"Breaking the Ice"

Informal Essays

Informal essays are also referred to as personal essays. When you read these short works of non-fiction, you get to know the people behind the writing very well. The tone of such essays is frequently very inviting. It’s almost as if you’re sitting with the writers in their homes or some other casual environment.

This is very different than reading a critical essay, which is more formal and objective because the focus is on explicating information in a persuasive and unbiased manner. It's more like attending a massive lecture at a university in which you know the professor only for their role as a subject matter expert.

Humour

Did you know that the word humour originally meant quite the opposite of what it does today? The word comes from the ancient medical theory of the four humours. If you were in a bad mood, feeling melancholic, or your behaviour was unpredictable, people would have described you as being humorous.

In the 16th century, people who were overly melancholic or whose extreme behaviour was unpredictable were frequently the object of ridicule in plays and essays. As a result, the word humorous, which at one time meant melancholic, took on the meaning of laughable.

Not all humorous texts are for fun or for your amusement. Some have a more serious purpose. When a piece of writing contains humour or ridicule, purposefully designed to change or influence your attitude, beliefs, or satire behaviour, it’s known as satire.

"Breaking the Ice" by Dave Barry