Vonnegut and Black Humor (from Robert Scholes’ The Fabulators) Robert Scholes Black humor vs. Sa<re •  Black humor is humor about horrific topics •  Black humorists reject the tradi<onal sa<rist’s faith in the ability of sa<re to reform •  Example: Cat’s Cradle, Chapter 73 (pp. 159-­‐162): Julian Castle and the “Black Death” Black Humor and Existen<alism •  Black humorists concerned not with what to do about life, but with how to take it •  Existen<alists saw universe as absurd; black humorists see it as ridiculous •  Camus thought best reac<on to absurdity was scorn •  From “ The Myth of Sisyphus”—
there is no fate that cannot be surmounted by scorn •  Scorn leads finally to resigna<on •  Sisyphus picks up his burden again Ge[ng the Joke •  Instead of scorn, black humorists offer laughter •  Rather than resigna<on, what humans must learn is how to take a joke. •  Best response is neither acquiescence nor bi_erness; instead one must “get” the joke—a ma_er of percep<on •  Then one must demonstrate this awareness by turning the joke back on the joker or causing it to diffuse itself harmlessly on the whole group that has par<cipated in the process of the joke •  Black humorists, though, do not necessarily assume a Joker (a god) Stoical Comedy •  Assump<on among some that sa<re is “be_er” than comedy •  But goes along with belief that the world is sick and the sa<rist can cure it •  Black humorists believe the world is about as sick or healthy as it has always been •  Vonnegut’s works can be seen as “stoical comedy” •  They exhibit an affec<on for this world and a desire to improve it
—but not much hope for improvement. Science vs. Religion •  In Cat’s Cradle, main conflict between Felix Hoenikker and Bokonon •  The scien<st finds the truth that kills •  The prophet looks for a saving lie •  Yet, cruel paradox at the center of Bokononism: “the heartbreaking necessity of lying about reality, and the heartbreaking impossibility of lying about it.”