Laughing at the Darkness: Postmodernism and Optimism in American Humour

By: Paul McDonald

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Paul McDonald’s book is the second in the HEB Contemporary American Literature series, edited by Christopher Gair and Aliki Varvogli. Given that postmodernism has been associated with doubt, chaos, relativism and the disappearance of reality, it may appear difficult to reconcile with American optimism. Laughing at the Darkness demonstrates that this is not always the case. In examining the work of, among others, Sherman Alexie, Woody Allen, Douglas Coupland, Jonathan Safran Foer, Bill Hicks, David Mamet, and Philip Roth, McDonald shows how American humorists bring their comedy to bear on some of the negative implications of philosophical postmodernism and, in so doing, explore ways of reclaiming value. Introduction CHAPTER ONE: Postmodernism, Humour and Jewish American Ethnic Identity CHAPTER TWO: Humour and the Social Implications of Postmodernism CHAPTER THREE: Postmodernism, Humour and American Romanticism Conclusion Bibliography