Black Humour in the Work of Raymond Carver

• Author: Viola Kita
• Position: University of Tirana, Faculty of Foreign Languages, The English Department
• Pages: 452-456

ISSN 2410-759X Balkan Journal of Interdisciplinary Research Vol 1 No 1

Acces online at www.iipccl.org IIPCCL Publishing, Tirana-Albania May 2015

452

Black Humour in the Work of Raymond Carver

Viola Kita

University of Tirana

Faculty of Foreign Languages

e English Department

Abstract

is study is focused on the presence of black humour in Carver’s work. Its rst part is based on the

development of black humour in Carver’s stories especially on the strategies used by him. In the

second part, special attention is devoted to the techniques of achieving a certain level of analysis

that will enlighten us about the degree of black humour in Carver’s work. Furthermore, the third

and last part of the paper will be totally focused on the presence of indeterminacy in Carver’s work.

It is impossible not to be baed by the simplicity of words in Carver’s work. In them one may

understand the menacing atmosphere though it is not so obvious but it still proves the existence of

black humour. By paying close attention to the element of black humour, this article shows how it

evolves as time passes. It seems that as Carver’s style changes during the latter period so does his

use of black humour which is dramatically reduced. In fact, in this period, Carver creates the right

ground for this black humour to blossom since the characters that inhabit the stories experience

economic, spiritual and emotional troubles but still manage to survive. Moreover, even under such

circumstances the presence of humour is prevalent.

Keywords: Black humour, techniques, indeterminacy, menacing atmosphere, style

Black Humour

Carver has accepted the use of black humour when he stated that “ere is plenty of

humour in them (the stories)”: “ere is humour in the stories – a little black humour

maybe”, and “that’s dark humour” (Gentry and Stull 58, 198, 246). As far as the function

of humour is concerned, in Carver’s work it contributes in showing that the absurdity,

menace and class is prevalent in characters’ lives. In such characters it becomes evident

that they do not have the possibility to choose the kind of life they want to lead. On the

contrary, their existence is restricted by the sense of living among everything that can be

dened as disgusting.

Since there are no clear beginnings and endings in Carver’s stories, the characters are

always depicted in the state of suspension. is is not a novelty since this is used by

Hemingway as well, in works such as “e Sun also Rises and “Hills Like White Elephants”.

Ordinary lives appears threatening. According to Carver “It would be inappropriate and

to a degree, impossible to resolve things neatly for these people and situations I’m writing

about,” (McCaery and Gregory in Gentry and Stull 76 – 77).

One important feature in Carver’s work is the ending of the stories which is representative

of the chaos surrounding the characters. is chaos culminates in the moments of epiphany

which clearly demonstrates the presence of black humour. In this aspect Carver appears

very similar to James Joice. Regarding a certain number of critics, epiphany as a symbol

of black humour is nothing more and nothing less than a reconciliation of individual and

society in literature. However, Carver’s ction does not consist of only epiphany but also

dominant appear the use of understatement, indirection etc. all of which contribute to the