Satire

What is satire? A literary work * that ridicules its subject through the use of techniques such as exaggeration, reversal, incongruity, and/or parody. * Today forms of satire can be literary (books, essays, stories, i.e. the printed word), but also cartoons, songs, and the performing arts.

For example...

Social Commentary Elements of Satire I ncongruity P arody E xaggeration R eversal I rony

Reversal: to present the opposite of the normal order of things

Incongruity To present things that are out of place or are absurd in relation to their surroundings

Satire uses irony to attack, ridicule, or poke fun at its subject; a mocking attitude. Words related to Irony: Sarcasm, mockery, lampoon, double entendre, ridicule In satire, the irony is said to be “militant,” that is, sharp, biting, caustic. Example?

Parody To imitate style of a person, place or thing Synonyms? Take-off, spoof, lampoon, burlesque

Listen to Prairie Home Companion radio host Garrison Keillor’s parody of “O “Captain, My Captain”

We all know what exaggeration is, taking things to an extreme degree, thereby revealing foolishness or weaknesses of the subject.

What makes satire satire? Social commentary. That is, the writer ridicules or pokes fun at certain aspects of society he or she finds repugnant in hopes of changing it. Targets? The Usual Suspects. Vanity, hypocrisy, religion, bigotry, human vices, sentimentality, greed, celebrity worship, materialism, hubris, dumbing down of education, snobbery, foolishness, cruelty, insensitivity, laziness, etc.

Is all parody satire?

Mona Lisa SimpsonMarilyn Lisa Which elements of R.I.I.P.E. do these images have? But are they satire?

Do they ridicule DaVinci’s sublime painting? Or are they a tribute?

WorkWhat Work is About Techniques of Satire What writer is ridiculing Satire or just funny or cruel? Spongebob Scary Movie Austin Powers Dilbert cartoons Fast Food Nation Simpsons Brave New World The Office Other Pair Share: Pick 2 from the following list and/or 2 of your own and analyze them.

If the purpose of satire is social commentary, why not write a caustic persuasive essay, editorial or book? Ask this man who tried the direct approach with Roman Emperor Augustus.

Advantages of Satire Most miss author’s true intent; therefore, censors don’t “get it” and author stays out of prison Nice change from “preachiness” of other approaches to reform “Stealth” weapon useful when taking an unpopular stance in repressive society Short and punchy

Great British satirist Jonathan Swift is a case in point. His “A Modest Proposal” suggests that poor Irish parents be encouraged to sell their own children as food. His true purpose, of course, is to attack indifference to the plight of poor.

That’s one way. But let’s try satire. Scenario: 4 high school juniors from affluent high school discuss the college application process. Write 1 or 2 lines that use the techniques we’ve learned. Hint: how outrageously can you exaggerate?

Practice Pair Share Activity: Choose one from the following scenarios and prepare Either a satiric skit or a 2 to 3 frame cartoon. 2. Person from small town comes to Starbucks for the first time and wants to order a small cup of coffee. 1.SHS students desperate to raise their G.P.A. try to cajole teacher to give them points for doing nothing. 3. High school students try to show how Popular they are on Facebook. 4. High school overachievers try to decide What to put on their resumes.

Read the following excerpts from Huck Finn and try to identify what social problem Twain is criticizing. What R.I.I.P.E. techniques does he use to make his point? Huck: “Pretty soon a spider went crawling up my shoulder, and I flipped it off and it lit in the candle, and before I could budge it was all shriveled up. I didn’t need anybody to tell me that was an awful bad sign and would fetch me some bad luck, so I was scared and most shook the clothes off of me. I got up and turned around in my tracks three times and crossed my breast every time; and then I tied up a little lock of my hair with a thread to keep witches away... (4) Pap: “Well, I’ll learn her [Widow Douglas] how to meddle. And looky here—you drop that school, you hear? I’ll learn people to bring up a boy to put on airs over his own father and let on to be better’n what he is. You lemme catch you fooling around that school again, you hear? Your mother couldn’t read, and she couldn’t Write, nuther, before she died. None of the family couldn’t before they died. And Here you’re a swelling yourself up like this. I aint the man to stand it – you hear? (19)

Close: What is satire and how can we recognize satire in all its forms in order to understand the writer’s true intent? Write your own definition. Include the 5 techniques that writers use.