Mariam Dogar
Humanities
12/17/2014
Satire: Artful Diatribes for Quixotic Thinkers
Contriving satire seems like a noble endeavor; it can be utilized to offer a constructive
criticism of surroundings or even to compel society into ridding itself of certain foibles. Satire
can be artfully employed to expound social, political, and religious issues close to the author’s
heart. Therefore, the context of the satirical piece generally pertains to the author’s environment:
the milieu in which he or she spots imperfection. However, the degree to which the tone of the
satire escalates is dependent on whether the piece is Horatian or Juvenalian. The voice in
quintessential Horatian satire is amused and witty, gently ridiculing the absurdities and idiocies
of mankind, often through self-deprecation. Contrastingly, the typical speaker in Juvenalian
satire disdainfully and indignantly harangues vice and delinquency in society, individuals, and
organizations. These types of satire are employed respectively in My Slave is Free to Speak His
Mind by Horace and Satire III by Juvenal in order to critique Roman society and offer a
polarized opinion of critical problems of the epoch. A similar overarching purpose is recognized
in The Onion’s “Man Always Wanted to Raise Family in Kind of Place Where White People
Great Each Other on The Street” because the article, which utilizes both Horatian and Juvenalian
tactics, recapitulates how dysfunctional mankind and the environment that it builds tend to be.
In the Onion article, ubiquitous verbal irony and succinct style reminiscent of Horatian
satire are used to mock social beliefs, specifically hypocritical hierarchy. In My Slave is Free to
Speak His Mind by Horace, the title itself is a juxtaposition because it refers to one who normally
bends at another’s will as one who has some liberty. Likewise, the title of the Onion article,
“Man Always Wanted to Raise Family in Kind of Place Where White People Greet Each Other
on the Street,” is also verbally ironic. The protagonist, Jensen, portrays his ideal environment as
one with prominent racial segregation. He says that a neighborhood of white supremacy, where
“white residents wave at all the white people who pass by and his kids play in the yard with their
white friends,” has “been his dream for as long as he can remember.” This initial wistful feeling,
which adds gravity and importance to the words following it, is also present in the Horatian
piece, when Davus says that he has “a long while been attending [to his master] and would fain
speak a few words.” Additionally, the general styles of both pieces are intrinsically similar; they
achieve what they set out to accomplish in a minimum of two pages. This concise style cuts
straight to the issue at hand, therefore captivating the reader’s attention. Furthermore, both the
Onion article and the Horatian piece mock their intended social types in a somewhat genial and
understated manner rather than of being blatantly offensive or resorting to the usage of
invectives. Horace utilizes the character of Davus, who, in a brief moment of temerity, ridicules
the system of slavery and his obstinate, pugnacious, and indolent master. Much of what the piece
hopes to imply about the injustice of slavery is achieved through subtle situational irony, such as
the character of Davus being more noble, intellectual, and authoritative than his master.
Similarly, the Onion article mocks extreme racial prejudice in the simple, conversational tone of
the naïve character of Jensen. Both pieces point out evident idiocy in rationales of society;
however, they are not necessarily inflammatory and are more palatable to a wider audience.
While Juvenal takes a more incendiary approach to activating societal change in Satire
III, certain aspects of his satire are still very evident in the Onion article. His diatribe paints a
picture of a lurid Rome vitiated with fraud, adultery, filth, theft, and transgression. Furthermore,
he blames this corruption on the “sewerage” of “lingo and manners,” “outlandish harps with their
transverse strings,” and “the whores” from Greece and Syria, implying that if Rome expelled
these social-climbing foreigners, it would be pure. Likewise, in the Onion article, it is indicated
that if a certain race was not present, tainted feelings of danger and insecurity in society would
be eradicated. For instance, Jensen wants “his family to enjoy a peaceful life in which white
people don’t bother locking their front doors and every white man, white woman, and white
child goes to sleep at night feeling safe and secure.” In his quixotic, solely white neighborhood,
crime and artifice do not exist. Similarly, Juvenal describes a utopia from the chicanery and
felony in Rome. He laments, “squalor and isolation are minor evils compared to this endless
nightmare of fires and collapsing houses [and] the cruel city’s myriad perils.” Offering an
alternative to Rome only enhances his overall critique of it and assists in achieving the work’s
main purpose: to call attention to a dysfunctional environment. Tangential references throughout
the six page long work, including a plethora of geographical remarks, suggest that the intended
reader of Satire III was a highly educated member of the Roman elite, probably an adult male of
a more conservative social stance. Therefore, the manner in which this satire tapers to specific
individuals, its verbose style, and its condescending tones differentiate it from Horatian satire.
The purpose of the Onion article, which is to identify a preeminent issue in modern
society, is concomitant with both Juvenalian and Horatian satires. In the Onion article, the
chosen targets of the satire include racial prejudice and its bigotry, where Jensen is the
embodiment of a small-minded xenophobic. He does not obtrusively advocate eschewing nonwhites; however, it is indirectly promoted by the illustration of his idealistic environment, an
“area where white children can ride their bikes to school, white parents exchange the latest news
at youth hockey games, and each year, the town’s whites gather to watch the local production of
A Christmas Carol.” Jensen’s resentment of a non-white society is further demonstrated by
statements declaring a certain disconnection he feels with his environment. For example, he
states that “during his time living in the city he’s never really felt like part of a close-knit white
community.” This situational dissatisfaction is identifiable in both Horatian and Juvenalian work.
The character of Jensen is framed to provide the most effective outlet from which the satire in
the article comes from, similarly to how the main characters in Horace’s and Juvenal’s works
were both very opinionated and articulate individuals. For instance, Jensen remarks that “the
older [he] get[s], the more [he] long[s] for that ideal town,” allowing the reader to infer that he is
an old, white male. This makes it easier to understand his disposition; the older race is generally
thought of as being more racist. Additionally, he generates stereotypical comments that give him
an air of being a defeated elitist, such as: “Sadly, there just aren’t a lot of places like that in this
country anymore.” This lamentation mirrors Juvenal’s contempt with his society, but the mild
manner in which it is said is more reminiscent of Horace’s remarks. In this regard, the brief
Onion article is relatively laconic; it emphasizes only what is essential and necessary to prove the
author’s point.
Techniques attributable to both Horatian and Juvenalian satire are evident in the Onion’s
“Man Always Wanted to Raise Family in Kind of Place Where White People Great Each Other
on The Street,” enhancing the poignancy of the author’s criticism of the society and atmosphere
that he or she is in. While Juvenal delivers a shameless, impudent rant on Rome, Horace recounts
the unconcealed truth that an audacious slave speaks. Furthermore, in the Onion article, racial
prejudice is ridiculously palpable through the mind of an obvious bigot. These works utilize
similar components to achieve the common goal of exposing the flaws of society; however, it is
apparent that they have distinct final effects on their intended audiences. For any change in
society to occur, a literate audience is extremely necessary, for the author’s intended point can
only come to fruition if the audience comprehends the thoughts behind the satire.