Americanized: Rebel without a Green Card

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Americanized''s Style of Humor in Your Writing”

In this activity, students will draw upon their own personal histories and, as Saedi does throughout Americanized, use a humorous tone to depict a difficult, ironic or otherwise challenging past moment in writing.

Despite the often difficult subject matter of Americanized, Saedi’s memoir is infused with humor and levity. From extraordinary events to more mundane ones, humor is a narrative device Saedi often deploys to talk about her life and experiences.

In this creative writing activity, emulate Saedi’s comedic writing style and tone and try your hand at bringing humor and lightness to a personal experience. 

• Review and Reflect. First, identify the sections of Americanized that struck you as most funny. What was the subject? Why do you think it struck a chord with you? What techniques did Saedi use to help make the scene comedic?
• Write and Craft. Next, think of a moment or event in your life that might lend itself to a humorous treatment. Craft a brief essay (1-2 pages) that describes this moment, drawing on the comedic narrative techniques that Saedi uses to make light of difficult situations.