Eric Chiem
Humanities
Section J
12/16/2014
“My Slave is Free to Speak His Mind” vs. “Satire III”
Satires are works of literature used to invoke a change in society. There are two types of
satirical writing: Horatian and Juvenalian. “My Slave is Free to Speak His Mind,” a Horatian
satire, and “Satire IIII,” a Juvenalian satire, both call for reforms in the social behavior their
authors observed on a daily basis. However, they greatly differ in efficiency due to differences in
the way each author addresses the audience, the way the characters view themselves, and the
way evidence is presented to the audience.
There is a distinct difference in the way the authors address the group they are attempting
to reform. In “My Slave is Free to Speak His Mind,” the author calls for reform in
upperclassmen by having a representative, Horace, engage in conversation with his slave Davus,
who acts as a representative for the lower class. He conveys his views of the upper class through
Davus’s criticisms and Horace responds to such criticisms. As Davus tells Horace of his faults,
Horace is left speechless. Without any meaningful responses, Horace responds with
unprecedented invective, calling Davus a scoundrel and looking for a way to harm him. By
having an upperclassman present in the story and very subtly ridiculing him by having him act in
a very unintelligent manner in response to the accusations, the audience is more likely to side
with Davus and his arguments who is clearly the superior individual. In “Satire III,” the author
speaks about his friend’s decision to Rome but not in a dialogue but rather, a monologue. He
relentlessly insults the citizens of Rome and their improper behavior in a way that seems directed
towards the audience, almost accusing them for the faults in Rome’s society, and as this
continues, it causes the audience to feel more uncomfortable because they begin to recognize
their own faults. However, the audience is likely to retaliate, making excuses to rationalize their
own actions and in turn, rejecting the ideas of the author. Because of the way the author
addresses the audience, “My Slave is Free to Speak His Mind” is more effective at influencing
the audience in the desired manner.
Another large difference between the two satires is the way the speakers talk about
themselves. In “My Slave is Free to Speak His Mind,” Davus refers to himself in a manner that
reflects Horace’s opinion of him. He says “I am weak, lazy, and if you have a mind to add
anything else, I am a sot.” He calls himself a “scoundrel and a loiterer” and openly associates
himself with harlots. Because of this self-deprecation, the audience sympathizes with him and
feels pity towards him, making them more inclined to listen to his arguments rather than
Horace’s. In “Satire III,” Umbricus, a friend of the author who is quoted for a large portion of the
work, constantly complains about life in Rome. He claims that he “never learnt how to lie” and
has “never meddled with frogs’ guts; the task of carrying letters and presents between adulterous
lovers.” Rather than using self-deprecation, he uses self-aggrandizement, associating himself
with the “honest Romans” which makes him unlikeable. This also makes the audience much less
likely to sympathize with him but more likely to attack him for making false claims as an excuse
to leave Rome. The way Davus addresses himself with self-deprecation makes him seem more
modest and relatable than Umbricus, making it more likely that someone would agree with his
statements.
These satires also differ in the way the characters themselves present information to help
support their point of view. In “My Slave is Free to Speak His Mind,” Davus almost always
presented new evidence in the form of a question. He would ask a series of questions that would
guide the readers into coming to the same conclusion he came to. However, in “Satire III,”
Umbricus simply states his observations without allowing for much analysis on the reader’s end.
Although both approaches can lead the audience to the same conclusion, they have different
overall effects on the reader. If someone is simply told a fact, he or she may acknowledge it to be
true to some extent but he or she may not understand why it’s true or even believe it completely.
However, by constantly asking the reader questions rather than making the conclusion for them,
they are forced to come to their own. The questions are asked in such a way that there is only one
logical conclusion, but because the reader reached that conclusion themselves, they understand it
more clearly and believe it more than they would if it was si1mply given to them. Because of the
way information is presented, “My Slave is Free to Speak His Mind” provides the reader a better
understanding of the arguments.
Because of the differences in the way the author addresses the audience, the way the
characters view themselves, and the way the evidence is presented to the audience, it is apparent
that “My Slave is Free to Speak His Mind” is the more effective satiric work.