Comments on: Name some examples of humorous tragedies in film and literature

Question: Name some examples of humorous tragedies in film and literature

Felicity Rilke — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:56:48 -0800

I need suggestions of fictional or non-fictional books or films that deal with illness or dying in relation to humor/the absurd.

This is a pretty broad question, so I'll provide just a bit of background. I'm writing an essay about theories of humor (specifically touching on incongruity theory, benign violation theory, and the role of repetition in humor) as applied to personal narrative -- essentially how farce arises from tragedy and the elements necessary to humor.

I need to bring in some sources from film or literature that engage with incongruity/repetition/futility/disappearance, or published memoirs of illness or dying without neat, happy endings BUT which are humorous or absurd.

Writers I've been looking at so far: Kafka, Auster, Millhauser, Rakoff. My knowledge of film is sorely limited (but film is great because it takes less time to watch a movie than read a book).

If I can put this succinctly, I'm basically looking for examples that deal with the idea of the punchline not being worth the joke. Or that the punchline is that there is no punchline.

If anyone can make sense of my explanation and request, I'd appreciate your suggestions greatly.

By: MonkeyToes

MonkeyToes — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:09:55 -0800

It may be tangential to your question, but Norman Cousins discussed the role of humor in healing in his memoir "Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient."

You might also look at (SNL veteran) Gilda Radner's memoir, "It's Always Something."

By: something something

something something — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:11:18 -0800

I loved A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon, which in part concerns a main character dealing very poorly with what may or may not be skin cancer.

The Publisher's Weekly review says, "Haddon's descriptions of the characters' misery, especially George's rapid descent into madness, are too graphic to be comical," but I disagree completely. I laughed until I cried. I did at least have the grace to feel a little guilty about it, though.

By: SugarAndSass

SugarAndSass — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:16:43 -0800

If I'm reading this correctly, Catch-22 and Slaughterhouse-Five seem like what you're looking for.

By: LonnieK

LonnieK — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:23:49 -0800

Not certain what you're going for exactly, but a couple come to mind:
The Loved One, book by E. Waugh; later a film by Terry Southern
Waking Ned Devine, film

By: perhapses

perhapses — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:34:37 -0800

The film Fearless deals with this a little, especially how farce arises from tragedy, which is what the main character (Jeff Bridges) tries to point out to the lawyers and others going after big money following an airplane crash that he survived.

By: perhapses

perhapses — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:40:32 -0800

The novel Extinction by Thomas Bernhard might also be worth checking out.

By: scody

scody — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:40:42 -0800

Is theater OK? If so, then Beckett's Endgame definitely fits the bill.

By: fearfulsymmetry

fearfulsymmetry — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:44:01 -0800

Opening pages of Three Men In A Boat deals with illness

By: perhapses

perhapses — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:49:31 -0800

Satantango might also fit the bill, although it is a film that takes longer to watch than it does to read the novel.

By: pantarei70

pantarei70 — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:52:10 -0800

Just Like Someone Without Mental Illness Only More So: A Memoir by Mark Vonnegut (Kurt's son) has some wonderfully absurd bits about illness/health/dying.

By: perhapses

perhapses — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:04:35 -0800

More film recommendations: The Exterminating Angel and possibly Everything for Sale.

By: Lutoslawski

Lutoslawski — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:05:38 -0800

Seconding Endgame.

By: perhapses

perhapses — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:11:53 -0800

Endgame is available as part of the Beckett on DVD series.

By: tully_monster

tully_monster — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:12:08 -0800

Siegfried Sassoon was probably the most satirical of the Great War poets, and his humor was of the gallows type. Devastating, savage wit compressed into a few lines. The best of his stuff is in Counter-Attack and Other Poems -- a few good examples would be "The General," "Editorial Impressions," and my favorite, "Fight to a Finish."

Edgell Rickword's "Trench Poets" is very, very black humor.

On Preview--lots of Beckett. Happy Days is what comes to mind for me with regard to death and humor. The main character is a woman who spends the entire play buried in the earth up to her chest.

Some good films might be the movie version of Catch-22, Love and Death, Woody Allen's parody of 19th-century Russian novels, and the original movie of MASH.

And then there's Julia Sweeney's one-woman show, God Said "HA"! in which she somehow manages to make cancer funny. To me, it's kind of a gold standard of illness-related humor. There's a memoir, too, but the show is better.

By: Sidhedevil

Sidhedevil — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:12:42 -0800

Scenes from Later Life by William Cooper.

Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person by Miriam Engelberg.

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot by John Callahan.

Lopsided by Meredith Norton.

By: perhapses

perhapses — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:17:35 -0800

I'd also recommend the non-fiction book Laughing at Nothing. He goes into great detail about incongruity as it relates to humor and to nihilism. He might even have a few film examples he discusses.

By: perhapses

perhapses — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:27:13 -0800

One more film: World's Greatest Dad

By: PaulaSchultz

PaulaSchultz — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:39:47 -0800

Maybe 50/50?

By: Kafkaesque

Kafkaesque — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:44:46 -0800

This is perhaps a different take on a very serious subject but Joe Versus the Volcano?

By: sagwalla

sagwalla — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:46:57 -0800

Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections deals with age and dementia in a manner approaching the absurd.

By: perhapses

perhapses — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:59:51 -0800

And maybe Winter Passing

By: kbar1

kbar1 — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 21:43:31 -0800

Harold and Maude?

By: DZack

DZack — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 12:35:18 -0800

Definitely check out Don Delillo's White Noise.