Analyze the symbolism in It's Kind of a Funny Story.

In the 'After School' short story, one symbol could be the old oak tree in the schoolyard. It might symbolize stability and the passage of time. As students come and go, the tree remains, watching over the generations of students.

One way is to look at the characters' actions. If they do things that seem funny but are actually self - destructive or counter - productive, that's ironic. For instance, a character might tell a joke to cheer everyone up but in the process reveals his own insecurities.

In 'Maud Martha', one symbol could be the small, shabby apartment which might symbolize Maud Martha's restricted social and economic status. It represents the limitations she faces in her life. In 'New York Story', perhaps the crowded streets of New York symbolize the chaos and anonymity that the characters experience in the big city.

Well, the parties that Gatsby throws are also symbols. They are his way of trying to attract Daisy. They represent his excessive wealth and his desperate attempt to fit into the upper - class society that Daisy belongs to. The cars in the novel are symbols too. Gatsby's flashy yellow car, for example, shows his new - found wealth and also plays a significant role in the tragic events that unfold later in the story.

I think it's the little quirks in the characters or events. Say, a very serious person suddenly doing a silly dance out of nowhere. That makes a story 'kind of funny'. It's not always about big, over - the - top humor. Sometimes it's these small, odd things that give a story that touch of humor.

A story can be 'kind of a funny story' when there are unexpected elements in it. For example, if a serious - looking businessman suddenly starts dancing in the middle of the street for no apparent reason, that's unexpected and funny.

I'm not entirely sure what specific symbols you are referring to in 'It's Kind of a Funny Story'. It could be symbols like the hospital setting which might symbolize a place of both hope and despair for the main character. Or perhaps the relationships between the characters can be seen as symbols of different aspects of the protagonist's mental state.

There are several elements. One is the use of exaggeration. If a character's reaction to something is overly dramatic in a humorous way, it can make the story funny. Another is the presence of unlikely coincidences. Say, two people who are completely opposite keep running into each other in the most unexpected places and funny things happen as a result. Additionally, if there are funny - looking or behaving animals in the story, that can also contribute to it being a funny story.

It might be a story about a family vacation where everything goes wrong. The car breaks down, they get lost, but in the end, they have a great time because of all the unexpected things that happen. For instance, they end up camping in a farmer's field and having a party with the farmer and his animals. It's full of laughter and good memories.

Simple things like unexpected actions can make a story funny. For example, if a bird starts dancing instead of flying. It's not what we usually expect from a bird.