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The Grotesque Tradition in the Short Stories of Charles Bukowski

The style and themes central to Bukowski's prose have roots in the literary tradition of the grotesque. Bukowski uses grotesque imagery in his writings as a creative device, explaining the negative characteristics of modern life. His permanent mood of angry disgust at the world around him is similar to that of the eighteenth-century satirists, particularly Jonathan Swift. Bukowski confronts the reader with the uglier side of America--its grime, its corruption, the constricted lives of its lower class--all with a simplicity and directness of style impeccably and clearly distilled. Bukowski's style is ebullient, with grotesquely evocative descriptions, scatological detail, and dark humor.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc501093
Date05 1900
CreatorsCooke, James M. (James Michael)
ContributorsWarde, William Booth, Jr., Sale, Richard, 1930-, Kirk, Gerald A.
PublisherNorth Texas State University
Source SetsUniversity of North Texas
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis or Dissertation
Formatiii, 82 leaves, Text
RightsPublic, Cooke, James M. (James Michael), Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

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