sat·ire
noun
1.the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.
Now put that into your own words.
Satire is the use of humor to prove a point and to create change.
Horatian satire:
- Show ignorance of people
- Does so light-heartedly
Horatian satire is: tolerant, witty, wise and self-effacing
Juvenalian satire is: angry, caustic, resentful, personal
Juvenalian satire:
- Mocks societal structure
- Dark and critical
So if I see a parody, does that mean that it is satire?
Reversal-Out of the normal order
oxymoron
metaphor
irony
You see it every day without realizing it!
Anachronism: is placing an idea, invention, item or word in the wrong time period. Not always satirical.
Travesty: presents a serious (often religious) subject frivolously; it reduces everything to its lowest level.
What point is the author trying to make? How? Why does it work?
No! Just because an element of satire is used, does not make it satire. It still has to use humor in order to make a point about society and to call for change.
Why isn't this satire?
What exactly is satire?
Here are some tips for identifying satire.
Exaggeration
Does the author imitate the style or appearance of a famous person or thing? (2:30-3:41)
Caricature-exaggeration of a physical feature or trait.
Stand up and go
across the room. Use
exaggeration to describe to someone how your morning is going. Speak with 2 more people in the same way.
What did you learn?
If you combine it with some incongruity, then you might just have a satirical statement.
Reversal
Are the claims exaggerated? Exaggeration can be used both topically (see above) and verbally.
What are some exaggerated words that you could use to describe something you like
a little bit?
Does the author reverse the order that things usually appear in (think order of steps or hierarchy)? This is known as reversal.
Incongruity: When something is not in harmony or out of place.
This is known as parody.
Pretend you are at an expensive restaurant. What topics of conversation would be out of place?
What about sarcasm?
The difference between satire and sarcasm is the difference between surgery and butchery. — Edward Nichols
Sarcasm is a form of verbal irony. Who remembers what that is?
Verbal irony is saying one thing and meaning another. Sarcasm is using verbal irony with a malicious intent. Sarcasm has no place in satire, verbal irony does.
One Last Thing
Satirists often assume the personality and viewpoint opposite their own. They then present the viewpoint of that persona in a ridiculous manner. We will see this a lot when we read "The Onion."
http://www.hulu.com/watch/536145
Passages From Huck Finn