Investigate the meanings of satire, farce, parody, irony, spoof, and send-up. What distinguishes each of these terms? Where do these various elements appear, and how are they utilized in ‘‘The Kugelmass Episode’’?

Compose a short story that satirizes a scenario of your choice. Select two or three characters that your audience will recognize, amplify their personality traits, and place them in a ridiculous situation that highlights those traits.

Plato’s ‘‘Allegory of the Cave’’ in his philosophical work The Republic is one of the most renowned discussions about the nature of reality. Plato asserts that humans exist in a state of ignorance, confusing the ‘‘false’’ images they perceive around them for the true reality of the world. Read the ‘‘Allegory’’ and write a brief essay on how the ‘‘false images’’ Plato describes can be interpreted as the images seen in art. Are there any similarities between these ‘‘false images’’ and the images displayed on a movie screen? Discuss these differences.

Conduct a research project on the history of American Jewish humor and comedians, from Vaudeville through radio, television, stage, and film. How have Jewish comics and comedians helped to enhance the understanding and appreciation of the American Jewish experience? In what distinctive ways do you believe they have contributed to the comprehension of the human condition?