1. Heinrich Boll
“The Laugher”

2. Prewriting
As you now know (hopefully), the title of our next short story is “The Laugher.”
Predict: Take a few minutes and write about what you think this story could be about. Consider:
Character
Plot
Theme
Conflict

3. Ideas?

4. Heinrich Boll

5. December 21, 1917 – July 16, 1985
Born in Germany
Nobel Prize for Literature in 1972
Work has been translated into more than thirty languages.

6. His Catholic family opposed the rise of Nazism.
Heinrich avoided joining the Hitler Youth.

7. Irony
Types of Irony:
Verbal
Dramatic
Situational

8. Verbal Irony
This is the contrast between what is said and what is meant. Most sarcastic comments are ironic.

9. Dramatic
This is the contrast between what the character thinks to be true and what we (the reader or audience) know to be true. 

10. Situational
It is the contrast between what happens and what was expected. Irony of situation is sometimes humorous, such as when a prank backfires on the prankster.

11. Read “The Laugher” aloud

12. Write on the following:
Were your predictions about the story accurate? Explain.
Find two examples of irony in the story.
What type(s) of irony did you find?

13. Thoughts on the story?

14. Why does Boll convey the tone he does? How does it affect the story?
Now, silently re-read and annotate the story.
Look for word choice (and circle) that would contribute to the overall tone of the story.
Why does Boll convey the tone he does? How does it affect the story?

15. Boll structures his story using three distinct sections. What are they
Boll structures his story using three distinct sections. What are they? Can you think of the purpose?

16. Finally, look through the story and pay close attention to style
Finally, look through the story and pay close attention to style. Come up with at least two times where you note:
Repetition
Syntax
Sentence structure/length
Sounds
Punctuation
Word choice
Remember to ask yourself “why?”