1. Satire
Review

2. Why are these funny?

3. What is satire?
In satire, human or individual vices, follies, abuses or shortcomings are held up to find fault by means of ridicule, mockery, irony, or other methods, ideally with the intent to bring about improvement. Although satire is meant to be funny, the purpose of satire is not primarily humor in itself so much as an attack on something of which the author strongly disapproves, using the weapon of wit.
What? Paraphrase, please…

4. What is satire?
Satire: Making fun of some aspect of culture, society, and/or human nature to hopefully improve it or inspire change. Wit is key.

5. …Isn’t that comedy? Satire differs from comedy in that:
Satire seeks to correct, improve, or reform throughout ridicule
Comedy aims simply to amuse its audience
Satire uses laughter as a weapon against something that exists outside the work itself.

6. Formal (Direct) Satire
Two types of satire
Formal (Direct) Satire
The persona (speaker) uses first-person point of view
This speaker may address the reader or a character within the work
Example: “A Modest Proposal”
Indirect Satire
Some format other than direct address to the reader
This is usually a fictional narrative, in which objects of satire are characters
Example: Animal Farm

7. Devices of Satire The chief device of satire is irony.
What are the three types of irony?
Dramatic (the audience understands but the characters do not)
Situational (the opposite of what you expect to happens actually happens)
Verbal (saying the opposite of what you mean)

8. Devices of Satire Other Devices…
Parody: poking fun at something by mimicking or imitating it (SNL)
Caricature: poking fun at a character by exaggerating its personal characteristics in drawing or narrative

9. Devices of Satire
Juxtaposition: the arrangement of two or more characters, ideas, or words side-by-side for the purpose of comparison, contrast, or character development
Sarcasm: taunting on a personal level by saying something and meaning the opposite

10. Devices of Satire
Innuendo: a derogatory suggestion that is not literally spoken but rather hinted at
Understatement: A figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important than it is

11. Analyzing Satire in 5 easy steps!
1. What's the tone of the satire?
(grim, cheerful, sardonic, mock serious, optimistic)
2. What type of satire is this?
(direct vs. indirect)
3. What is the writer satirizing?
(what aspect of society are they trying to criticize?)
4. What is the writer's purpose in satirizing this
subject?
(what do they want to change?)
5. What literary techniques does the writer use in
this satire?
(hyperbole, understatement, irony, humor)

12. Satire in Swift
“A Modest Proposal" is an essay that uses satire to make its point.
Jonathan Swift wrote “A Modest Proposal” to call attention to abuses inflicted on Irish Catholics by well-to-do English Protestants.

13. Swift's Ireland was a country that had been effectively controlled by England for nearly 500 years. The Stuarts had established a Protestant governing aristocracy amid the country's relatively poor Catholic population. Denied union with England (meaning it could not have free access to the empire) in 1707 (when Scotland was granted it), Ireland continued to suffer under English trade restrictions and found the authority of its own Parliament in Dublin severely limited. Swift, though born a member of Ireland's colonial ruling class, came to be known as one of the greatest of Irish patriots.
However, he considered himself more English than Irish. He was often ambivalent towards Irish politics.
Eventually, he becomes more invested in the Irish situation due to its worsening state. “A Modest Proposal”, published in 1729 is in response to these debilitating conditions.

14. Class discussion
What does Swift propose as a solution to the poverty problem?
How can satire like this be effective?

15. 5 Steps of Satire in Swift
What’s the tone? Mild in the beginning then steadily grows. Less funny, more scathing.
What type of satire?
What is the writer satirizing?
What is the writer’s purpose?
What literary techniques are used?

16. Verbal Irony – He’s saying the opposite of what he means throughout the whole essay. He’s also suggesting some ironic solutions when he says that we should feed the children to the nobility rather than the starving poor. This is shocking – not modest! Why does Swift need to shock us?

17. Exaggeration/Hyperbole – Eating the poor children
Exaggeration/Hyperbole – Eating the poor children! We also, conveniently, get gloves and boots from the children. By exaggerating the solution to the problem, it forces people to find a more sensible solution
Sarcasm – Pick a line! Any line!

18. Understatement – “I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts, which I hope will not be lyable to the least Objection.” Sets us up for the shock– we don’t expect his solution to be so ridiculous and offensive.

19. Other Techniques
Statistics - Note how many statistics Swift uses to make his point (even though they are blatantly untrue) and how many important (but fictional)people he cites to make his case. This makes him sound official and trustworthy.
Bias - He’s a father, but his children are old enough that they would not be impacted by this solution.

20. Satire in Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde`s play, The Importance of Being Earnest mocks protocols, principles, marriage and the search for love in Victorian times. It also makes fun of social expectations and the inversion of these expectations.   The main characters of the play are Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrief.

21. Satire in Oscar Wilde
Jack adopts an alter ego when going into town to avoid keeping up with the serious and morally upright behavior that is expected of him as guardian to his eighteen-year-old ward, Cecily. Algernon makes up an invalid friend, Bunbury, whose grave health conditions provide him with the excuse to escape to the country as and when he pleases. 

22. The play`s main paradox is the impossibility of really being earnest while trying to convince others that you are earnest.
Out with It  Scene 1:
Scene 2:

23. Satire Examples
TeachingCenter – Key and Peele -
Family Guy – Insurance Companies -

24. Satire Political Cartoons

26. Assignment:
Consider what you know of satire from the last 2 class periods.
Working alone or with a partner, create a dialogue and tone of an exchange between 2 characters in The Great Gatsby. Be sure to pick a tense situation between characters and ridicule the two in a mocking and satirical way.
Given the time period, think of the targets of satire and shed light on it for our audience.
Whenever possible borrow from the novel and make it sound as if the characters could really be having this conversation. After, explain where this would fit in to the novel and the purpose of the satire and the targets of satire.