The Talk/Talk

The Talk/Talk

Literary Analysis: Comparing Humorous Writing

A humorous essay is a form of nonfiction writing intended to make the reader laugh. Some humorous writing, often described as harsh or biting, ridicules its subjects. Other humorous writing, often described as gentle, treats its subjects with affection even as it makes fun of them. Humorous writers often include one or more of the following figures of speech:

• hyperbole: intentional (and often outrageous) overstatement, or exaggeration

• understatement: the presentation of something in a restrained or subtle manner; the opposite of hyperbole

Literary Analysis: Comparing Humorous Writing

In addition to these techniques, the comic writer’s diction, or word choice, may include funny names, slang, or other examples of verbal humor.

Although humorous writing is meant to entertain, it can have other purposes as well. For example, humor can be used to convey a serious message.

Open Ended

Read this passage from “The Talk” by Gary Soto:

The eyes stayed small as well, receding into pencil dots on each side of an unshapely nose that cast remarkable shadows when we turned sideways.

What humorous technique does the passage exemplify?

Open Ended

What serious issue concerning childhood and adolescence does “The Talk” raise? How does the writer’s tone in the essay help you to gain perspective on that issue?

Open Ended

What examples of the authors’ diction stand out to you in the folk tale “Talk”? How does the diction contribute to the humor of the story?

Open Ended

What important message is conveyed in “Talk”?

Open Ended

Which story, “The Talk” or “Talk,” makes the most use of hyperbole? Of understatement?

Explain your answer and give examples.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best defines diction?

• simile

• symbolism

• word choice

• dialogue

Multiple Choice

Which of the following quotations from “The Talk” illustrates hyperbole, or intentional overstatement?

I. “My best friend and I knew that we were going to grow up to be ugly.”

II. “First, our heads got large, but our necks wavered, frail as crisp tulips.”

III. “I could hammer, saw, lift beams into place, and see the work I got done at the end of the day.”

IV. “My gangly arms nearly touched my kneecaps.”

• I and III

• III and IV

• I, II, and IV

• II, III, and IV

Multiple Choice

In “The Talk,” what subject does Scott, the writer’s friend, plan to study in trade school?

• refrigeration

• engineering

• carpentry

• plumbing

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the opposite of hyperbole?

• inverted word order

• slang

• understatement

• exaggeration

Multiple Choice

In “Talk,” why does the farmer get angry at his dog?

• He didn’t like the tone of the dog’s voice.

• His dog didn’t try to protect him from the talking yam.

• The dog informed him that the yam was talking, not the cow.

• The dog ran away as soon as the yam started talking.

Multiple Choice

How does the fisherman respond when the farmer first tells him the story?

• He throws away the fish trap and cries “Wah!”

• He reacts calmly and asks “Is that all?”

• He jumps out of the river and races toward the village.

• He listens carefully and tries to calm the farmer.

Multiple Choice

Why do the men go to see the chief?

• They want permission to move into the village where it is safer.

• They want to protect him from things that talk.

• They want him to fix the problem of the talking things.

• They want to warn him about the talking yam.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following do “The Talk” and “Talk” have in common?

• Both selections focus on challenges related to growing up.

• Both selections leave the main conflict unresolved.

• Both selections are set in a faraway location.

• Neither selection uses ordinary people as the main characters.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following identifies a difference, or point of contrast, between “The Talk” and “Talk”?

• Soto uses diction to create humor, but Courlander and Herzog do not.

• “The Talk” includes serious underlying issues, but “Talk” does not.

• The main characters in “The Talk” are common people, whereas the main

  characters in “Talk” are fantastic characters.

• “The Talk” describes ordinary occurrences, whereas “Talk” describes fantastic occurrences.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the writer’s main purpose in both “The Talk” and “Talk”?

• to inform

• to persuade

• to entertain

• to complain