SPECIFIC FEATURES OF “BLACK HUMOR” IN THE NOVELS BY E.M. REMARQUE “ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT” AND “THE BLACK OBELISK”

Abstract

The article deals with the interpretation of the notion of “black humor” suggested by leading experts in literature. It has been revealed that the notion of “black humor” is a category of an outlook character close to poem-based notion. The article analyzes humor discourse of the novels “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “The Black Obelisk” by E.M. Remarque. It has been revealed that “black humor” by Remarque is a versatile phenomenon that changes by the “degree of coloring”, attributes. Specific features of Remarque’s “black humor”, forms of its expression, and functional role in various artistic situations have been studied. The author gives examples of Remarque’s “black humor” that functions as a parody, gains forms of contradiction, alogism, mockery, or play revealing role. It has been revealed that a whole range of the forms of expression of “black humor” appears in the artistic system of E.M. Remarque: existential boisterous laugh, subtle irony, wise smile, grotesque laugh, harsh satire, biting irony, sad humor, the comic element, crooked skeptical smile and others.