Is Humboldt's Gift a work of what is called dark or black humor?

Does the backdrop of humor lighten the serious and tragic points the author makes - or does it increase their impact?

Does the seriousness of the topics make the humor seem funnier, or do jokes seem trivial amidst dramatic content?

Does the humor, perhaps, lull the reader into emotional vulnerability, allowing tragic and dramatic events to create a more striking and startling effect than they would have otherwise?

Is the author making a statement about a character in a novel with the dichotomy of intellect and emotion, or is he illustrating the nature of all men?

Discuss the relevance of art in relation to the plot of this text.

Discuss the author's ideas of death and the nature of death in relation to this text.

*Penguin Books, 1996, ISBN 0-14-018944-...