The Function of Black Humor and Satire in the Dystopian Novel Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood

Seminar paper from the year 2016 in the subject English - Literature, Works, grade: 1,0, University of Rostock (Anglistik/Amerikanistik), course: Proseminar: Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake. Contexts and Criticism, language: English, abstract: This essay sets out to analyze Margaret Atwood’s use of black humor and satire in her novel Oryx and Crake . Furthermore, it examines the function of such. Especially this essay looks at Atwood’s intention to provide a satiric tone and black humor and shows that they are based on social observations and concerns that are evident in the early twenty-first century. To achieve this, the paper is structured into two main chapters. In the first chapter on Black Humor and Satire the author gives an overview of these terms, serving as a framework for further investigations. Additionally, the paper deals with laughter, to show which kind of laughter derives from Atwood’s humor. In the next chapter on Observations on Black Humor and Satire in Oryx and Crake , the paper focuses on the satirical tone and the black humor in the novel, based on the author’s own reception of the text.