Document A
Satire Definition
Satire is a technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an
individual or a society by using humor, irony, exaggeration or ridicule. It intends to improve
humanity by criticizing its follies and foibles. A writer in a satire uses fictional characters, which
stand for real people, to expose and condemn their corruption.
A writer may point a satire toward a person, a country or even the entire world. Usually, a satire is
a comical piece of writing which makes fun of an individual or a society to expose its stupidity and
shortcomings. In addition, he hopes that those he criticizes will improve their characters by
overcoming their weaknesses.
Satire and Irony
Satire and irony are interlinked. Irony is the difference between what is said or done and what is
actually meant. Therefore, writers frequently employ satire to point at the dishonesty and silliness
of individuals and society and criticize them by ridiculing them.
Examples of Satire in Everyday Life
Most political cartoons which we witness every day in newspapers and magazines are examples
of satire. These cartoons criticize some recent actions of political figures in a comical way.
Some shows on television are satire examples like The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and The
Larry Sanders Show. These shows claim to target what they think are stupid political and social
viewpoints.
Let us see a sample of Stephen Colbert’s social satire:
“If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn’t help the poor, either we have to pretend that
Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we’ve got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love
the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don’t want to do it.”
Satire Examples in Literature
There are numerous examples of satire in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. He uses satire as a
tool to share his ideas and opinion on slavery, human nature and many other issues that afflicted
American society at that time.
Below are a few citations from the novel that demonstrate satire:
“What’s the use you learning to do right, when it’s troublesome to do right and isn’t no
trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same?” (Chap 16)
“There warn’t anybody at the church, except maybe a hog or two, for there warn’t any
lock on the door, and hogs likes a puncheon floor in summer-time because it’s cool. If
you notice, most folks don’t go to church only when they’ve got to; but a hog is different.”
(Chap 18)
“The pitifulest thing out is a mob; that’s what an army is–a mob; they don’t fight with
courage that’s born in them, but with courage that’s borrowed from their mass, and from
their officers. But a mob without any man at the head of it is beneath pitifulness.” (chap
22)
Function of Satire
The role of satire is to ridicule or criticize those vices in the society, which the writer considers a
threat to civilization. The writer considers it his obligation to expose these vices for the betterment
of humanity. Therefore, the function of satire is not to make others laugh at persons or ideas they
make fun of. It intends to warn the public and to change their opinions about the prevailing
corruption/conditions in society.
Document B
Strategies To Defeat ISIS
INFOGRAPHIC—THE ONION
November 20, 2015
VOL 51 ISSUE 46
News · Terrorism · World · War
Following last week’s deadly Paris attacks and numerous other violent incidents perpetrated by
the terror group ISIS, many governments and populations worldwide are wondering how we can
eliminate this threat. Here are some strategies to defeat the Islamic State:
• Publish a long-form article detailing the challenges involved in fighting an enemy that does
not value human life
• Refuse to appear terrorized by this constant, worldwide threat of violence and death
• Organize a coup, leaving the U.S. free to prop up the ISIS leader of their choice
• Spend $1.7 trillion
• Attempt to compromise with our adversary by meeting them halfway on their demand to
spill the blood of all apostates
• Stop flow of new ISIS recruits from West by encouraging disaffected youth to join violent
extremist groups back home
• Maybe draw them out to sea?
• Simply coordinate with our allies on a comprehensive strategy that targets ISIS militants
while limiting civilian casualties, while simultaneously addressing the longstanding
socioeconomic struggles that drive young Arab men to embrace radicalism, reaching out to
liberal and moderate factions within Syria, and addressing our own prejudices that
galvanize support for terror around the Islamic world
• Train and arm somebody else’s kids to go over there and shoot them
Document C
What The Planet Will Look Like In 2100
INFOGRAPHIC—The Onion
September 1, 2015
VOL 51 ISSUE 35
Environment · Science & Technology · Science
As scientists try to project the effects of climate change into the future, many of these
forecasts only go as far as 2100, a year beyond which the alterations to our environment
become much harder to predict. Here is a breakdown of what we can expect our world to
look like in 2100:
•
Acidification of Earth’s oceans will give seawater refreshing citrus kick
•
Extinction of 80 percent of world’s wildlife to be slightly offset by couple new species of
lizard
•
Atmosphere visibly bubbling
•
Vast arid landscape will necessitate the creation of 1,000 new words for the color brown
•
Increased competition for shrinking habitats will finally allow biologists to determine which
Arctic species wants it most
•
Temperature of car steering wheel up 18 percent
•
Disappearance of idyllic mountaintop glaciers set between two picturesque peaks may
force beverage companies to bottle water from other sources
•
Far more barren desert flats for land speed record chasers
•
Appearance of lush, water-filled mirages full of scantily clad men and women to occur
500 times more often
•
•
Rising sea levels will force millions of dads to haul the boat lift in another few feet
Smog to get nice reddish-orange tint
•
Not too bad inside ExxonMobil Executive Cooling Dome
Document D
The Daily Currant
Science—July 01, 2013
NASA Finds Message From God on Mars
NASA announced today that its Curiosity Rover has found an unambiguous message from God
written on tablets in a Martian cave.
According to an official press release two giant stone slabs the size of small elephants were
located deep inside a cavern abutting Aeolis Mons, a large mountain.
Upon one tablet is a copy of the Ten Commandments and the text of John 3:16 written in 12
languages - including English, Spanish, Chinese, Basque and Hebrew. On the other tablet is a
simple message in English reading "I am real."
According to top scientists who have studied the discovery extensively, these findings may have
definitively established Christianity as the one true religion.
"This is amazing," says Syms Covington, an Australian researcher working for NASA's Mars
Exploration Program. "We went into the cave looking for water, and we found proof of God's
existence instead.
"I mean how else did those tablets get there? I can tell you one thing: there's not a single atheist
inside NASA's control room now. What we saw was jaw-dropping."
Genesis 1:1
NASA's Curiosity rover arrived on Mars in August of last year with a mission to explore the
Martian climate and geology for signs for habitability.
Thus far the mission has been a success, with the discovery of an ancient seabed and chemicals
needed for life suggesting that Mars was once suitable for life.
However the tablets, both of which are signed "Peace and Love - Yahweh," represent the rover's
most significant find to date, and is perhaps the most important scientific event in history.
"When people find out about this, they will demand change in our society," explains a political
scientist at Georgetown University. "Democracy will have to give way to theocracy. We're gonna
have to build more churches and reintroduce prayer into schools. Abortion is defiantly going to be
illegal within a few months."
Despite its potential significance, Covington fears that the Earth-shattering discovery may not
make the impact it should.
"Unfortunately, the mainstream media is so anti-Christian, they might not even pick up this story,"
he explains. "But God is real. We have proof. And everyone deserves to hear the truth."