Anna Elsner and Marc Keller on the Role of Humor in Assisted Dying Narratives

In their contribution to Geschichte der Gegenwart, Anna Elsner and Marc Keller examine how literature and film use humour to engage with the subject of assisted dying. Drawing on examples from Canada, Switzerland, and elsewhere, they argue that humour does more than relieve the emotional weight of death: it can expose the social, political, and ethical tensions surrounding assisted dying, challenge simplified notions of autonomy and self-determination, and reveal the often-overlooked role of social dependencies and responsibilities.

Full text available here: https://geschichtedergegenwart.ch/zum-totlachen-wenn-die-sterbehilfe-uns-zum-lachen-bringt/