Alain De Botton Humorists

ESSAY OPTION TWO: ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY PROMPT Humorists have a unique freedom of expression that few professions enjoy. They can simultaneously entertain and inform the opinions of an audience; they can speak their mind without being held accountable for the things they say. Once a person has been generally accepted as a humorist, he or she can get away with metaphorical murder. One author, Alain de Botton, argues that humorists play a crucial role in society because of their ability to say things that other people cannot or will not say. This stance is completely correct; humorists can penetrate the psyche of the public with impunity. One example of a humorist with tremendous impact on the people around him is Samuel Clemens, better known by his alias Mark Twain. Mark Twain’s novels and essays were expertly laced with good humor, wit, and entertaining language, but they also communicated Twain’s view of the world. He was a staunch advocator of anti-racist ideals and independent thought, both of which were made clear by his writing, and by using a humorous approach he avoided the usual criticism that most authors would receive for pushing an agenda. Now, more than a century after Twain’s death, his works are considered American …show more content…
Kurt Vonnegut, a remarkably successful American satirist, used humor to communicate his feelings about society and the world as a whole. He wrote novels that covered controversial topics such as religion, war, sex, and the meaning of life, while never wavering in his devotion to a uniquely charming and irreverent sense of humor. His work inspired a generation of authors and artists to create more emotionally complete work, and he provided his readers with a sense of understanding. Vonnegut represented a pleasantly dazed modern sensibility that was unlike anything that came before him, and because of his humorous style he was able to create whatever he