From Heroine to Hero: The Role of Women in American Humor

FAIN: FR-10108-78

Shelley Sue Armitage
University of Texas, El Paso (El Paso, TX 79968-8900)

The study will consist of four basic parts: 1) the investigation of the history of roles or stereotypes of women in American humor according to the 3 areas of the seminar—a) humor to 1900, b) Mark Twain, and c) 20th century humor; 2) the specific study of Mark Twain's female characters to ascertain their function in his thematic and stylistic designs; 3) a discovery and assessment of Twain's influence on contemporary writers and modern humanists (women); and 4) an examination of how these female writers use humor particularly in characterizing women.