Irony and Black Humor in Bukowski’s Hollywood and Pulp: A Study of Linda Hutcheon’s Two Postmodern Concepts

• Main Authors: Zahra Notash, Zahra Bordbari
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lasting Impressions Press 2018-12-01
• Series: International Journal of English Language and Translation Studies
• Subjects: Linda Hutcheon; Postmodern Fiction; Irony; Black humor; Hollywood; Pulp
• Online Access: http://www.eltsjournal.org/archive/value6%20issue4/16-6-4-18.pdf

The present article tries to study irony and humor (black humor) in Charles Bukowski’s Hollywood and Pulp in the light of Hutcheon’s theoretical framework on the idea of playfulness to see how they could be interpreted in terms of postmodern fiction. The previous researchers have considered Bukowski’s fictions; however, they did not regard them in respect of the concept of play. As a result, the aim of this study is to understand whether there is any relationship between Bukowski’s ironical humorous language and Hutcheon’s critical theories on irony and black humor as identifiable features of postmodern fiction or not? To achieve the end, the researcher is going to interpret these two novels’ verbal ironies regarding Hutcheon’s proposed ironic markers as well as the structural ironies and black humors with regard to the doctrines of the mentioned postmodern critic. Therefore, the analysis seems convincing enough not only to indicate the significant importance Hutcheon’s critical theories on postmodernism, but also to claim that these two novels consist of the outstanding aspects of postmodern fiction including irony and black humor.