What are the characteristics of black humor in the novel expression?

First, a special style of humor. "Black humor is different from the humor in traditional literature. In traditional Western literature, generally speaking, the distinction between tragedy and comedy is very clear. Comedy satirizes the ugliness and deformity of the antagonist, while tragedy expresses the pain and misfortune of the positive hero. But "black humor" literature breaks this boundary, the content of the tragedy has taken the artistic treatment of comedy, pain and misfortune has become the object of jokes, that is, in the form of comedy to express the content of the tragedy.

Secondly, "anti-hero" characters. These anti-heroic figures doubt and deny all traditional values, have a sense of loneliness, and have a certain pursuit. For example, Billie, the protagonist of Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, is an insane character; according to Alderman, these people are "forced to play the role of the clown." The soil that produces such morbidly deformed characters is a morbidly deformed society.

Thirdly, the "anti-novel" narrative structure. Traditional novels use the "storytelling" method of narration, and generally have a complete story structure, with a beginning and an end to the narrative, and the development of the plot in accordance with the internal logical relationships. But "black humor" literature has completely abandoned the "storytelling" old ways, and changed the use of hints, foils, comparisons, metaphors, symbols and other techniques to create a new "dramatic" method. It breaks the limitation of time and space, and creates a new method of "dramatization". It breaks the limitations of time and space, and exaggerates the vastness of the inner world of the characters; it is no longer subject to the constraints of time and space, and can transcend society, morality, customs and ideas.

Fourth, the special theme. In order to fit in with the overall theme of "black humor", the writers are different from the traditional novels in the selection of materials. Specifically manifested in two aspects: first of all, in the field of science and technology to explore the subject matter. Most of the writers of "black humor" are teachers in the university, they have profound knowledge, and they like to introduce the essentials in the field of natural science into the literary works.