Metamorphosis of the Character Joker in the Postmodern American Culture in the Context of Jeffrey Jerome Cohen’s Monster Theory: Reading Culture and John Morreall’s theory of Comic Relief

Abstract

This research revolves around the most famous character from DC comic books, Joker (Arthur Fleck) in Todd Phillips’ film Joker, who evolves from an innocent Joker into a monster forced by society, and the system around him in the postmodern American culture. This research is an attempt to focus on the character of Joker that how he transforms and evolves in the context of Cohen’s Monster Theory: Reading Culture and Morreall’s Comic Relief which provides evidence to prove that Joker is not a born monster rather he is a product of American society, system, and culture. Similarly, Cohen claims in his thesis that we are responsible for the birth of such monsters, as he says that “This thing of darkness I acknowledge mine” (20), as he emphasizes the concept that they are our children because we draw margins for them and repress their feelings which later come out in the shape of disasters due to which they are treated as monsters. This research explores the character of Joker from Joker by Todd Phillips through the seven lenses of Cohen how Joker is a cultural body, Joker is an escapist, Joker is a harbinger of category crisis, Joker dwells at the gates of differences, Joker polices the borders of the possible, the fear of Joker is a kind of desire, and Joker stands at the threshold of becoming a Monster, who represents the corruption and hypocrisy of postmodern American society that is the ultimate force to push the character of Joker, who was at the threshold of becoming a monster. This thesis also contributes to the existing theories through the evaluation of Joker’s laughter that links the monster theory and theory of laughter to create a new sense of monster laughter to understand how the laughter of Joker is not only a condition in literal terms but is hinting towards the contextual meanings that it is also a tool for Joker (Arthur Fleck) to use it in different situations to hide his fear, anger, desires, and anxieties as well. Attributes of Joker (Arthur Flecks, a DRSML QAU vi hero for the proletariat class) from Joker helped to draw a link between these two theories and proved the major objective and raised the question of this thesis that Joker is the greatest challenge to America presented on the screens of cinemas all around the world. Keywords: Joker, Monster Theory, Laughter Theory, Harbinger of category crisis, Third term supplement, Disturbing Hybrid.