Satire The delightful way artists deliberately mock or ridicule society to inspire reform… the artist’s dirty little secret.

So, what is satire?  Satire is... an attack by a satirist that is designed to cause discomfort due to his/her portrayal and evaluation of man.  The satirist’s justification… lies in the evils created and perpetuated by man. The constant threat of vulgarity, pride, folly, and other assorted evils are cause for social commentary to better society.

Sarcasm/Verbal Irony vs. Satire  Sarcasm and/or Verbal Irony are both classified as a form criticism (done through ridiculing). It’s just pure criticism; a form of bullying to persuade audience to adopt ones’ belief.  Satire’s main purpose and goal is to inspire reform through the use of ridiculing/mocking. Designed to have the audience evaluate their own belief system and understand the need for correction within society.

Sarcasm/Verbal Irony vs. Satire  The distinction between satire and irony is this: all satire is ironic, but not all irony is satire.  Irony is the tension that results when you expect one thing and get more then, or less than, or the opposite of what you expected.

Rhetorical Technique & Purpose  Satire blends a hypercritical attitude with humor and wit for the purpose of improving human institutions or humanity. Satire will only attack aspects of society which are correctable.  We are bettering the world by mocking it because we are forcing you to want to correct your behavior.

Why is it considered savage?  Sarcasm/verbal irony are bullying. We’re making fun of you. That’s unfair and unjust.  With satire, we’re mocking you because your behaviors and actions are worth mocking. You deserve to feel small, so that you do reflect on your actions and change.

Rhetorical Technique & Purpose The purpose of satire is to trivialize, emphasize, or maximize the impact of a statement.  To accomplish this, the satirist will hardly ever use a specific name.  By sparing the name of a target, the satirist becomes more effective. You don’t “single out” (like sarcasm does). You point out general patterns of human behavior that all individuals can agree on.  Further, by softening the criticism the target goal will be more readily accepted and will also prevent any desire to imitate the foibles being lampooned.

Rhetorical Technique & Purpose Looking for satire? Analyze tone.  It is often the overall tone that determines whether or not the work may be correctly labeled as satire. - This helps to focus on type of satire which will help focus on a target. - Realize now: if you catch a form of criticism, it does not make a piece satirical - Identifying a satirical tone is the weakest approach to analyzing satire.

A warning for analyzing tone…  In timed writes:  You deal only with the selection provided – period.  In novels:  You deal with the work as a whole. There are chapters and sections, but the work stands as a unified piece of text.

Origins of Satire  Starts in Greece but is perfected in Rome by:  Horace (75 AD) Horation satire: Tones: cheerful, urbane, “tongue-in-cheek” Goal: to make readers smile at the foibles committed by the individuals under attack. The satirist aims to correct by employing broadly sympathetic laughter. Often misinterpreted because of the humor. Does NOT anger the reader nor make them feel any sort of moral outrage.

Origins of Satire  Starts in Greece but is perfected in Rome by:  Juvenal (60 AD) Juvenalian satire: Tones: cutting, biting, bitter, angry Goal: to point with contempt and indignation to the corruption of human beings and institutions and strives to produce in the reader both contempt and moral indignation. The goal is to attack and destroy, the work is very dark in nature. Does NOT attempt to amuse the audience.

How to Analyze Satire Ask yourself 4 questions… 1. Who is the target of the satire? 2. What is the satirist’s view? 3. How can you tell the satirist’s view? 4. Who might be offended by the work?