Analysis Of Absurdity Of Black Humor From Joseph Heller's Absurd Novels

Joseph Heller is the most important writer of American black humor, his work can be regarded as the essence of black humor works. This thesis analyzes the four absurd novels written by Joseph Heller in order to interpret the black humor's absurd characteristics. This paper consists three sections:â… The origin of black humor and its artistic world. I study the profound social and cultural background of black humor by interpreting various of political events, social and cultural movements and philosophical basis of that turbulent society. In additon, I compare the black humor with expressionism, existentialism and the absurd theatre one by one, and point out the inheritance and development of black humor, and consequently illustrate the peculiar absurd theme and artistic features of black humor.â…¡The analysis and criticism toward absurdity exposed by Joseph Heller. This section focuses on the description of the absurd phenomenon, such as the cruel politics, economic, military system and the low-class people's sufferings in this circumstance in order to reveal the essence of this absurd world. By inpterpreting the content of Heller's novel, I prefer to reveal the criticism of the absurd reality which implied in the black humor. â…¢The absurd techniques of Joseph Heller's absurd novel. In order to highlight the absurd characteristics of black humor. In this section, I mainly analyze a series of absurd techniques which used in Heller's works, including the "black" and "humor" coexisting humorous style, "anti-hero" type of novel protagonist and the "anti-novel "type of narrative techniques. I'd like to demonstrate the absurd features of Heller's novel by analyzing and discussing the absurd techniques used in Heller's works.