UNDER THE MASK OF LAUGHING: MURRIEL BARBERY L’ELEGANCE DU HERISSON (2006) - JENNIFER EGAN A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD (2010)
This article considers comparative analysis of two ironical narratives in the novels by American writer Jennifer Egan A Visit from the Goon Squad (2010) and Murriel Barbery L'Elégance du hérisson (2006). The nature of comical narrative in literature is complex and heterogeneous. Humor can be embodied as irony, transforming into skepticism and parody, burlesque or buffoonery. It can coexist with reflection, tragedy, and philosophical attitude towards reality. All that allows us to trace in the artistic space of a literature work various traditions and trends. The phenomena of intercultural diffusion stipulate the urgency of diachronic comparative analysis for the research. Comparing poetics of the novel by Egan with the narrative manner pertained to American ‘black humorist’ K. Kesey and modern French writer M. Barberry, who develops the genre of the intellectual-ironic novel, we can deeper and more detailed study the trends of modern prose in the aspects of synchrony and diachrony. Analyzing narrative strategies we distinguish irony as a key comic technique in the artistic spaces of both novels. At the same time, irony can be painted with romantic idealistic pathos and with skepticism or sarcasm. In the poetics of Egan's novel, philosophy and skepticism are sometimes combined with a rustic-crafty folk humor, close to O'Henry's style. The novel becomes a metaphor of New York, where inhabitants know how to hide fears and pains under the mask of polite smile, sarcastic grin or mocking joke. In the book by Barberry, traditions of “black humor” are expressed by a tragic component: the suicidal form of protest that shows the teenage girl Paloma, protesting against the coldness of her family, and by a tragic ending. The hero-victim, striving to change life for the better, suffering of tragical skepticism and metaphorical perception of reality, pertained to “black humor”, are being developed in the modern literary process, which determines the relevance of the research topic. The phenomenon of “black humor” was created at the crossroads of intercultural trends, finally emerging as an American phenomenon. In fiction of the 21st century, the “black humor” traditions are developed in the writings of different countries. So, comical narrative is prolific to create new artistic realities combining humor and philosophy, comic and tragic, ironic and self-reflective narratives.