“The Censors” Luisa Valenzuela writes novels and short stories that expose the injustices of society through satire. She uses dark humor in this satire of government censorship, the absurdities of society, and the shameful workings of totalitarian regimes. “The Censors” was first published in 1976, the year that a military faction overthrew Argentina’s government. This new government severely restricted constitutional liberties and begin to eliminate any opposition to their regime. Innocent citizens and active protestors of the new regime were tortured and killed. Censorship: the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security. Totalitarian Regime: a system of government that is centralized (power is concentrated in one area) and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state

Respond & Think Critically Analyzing Satire Answer the following questions on a piece of paper. Turn this in as you leave class. Did your feelings about Juan change during the course of the story? Explain. What does Juan fear will happen to Mariana as a result of his letter? What does this tell you about the kind of government Juan lives under? Why are “more and more” censors” needed, making it easy for Juan to get hired? How does Juan’s transformation into the perfect censor become the “punch line” for this satire? Is the author’s satire aimed more at the government or individuals like Juan?