10 The Concept of “Black Humour” at French and Greek Writers

Abstract

In the article in question, it will be analyzed the concept of “black humour”, one of the four main pillars, which sustained the surrealist creativity. In more specific terms, they are: automat writing, insane love and objective chance. As one of the strongest expressive means of surrelist writers, black humour turned into their symbol in order to better convey the objection against the reality of time. Colorations of black humour will be analyzed in comparative platform at the following writers: Francis Picabia, Jacques Rigaut and Nikos Engonopoulos, who converge into a common thematic point – death. Through the analysis of several parts selected by them, I will also reveal the similarities in expression, poetical images used, but on the other side, their particularities as well.

Keywords

• Surrealism
• black humour
• poetical image
• death
• unaware