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Laughter and dying: Stella Benson's Hope against hope and other stories, and Tobit transplanted

Research Output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding Chapter Peer-review

Abstract

The novels and short stories of Stella Benson (1982-1933) cover a wide range of issues including suffrage, the morality of war and the rights of women through a mixture of realism, fantasy and satire. Drawing on a range of twentieth and twenty first century theoretical approaches relating to humour and satire this essay considers Benson’s use of humour and satire in her collection of short stories Hope Against Hope and Other Stories (1931) and Tobit Transplanted (1931). Throughout both texts, Benson explores human frailties, inviting the reader to view her characters with an ironic detachment. This essay argues that this use of comedy highlights the tension between humour and subject matter, and provides an insight into both her life and 1930s society.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding Chapter Peer-review

Host publication Subtitle

'Have Women a Sense of Humour?'

Original language

English

Publication milestones

  • Published - 29/01/2020

Publication status

Published - 29/01/2020

Place of publication

Newcastle upon Tyne

Publisher

Cambridge Scholars Publishing

ISBN (Print)

9781527542747

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/623825

Host publication title

Interwar Women's Comic Fiction

Host publication editors

  • Nicola Darwood
  • Nick Turner