问答题
We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be.
Mother Night
, 1961
Anyone who cannot understand how useful a religion based on lies can be will not understand this book either.
Cat"s Cradle
, 1963
This is a novel somewhat in the telegraphic schizophrenic manner of tales of the planet Tralfa-madore, where the flying saucers come from.
Slaughterhouse-Five
, 1969
Questions:
问答题
A. The author of these novels is Kurt Vonnegut, name some other novelists who employ black humor.
【正确答案】正确答案：Joseph Heller, Nathanael West, Thomas Pynchon, John Barth, and Philip Roth.
【答案解析】
问答题
B. Define the literary term Black Humor with reference to the above quotations.
【正确答案】正确答案：Black humor, in literature, drama, and film, grotesque or morbid humor used to express the absurdity , insensitivity, paradox, and cruelty of the modern world. Ordinary characters or situations are usually exaggerated far beyond the limits of normal satire or irony. Black humor uses devices often associated with tragedy and is sometimes equated with tragic farce. For example, the first quotation is a paradox. The second quotation employs satire to depict the absurdity of religion. The third quotation is dealt with the absurdity of human minds.