Novel Synthesis: Humor as Post-Modern Characteristic

The Book Thief being a postmodernism novel is bursting with numerous amount of dark humor—a post modern characteristic. The excerpt of I Am Messenger is also packed with a number of humorous statements. Therefore, it can be concluded that considering the two novels Zusak has written, he is a post modern author. In the excerpt of I Am Messenger, Marv and Ed are at a bank, while it is being robbed. In the process, the narrator, Ed, mentions, “He’s most likely robbing the bank as a payback on the world for winning the ugliness prize at his local fete three years running.” Though quite harsh, this statement consists of humor and is quite playful. “It’s like being in school again and your sadistic math teacher’s barking orders at you from the front of the room, even though he couldn’t care less and he’s waiting for the bell so he can go home and drink beer and get fat in front of the telly.” This quote from the 50th paragraph in the short excerpt is quite humorous and also introduces slang and technology-a postmodern characteristic. Humor, though more of a dark humor, is used throughout The Book Thief as well. On page 280, showing the picture of the mound of dead bodies with a boy and girl standing on stop stating, “Isn’t this a lovely day”. This black humor is used is the more risqué of ways. A mound of dead bodies and someone having a good day, it can’t be. However, during WWII in Nazi Germany, innocent individuals died everyday and were piled upon one another while Hitler had a great day. Humor usually brings to the reader some sort of laughter and joking; however in this case, it brings upon emotions of the reader to think that someone could actually be having a good day when they are standing on top of a mound of individuals.