Absurdism, Satire,

Postmodernism
By: Frog(gie),
Absurdism in Postmodern Literature (Eliza)
● Definition: An individual searches for a purpose to their life, but is conflicted by
their inability to achieve that goal.

● Example: The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh (1990) talks about an ex North
Vietnamese soldier contemplating his life choices and reminiscing about the
past. Having been exposed to the brutality of war and losing all his comrades
and family after returning from the battlefront (his friends were all drafted and
died in the war while his girlfriend cheated on him), the main character can no
longer fit in with his postwar life and starts to question why he was still alive.
Albert Camus’ “Absurd Hero” -Jack
Albert Camus ideal absurd
hero would be Sisylus,
because it describes the
human condition; working
hopelessly to achieve a
worthless goal, however, after
accepting that there is nothing
more to life other than his
struggle he can find happiness
in it.
 Horatian Satire- Anghelle
-Ridicules/pokes fun at the absurdities and
ridiculousness of human beings

Ex: The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar

Wilde

A satirical comedy which exaggerates the

ridiculousness of the upper-class lifestyle and
characteristics (such as love, marriage, education,
etc.) of Victorian era England
“I attribute it to the superior quality of the wine, sir. I
have often observed that in married households the
champagne is rarely of a first-rate brand.”

Criticizes the ridiculousness of the importance of

wealth and status in regards to marriage
 Juvenalian Satire- Anghelle
-Stronger use of irony and sarcasm in
order to directly attack and criticize
individuals or organizations, often filled
with personal invective

Ex: “Meet the Jeffersons” South Park

Pokes fun at the controversies about

Michael Jackson, along with directly
calling out racial prejudices and
systemic racism from the police
 Menippean Satire- Anghelle
-Rather than satirizing societal norms,
Menippean satire focuses on individual
flaws or personality traits

-ex: Alice in Wonderland

Alice’s curiosity gets the best of her,

ultimately leading to her getting lost and
unfortunate situations with the people of
Wonderland.
Dark Humor- Stryder
Dark humor can range from something you can tell a child to something that might make the
devil shiver. Just kidding definitely don’t tell these to children.
The definition of dark humor is rather broad because it can range from having a punch line to
simply having specificity. For example if you were to say “I am going to kick a baby” it is not very
funny. However express a desire to “punt a baby through the uprights at qualcomm” the humor
starts to show. Delivery, and placement are EVERYTHING. A genius on dark humor is the widely
popular George Carlin. Mood changes and the ability to read the room is very important when
delivering a dark joke.

Telling a joke about the twin towers at a funeral is probably not a good idea. Despite many
modern opinions humor has no boundaries. It is all about delivery.
NOTE: Dark humor MAY NOT BE your cup of tea, however some jokes will appeal to some and
even if you may not understand the joke it does not make the people who find the joke funny a
monster. Some examples of dark humor will be on the next slide.
Dark Humor Examples
● Racial jokes
● Insidious Bastards (a movie)
● Jokes about genocide or historical events.

Typically dark humor is on subjects that are generally frowned upon to talk
light of or taboo. For example serial killers or the holocaust...ect. Dark humor
is a bit weird because almost no matter how dark or taboo or disturbing the
topic, dark humor can be used to talk about it.

Ex instead of fearing hitler and being defeated by him we can call

him the Mustache man and make fun of him. This concept is the
base (generally) behind dark humor.
Dark Humor as a literary device
In a literal sense what dark humor does in literature is give the author or writer or
whoever is using it a way to talk about taboo topics without the baggage or weight
that normally surrounds the subject.

Also Known as Gallows Humor or Black Humor...Here is a literal definition I found:

“ Cambridge dictionary defines it as a non-serious way of treating or dealing with serious subjects. It is often
used to present any serious, gruesome or painful incidents lightly. The writers use it as a tool to explore
serious issues, inciting serious thoughts and discomfort in the audience.” [1]
Why is Satire popular? -Jack
Popularized in the eighteenth
century, satire is prevalent in
culture so much so that most
people are familiar with it,
even if they don´t know it. It is
often a way of poking fun at
the powers that be, although it
can be a way of sparking
social change.
Joseph Heller
Joseph Heller is an American novelist and WWII war vet popularized by his book Catch-22 and his satirist
style of crique, often on war. His themes on absurdism, satire, and surrealism to which used to find humor in
his writing, while initially mixed, has become highly regarded.

Heller was born in 1923 and soon after graduating high school, in 1941, he enlisted in the Army Air Force.
Two years later he was sent to Corsica as a bombarder. During his time in the army he flew 60 combat
missions.

In 1945 he left the war, married shirley held, and began going to New York
University, where he received a bachelor's degree in english. He then later attended
columbia university, receiving a masters, and oxford university as a Fulbright
Scholar until finally becoming a English Instructor as Pennsylvania State University.

Two years later, from 1952-1961 he worked as an advertising copywriter at a

number of magazines as well as working on short stories, film scripts, and his soon
to be famous book Catch-22. After the success of his book Heller quits his job and
dedicates his life to writing.
Joseph Heller and WWII (Partly Eliza)
After joining the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII, Heller was sent to be a B-25
bombardier on the Italian Front where he flew 60 combat missions. Joseph Heller was
the author of the satirical novel Catch-22, which talks about the war life of a fictional
256th Squadron in Italy as well as one of a desperate airman in his struggles to stay
alive. Although Heller refused to disclose much information about his past, the
experience of the characters in his book are somewhat parallel to his own.
Despite the contents of the book and the main character he, himself, has a surprising
perspective on his experience with war. In a letter he wrote to a academic he said, "How
did I feel about the war when I was in it? Much differently than Yossarian felt and much
differently than I felt when I wrote the novel … In truth I enjoyed it and so did just about
everyone else I served with, in training and even in combat.
How is Catch-22 an absurdist novel? - Johnathan Carter
Catch-22 is an absurdist novel not only because the main rule the novel is named
after is illogical due to its circular nature, but also because the novel itself takes on
the illogical nature of that rule. The novel does not follow a chronological layout
and instead tends to loop back to events that were previously stated, the only
difference being that the event is seen from another character’s perspective. The
novel is also highly satirical, poking fun at the absurdity of war and life.
Catch-22 Banned Books List - Johnathan Carter
● School board of Strongsville, Ohio. 1972 - 1976
● Mat-Su Borough School District, Alaska (2020 - present)
Lasting Impact of Catch-22 -Jack
Catch 22 is a important book
in American literature because
is talks about the individual
versus society. Even though
the book is features war, it is
not the war that the book
focuses on, but rather the
state of the nation and the
people within.
Sources Cited:
1.) https://literarydevices.net/black-humor/
2.) https://www.notablebiographies.com/He-Ho/Heller-Joseph.html
3.) https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/oct/25/catch-22-author-enjoyed-war
4.) https://www.mvorganizing.org/why-is-catch-22-banned/
5.) https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/the-great-gatsby-banned
-catch-22-alaska-school-controversial-books-a9489266.html
6.) https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1287&context=
theses