Satire and Irony

1. Satire and Irony Satire/irony expresses the world as the writer thinks it is. The central metaphors are struggle/death and winter. The discovery that there is a difference between the ideal (romance) and the real world of experience produces two different reactions:

2. Satire / Irony Reactions The satirist reacts to the world with resentment and tries to reform it through humor. He/she attacks and ridicules folly The ironist reacts to the reality with resignation since an ideal, ordered world is impossible

3. Satire • Attack of established social institutions (business, government) • Ridiculous situations, objects, details, behaviors • An ordinary life shifted slightly askew • The jester, fool, or trickster • Parody of romance characteristics or elements

4. Satire Setting • Stories are set in a complicated, unclear world in which rules do not make sense. • Common images are: confused situations, crowded or uncontrolled world, absurdity, alienation Examples: Alice in Wonderland, Monty Python’s Holy Grail, Saturday Night Live.

5. Satire Characters • The hero is one of three types: The parody of the romantic hero is one who is supposed to be heroic, but is really cowardly: Woody Allen, Jim Carey, Peter Sellers, and Homer Simpson. The rogue bends the rules of society and points out their ridiculousness. He/she focuses the elements of society: government, military, businesses. Examples: Eddie Murphy, Bart Simpson, David Letterman The intellectual satirist tries to open the minds of others to societal problems through witty argument. Examples: Lisa Simpson, Mark Twain

6. Satire Characters cont. • The villain is a character, a collection of characters, or an institution representing society’s rules and regulations. Examples: Big Brother, military, big businesses.

7. Satire Plot • The stories do not follow a standard plot line and often parody romance. There are three types of satire:

8. Satire Plot cont. • Light satire criticizes human weakness and identifies it so that people can laugh at themselves. Examples: Dave Barry, Erma Bombeck. • Serious Satire criticizes established rules, social institutions, classes or groups. Examples: SNL • Bitter Satire presents the most sarcastic humor and criticism. It contains a very strong message coupled with humor. Examples: Chris Rock, “A Modest Proposal,” “Doonesbury”

9. Satire Themes • The world is full of folly ad injustice, but it can be made better. • People should maintain balance and not get too involved. • Laugh at the folly around you

10. Irony Setting • Stories are often realistic and set in a world of experience with life’s true problems. • Common images are: totally helpless situations, limited or restricted world (past or future), loss of personal identity and worth. Examples: prisons, insane asylums.

11. Irony Characters • Most characters are weak, flat individuals who are trapped by life itself. • The rogue continues to struggle against society’s institutions. • The villainous, self-centered anti-hero emerges in the ironic world of reality. He/she may be capable of great evil and see the hypocrisy of society. Examples: McMurphy, 1984, Scrooge

12. Irony Plot • The plot attempts to show life with all its complications. Examples: Apocalypse Now, 1984, Long Day’s Journey into Night

13. Irony Themes • The noble hero is long gone • A ‘higher force’ is the cause of change • Theories, generalizations, rules, and regulations are more important than human beings and individuality • The law is more important than the spirit of the law • There are no exceptions • To survive, a person needs to become a rogue and outwit society by using its hypocrisy against itself • Love conquers nothing