1. Elements of Satire

2. Satire is...
any piece of writing designed to make its reader feel critical
of themselves
of their fellow human beings
of institutions
of society as a whole

3. Some Satire is meant to make us laugh at human foolishness and weaknesses.

4. Some satire is meant to make us angry about human vices and crimes.

5. Satire can be aimed at humanity in general,
Stereotyped groups (like "ambulance -chasing" lawyers or clumsy doctors), or a particular person.

6. Satirists are dissatisfied with the way
things are and want to make them better. However, instead of giving helpful advise, they focus what is wrong.
Forget "BE GOOD!" Satirists make fun of selfish, mean-spirited people hoping we will see the qualities in ourselves and change.

7. Satirists perform an important role in
society when they expose errors and
absurdities that we no longer notice
because of custom or familiarity.

8. Four basic parts of a Satire
Exaggeration
Incongruity
Reversal
Parody

9. Exaggeration
To enlarge, increase, or represent something beyond normal bounds so that it becomes ridiculous and its faults can be seen.
Caricature is the exaggeration of a physical feature or trait. Cartoons, especially political cartoons, provide extensive examples of caricature.
Burlesque is the ridiculous exaggeration of language. For instance, when a character who should use formal, intelligent language speaks like a fool or a character who is portrayed as uneducated uses highly sophisticated, intelligent language.

10. Incongruity
To present things that are out of place or are absurd in relation to its surroundings. Particular techniques include oxymoron, metaphor, and irony.

11. Reversal
To present the opposite of the normal order. Reversal can focus on the order of events, such as serving dessert before the main dish or having breakfast for dinner. Additionally, reversal can focus on hierarchical order—for instance, when a young child makes all the decisions for a family or when an administrative assistant dictates what the company president decides and does.

12. Parody
To imitate the techniques and/or style of some person, place, or thing in order to ridicule the original. For parody to be successful, the reader must know the original text that is being ridiculed.

13. Exaggeration

14. Incongruity

15. Reversal

16. Parody