Gurba's humor

     After reading, all I could think about is if anyone would be offended after reading Gurba's article or her

 book about using humor to talk about sexual assault. She writes, "I tell myself silly stories in order to

 laugh because I’ve been sexually assaulted and sometimes, rape seems like the sickest practical

 joke ever invented" (Gurba). I think part of Gurba is pointing of the fact that we have not found

 the right way to talk about sexual assault seriously or maybe that we might never find a way to

 talk about it. But, in the meantime, Gurba is going to explore what works best for her to talk about

 her own experience.  The humor that she finds in her sexual assault is totally justifiable. We

 would never label sexual assault as a funny topic but Gurba wants to be able to use humor so

 survivors are allowed "to really be alive" (Gurba).  She says that a lot of the language surrounding

 sexual assault fails us. 

    Recently in another literature class, I was reading a book about religious imperialism. There

 were some moments in this book where I was chuckling or laughing at the thoughts of the women

 who was forcing her Christian religion. But, I was not laughing because I think religious

imperialism is funny or because I do not take it seriously. I was laughing at the way the narrator is

 so surprised and content with the way she manages to gain authority over all of these people. The words

 that the character uses to explain how she is forcing her religion is used so matter of factly, possibly

 pointing to the reality that she is aware that what she is doing is absurd and is taken aback by how

 permissible everyone is being. I'm not sure if the intention of this book was supposed to be funny but I

 sure thought it was. But, this may be that as a 21st century reader, reading about characters who

 were content with religious colonialism is absurd and sounds silly. Using humor and finding the funny

 in such serious topics may help us talk about and understand the absurdity of these topics. 

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