Not Funny by Jena Friedman: 12 Analytical Essay Prompts

How to Use These Prompts

Each prompt below targets a specific analytical move—character change, causality, relationships, contrasting scenes, theme, symbol, structure, foreshadowing, or the book's ending. Use the evidence leads as starting points, not checklists. The sample thesis directions are deliberately arguable; your job is to defend or complicate them with your own reading of the text. For broader context, see the book overview, the study questions, and the theme pages.

1. The Shifting Goalposts of Success (Character Change)

Why it matters: The final chapter, On Making It, redefines the entire memoir's arc. Friedman's definition of success keeps moving—from doing what you love without going broke, to getting paid, to landing a late-night writing job—and each milestone fails to deliver the feeling she expected.

Sample thesis direction: Friedman's repeated redefinition of