Reflection Post

            Throughout the semester I have gained a lot from Laughing Matters.  I do have to admit that it is nothing like what I thought it would be, but I have come to really enjoy the class.  This is not to say that it has been easy.  This class has probably tested my patience and frustrated me more than a majority of my previous classes.  This frustration was due to being pushed to do something out of my comfortable norm.  This class has pushed me to look at literature of all types, not just comedies, differently.  It has gotten me to appreciate a text based on qualities that I might not even have noticed before.  Of the goals that we set to achieve throughout the semester, I believe that I have improved on all of them. However, the one that stands out to me the most and the one I feel that I have made the most progress on is the ability to demonstrate knowledge regarding the interplay of comedies and the historical, political, literary, and cultural contexts in which they were written and performed.  This may just be a result of having no knowledge of this subject matter prior to taking this class, but I believe it to be the main focus of the class and something I have gained throughout it.

            The aspect of the class that aided in this progress the most and also the part that I looked forward to the most was the class discussions about the plays and articles that we read.  It allowed a comparison to how I interpreted what I read to the various views that other classmates provided.  It was particularly helpful since the class is composed of a diverse group of people, all with different backgrounds and interests.  Discussing the texts and being guided by Dr. Sheehan opened up a deeper, more integrated understanding of the texts than I normally would not have gotten.  As the semester progressed, I noticed more and more my own ability to criticize and evaluate the text based on the time period and style of language used.  These qualities are something that I would never have taken into consideration before this class.  The time period in which a text was written has great effect on the play.  It guides the general attitude towards various subjects and being knowledgeable of it allows you to gain insight into the play and interpret messages the author might have wanted to portray.  Where the play was performed effects the play, what the culture was like effects the play. This seems obvious, but is something I never would have considered before and, therefore, would not have appreciated the text as I do now.

            As I stated above, I have enjoyed this course, but if I could change anything I would like to discuss how similar texts would address the problems of today.  It is something that I ponder on and would love to see various approaches to it.  It is one thing to look back and pretend to understand, but I believe that if this was done then it would allow for a greater appreciation and understanding to the past texts.  The blog posts were very frustrating at points, but I see how they are beneficial in stimulating deeper thinking and preparation for class. 

            Overall, I believe that I have been a successful student in the course.  I understand that I probably struggled at first attempting to understand the meaning behind the, what I thought was “over-analyzing”, but I also believe that is why I have gotten so much out of the class.  I do feel like now I have a better definition of the word comedy and how it effects and reflects the culture and time period.  As time progresses and culture changes, so does comedy.  Through this class, I feel like I have a stronger appreciation for comedy and the impact it has more than just a couple of giggles.