Satire

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Satire
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What is satire?
A work or manner that blends a censorious
attitude with humor and wit for improving human
institutions or humanity. -Harmon and
Holman Today, forms of satire can be
literary (books, essays, stories, i.e. the
printed word), but also cartoons, songs, and the
performing arts.
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For example . . .
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Social Commentary
Elements of satire
Social Change
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Parody

• To deliberately use wit to imitate style of a
• work or individual
• Similar
• Take-off, spoof, lampoon, burlesque

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Incongruity
To present things that are out of place or are
absurd in relation to their surroundings
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Satire uses irony the recognition of a reality
different than appearance.

• Verbal Irony the actual intent of words is the
  opposite of overt meaning
• Situational Irony Because of the context of an
  event the event is the opposite of what would be
  expected.
• Dramatic Irony

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We all know what exaggeration is, taking things
to an extreme degree, thereby revealing
foolishness or weaknesses of the subject.
Exaggeration of a persons traits is termed
caricature
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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
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Advantages of Satire

• Most miss authors true intent therefore,
  censors dont 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

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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.
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Read the following excerpts from Huck Finn and
try to identify what social problem Twain is
criticizing. What P.I.I.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 didnt 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,
Ill learn her Widow Douglas how to meddle. And
looky hereyou drop that school, you hear? Ill
learn people to bring up a boy to put on airs
over his own father and let on to be bettern
what he is. You lemme catch you fooling around
that school again, you hear? Your mother
couldnt read, and she couldnt Write, nuther,
before she died. None of the family couldnt
before they died. And Here youre a swelling
yourself up like this. I aint the man to stand it
you hear? (19)
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Group Scavenge
In groups of 3-4, comb through Chapters 1-12 of
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and excerpt
passages demonstrating satire. Identify what is
being satirized, how it is being satirized (which
of the P.I.I.E. elements), and what Twain may be
hoping to change.
Excerpt Topic being Satirized P.I.I.E. Hope for Change
Example The widow she cried over me and called me a poor lost lambshe put me in them new clothes again and I couldnt do nothin but sweat and sweat and feel all cramped up (1). Reformer mindset Parody(Widow D) Incongruity(streetwise Huck as lost lamb) Help others based on their needs not ones own ego.