AP Language
Introduction to Satire
Defini&on: A form of humor, wri,en in poetry or prose, which makes a subject or a person appear ridiculous. Its purpose is to point out prevailing vices or follies (through humor) which should be corrected. In other words, sa@re combines cri@cism with humor in order to change that which seems wrong. It soAens the cri@cism by removing it from reality. The idea behind it: people are more willing to consider cri1cism if the finger isn’t poin1ng directly at them.
In general, sa@re has two moods: 1.
GENTLE / SYMPATHETIC -­‐-­‐ where the humor is mild and the author sees the problem as more foolish than evil 2.
BITING / ANGRY -­‐-­‐where the ridicule is savage and the author sees the problem as urgent and severe, possibly evil Tone: aEtudes toward the subject and toward the audience Jonathan Swift implied in a literary work Mood: the feeling that a literary work evokes The primary techniques of sa@re are: o Irony
o Hyperbole/Exaggera@on Formal Proposal: prepare a highly serious, highly ra@onal proposal for ac@on on this problem, but make it totally unreasonable and exaggerated. Mock Heroic: take the realis@c problem or dispute and turn it into a highly exaggerated epic ba,le. Fantasy: the seEng of the sa@re is an imaginary world or @me. Praise/Blame to Excess: take something that is bad and praise it without boundary, or take something good and cut it to shreds. Either way, the reader will appreciate the irony the author intends. Hora&an Sa&re: Hora@an sa@re is named aAer the poet Horace, and is characterized by a good-­‐ natured, tolerant sense of humor about human folly. It is oAen a general comment on the failing of mankind, and was known as “telling the truth with a smile.” Honors American Literature, LCHS English - Mr. Thomas
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AP Language
Satire Notes, cont.
Juvenalian Sa&re: Juvenalian sa@re is named for the Roman poet Juvenal, and is characterized by bi@ng sarcasm, bi,er irony, moral indigna@on, pessimism, and an antagonis@c tone. It emphasizes cri@cism more than humor. Sa@re cannot be neatly placed in one category or another; it exists in a con@nuum. Some of the ways to visualize sa@re are listed below:
a) Invective: violent abuse or accusa@on; harsh or bi,er u,erance. It uses wit mechanism to circumvent man’s prejudice against rage. b) Inversion: to turn upside down, outside in, or inside out; to reverse, as in order to change around to the reverse order, sense, condi@on. c) Burlesque: literary, drama@c, or other imita@on which purposely makes ridiculous that which it imitates. It usually makes a subject appear ridiculous by trea@ng it with incongruity. d) Irony: joining of words in which the intended implica@on is the opposite of the literal sense of the words. e) Caricature: exaggera@on of distor@on of parts or features in order to produce a ridiculous effect, as in a cartoon. f)
Sarcasm: bi,erness or taun@ng reproachfus; it may or may not be ironical, but it is always cuEng or ill-­‐ natured. g) Parody: imitates the characteris@c style of an author for comic effect or ridicule. It is imita@on through distor@on and exaggera@on; it evokes amusement, derision, and scorn. h) Double Entendre-­‐-­‐a word or phrase that may have more than one interpreta@on-­‐usually sexual in connota@on
i)
Paradox-­‐-­‐seemingly contradictory statement j)
Incongruity-­‐-­‐discrepancy in speech, character, situa@on, or reac@on k) hyperbole-­‐-­‐exaggera@on l)
litotes-­‐ nega@on of an opposite (He’s not the worst student I’ve ever had in class.) m) sarcasm-­‐-­‐ironical, bi@ng remark n) pun-­‐-­‐play on words Honors American Literature, LCHS English - Mr. Thomas
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AP Language
Satire Notes, cont.
o) slaps&ck-­‐-­‐a,empt at physical abuse, usually gone awry Honors American Literature, LCHS English - Mr. Thomas
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