done, but instead to agitate it off and laugh. At this point the chief character is run intoing people of coloring material who are truly happy, and content, they realize that express joying is healthy, it ‘s the lone thing you have left, when everything is so cheerless, and dark, an negative the lone manner to convey visible radiation to it is to laugh it off. The storyteller seems to believe that regardless of how atrocious or negative something may look, when we laugh ; we frequently see the positive and the good behind it. Something ‘s in life are truly tragic it is through express joying, or doing them into a more positive experience that we can get the better of them, and be a happier individual for it.

Earlier in the book there is a citation that I found related to what is subsequently written on page 26 ; Earlier Weldon writes, “ In the life of everyone there is a limited figure of unhappy experiences which are non written upon the memory, but stamped there with a dieaˆ¦there are the calamities of life ” ( 9 ) . To me this citation is rather the antonym ; he is stating that there are few minutes in life where you are unhappy, whereas, on page 26 it is more about tasting those happy minutes, which you get so few of ; because the unhappy 1s seem to take over. I merely found this contrast, particularly because on page 9 he was mentioning to his friends ( white ) who when younger were spanked for misbehaving, and subsequently on page 26 mentioning to his new friends ( coloured ) , that solidifies the favoritism that has occurred between the two races, that white people have so few unhappy memories, and coloured have so few happy 1s, this to me was merely something interesting.

As for the 2nd portion of the inquiry, I touched on it when I commented on what Ashley said. I believe that comics are supposed to jest about topics and subjects that are otherwise considered tabu ; this is to convey some light tempers to them. When something is so dark and tragic, it is difficult to see any positiveness within it ; nevertheless comics are successful at this. Specifically I talked about Ricky Gervais, a famous person comic who hosted the Golden Globes and was scrutinized because he made some instead rough comments about many of the famous persons. In my sentiment, he himself is a famous person and has more right than anyone to indicate out the defects that accompany that position and do merriment of them. It gives those of us who are non as celebrated ( or non celebrated at all ) a opportunity to express joy, alternatively of being vindictive for non holding such a position we are able to express joy about it. It besides allows the famous persons themselves to anchor themselves and derive some humbleness. To me Ricky Gervais, is a really noteworthy comic, who does merely what comedy is supposed to, shed visible radiation on an otherwise award or dark subject.


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