Graduation Year
2016
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Media Studies
Reader 1
T. Kim-Trang Tran
Reader 2
Thomas Connelly
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
© 2015 Sarah M Rosen
Abstract
Death, dying, and the actual loss of life are some of the broadest sweeping concepts that typically evoke a wide array of emotions from sadness and anger to fear and despondence. It is unlikely that the first words associated with death are comedy, humor, or laughter. However, that is precisely what creators and comedians of dark, death, and gallows humor seek to achieve. For my senior capstone project, I have created a short fictional narrative film encompassing the traits of a dark comedy. However, noticing that few dark comedies delve into topics surrounding suicide, I wondered if it was possible to achieve the same comedic and filmic effects with suicide as dark comedies do with death. Is it possible to generate humor from suicide and desiring death? What is implied if humor is derived from the inability to reach death on one’s own volition?
Recommended Citation
Rosen, Sarah M., "Dark Humor and Suicide: Exploring Viewer Suicidality in "The Long Way"" (2016). Scripps Senior Theses. 777.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/777
