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My Life and Hard Times

My Life and Hard Times. Thurber on Memoir and Satire. James Thurber (1894-1961). Born and raised in Columbus, OH Comedic parents, esp. his mother Went to East High School and OSU Never graduated college b/c of his lost eyesight Reporter for Columbus Dispatch

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My Life and Hard Times

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  1. My Life and Hard Times Thurber on Memoirand Satire

  2. James Thurber (1894-1961) • Born and raised in Columbus, OH • Comedic parents, esp. his mother • Went to East High School and OSU • Never graduated college b/c of his lost eyesight • Reporter for Columbus Dispatch • Essayist, Humorist, Cartoonist for The New Yorker magazine, Satirist, Dramatist, Memoir and Fiction Writer (“Secret Life of Walter Mitty”) • Thurber House: dedicated to local writers; holds writing workshops

  3. Thurber House

  4. Memoir: My Life and Hard Times • Memoir, according to the “greats” to whom Thurber alludes, is personal nonfiction that: • is written by a man over forty who has ‘accomplished something of excellence.’ • should say something of the time • describes great and tragic events, such as earthquakes, from a personal POV This memoir, written by a man under forty with no great exploits to describe, is more of a “humorous” piece, a satire of the memoir.

  5. Satire A satire is a humorous critique of a person, society, or genre, usually highlighting its shortcomings. Therefore, while a satiric piece is supposed to be comical and even laugh-out-loud funny at times, it often has a serious purpose or effect. SNL, MAD Magazine, The Simpsons, South Park, Family Guy, Canterbury Tales, A Modest Proposal, to name a few.

  6. Elements of Satire and Humor • To make it humorous and obviously a critique instead of part of the genre it simulates, it employs • Irony • Juxtaposition and ridiculous comparison • Hyperbole • Puns • Recognizable allusions and context • Stock characters, such as the Fool • Logical fallacies taken as fact

  7. Critical Terms to Know • Optimist • Positive outcomes and intentions • Pessimist • Negative outcomes and intentions • Cynic • Selfishness motivates human actions • Skeptic • Questions the validity of something “factual” • Realist • Logical acceptance of reality • Idealist • Pursues noble principles, purposes, goals, etc.

  8. Consider This is a fairly accurate depiction of Thurber’s life, so it can be considered memoir of realism. However, the use of satiric elements suggests that he is making a critical point, as well. What point is Thurber making about memoir, critics, or contemporary society? What kind of critic is Thurber?

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