ABSTRACT

 
Article : TEACHING ENGLISH THROUGH LITERATURE: BLACK HUMOR AS A REFLECTION OF 1960s
Author Name : Anita Neziri
Abstract : This paper aims at emphasizing the phenomenon of teaching through literature such as black humor as a new trend in 1960s. Dark comedy differently known is a comic work which employs farce and a morbid humor. Everyone is used to learn a language through some conventions such as grammar, spelling, pronunciation and their subdivisions, but there is also another form of teaching English more entertaining than focusing the grammar only. It is a period of literature full of new events but not only in the literature but also in every sphere of life. New mindset, new viewpoints, new trends of music and new artistic ideas. This is obviously reflected into the literature bringing new specter. What is more important is that black humor found not a safe place firstly due to its vague definition. But through the masterpieces in America Black humor in 1960s became one of the finest art ever seen in the literature. The founder of black humor or dark comedy, or gallows humor firstly was in France much earlier in 1935 by Andre Breton but in America was produced through re-known authors as well, such as Bruce J.Friedman, Joseph Heller, Thomas Pynchon, Nathanael West, Kurt Vonnegut, John Barth, Edward Albee etc. The purpose of black comedy is to make light of serious and often taboo subject matter; some comedians use it as a tool for exploring vulgar issues, thus provoking discomfort and serious thought as well as amusement in their audience. Popular themes of the genre include murder, suicide, depression, abuse, war, religion, drug abuse, terminal illness, domestic violence, rape, pedophilia, child sexual abuse, insanity, nightmares, disease, sexism, disability (both physical and mental), chauvinism, terrorism, genocide, political corruption, torture, and crime.
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