Examples Of Satire Essay
To the Department of Public Safety, The amount of car accidents that happen each year continue to increase. This continues to happen because of the number of people who consistently drive distracted everyday. This is due to a surplus of reasons, however, many fall subject to driving distracted because they prioritize their cell phones more than what is happening on the road in front of them. I was involved in a car accident a year ago when I was struck in my drivers side door by another person. The events after are a blur, but I remember losing control of my car, traveling over the median that divided the directions of traffic, spinning around, and then rolling over to end up with the passenger side of my car on the ground. It was a miracle...show more content... He was sitting there, his car barely touched, on his phone. When asked if he saw me traveling on the road before he made his turn, he responded, "I did not see her. I am so sorry that this happened." Although I am not exactly sure why he did not see me, I can assure you that by the way that he acted afterwards, looking at his phone, he was distracted while he was waiting to leave. This year in my english class, we are learning about the different satirical techniques authors use to criticize specific issues that are found alarming. Our class analyzed a satirical paper, "A Modest Proposal", by Dr. Jonathan Swift, who writes about the poverty throughout Ireland and England, providing a exaggerated solution to clear the problem. We were given an assignment to write a satirical essay based on the same format as Swift's proposal. I can assure you that my prompt was not a difficult one to brainstorm. Many people are guilty of driving without their full attention on the road. In my essay, I concluded that a proper solution would be to completely get rid of all cell phones, and any technological devices installed in cars that lead to distracted driving. This would solve many problems such as, safer transportation, money saved and used elsewhere because the nation would not need contribute so much to economic and societal loss, and alertness on the
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Satire is a literary technique used 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. Often a satire uses fictional characters that represent real people, to depict and denounce their corruption. A few examples of satires would be The Canterbury Tales, Animal Farm, and Gulliver Travels. This would be considered juvenaliansatire because it is caustic and acerbic. Satire is usually aimed at ethical reform. Jonathan Swift: he took "delight in revolting ideas from which every other mind shrinks with digust". (12)Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposalfor Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Public" lays the ground work for the theme...show more content...
(11) those who can not afford to live by their own means are reduced to their retail value, and select selective breeders. The poem is a satire through irony, because this is one man's opinion how a nation became so loathsome and apathetic of their neighboring country Ireland. He is exaggerating his hate of the Irish, in an attempt to ridicule and mock the government of his time period; he uses words that dehumanizes them such as dame, apathetic to them in an attempt exaggerating mocking the government similar to World War Two, how the Nazi party considered and treated the Jewish Get more content
What is all around us? What is used every day? What makes some laugh? What is the answer to these questions? The answer is satire. Satire is a form of criticism that can be used in many ways and in many different situations. Sometimes satire is easy to spot, other times it may be incognito. Satire is commonly found in literary works, movies, cartoons, and even some news casts. The formal definition of satire is the use of humor to expose human follies. (Dictionary.com). Satire is mostly written because a certain issue bothered the author. Through satire, these issues are brought into the sight of others so that issues could possibly be improved. There are four techniques that are used to create a satire. There is exaggeration,...show more content...
In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, satire can be found in the actions of one character named Piggy. Piggy is the boy that is the nerd or intellectual of the group. Piggy represents the intellectuals that created that atomic bomb in WWII. Golding was strongly opposed to the atomic bomb hence the satire in his novel. The first example of satire is found in chapter two .The boys are trying to start a fire and they are all gathering wood except for Piggy. Instead of helping Piggy, ". . . just sat." (Golding 39) and watched everyone else do the work. This is an example of Horatian satire. Golding doesn't outright say that he is making fun of the intellects, it is subtle. The next piece of satire is in chapter eight. An assembly has been called and the decision of moving the fire onto the beach has been made. Piggy was the one who suggested this, and because he was so proud of himself, he helped fetch wood (118). Even though he helped, the wood was close at hand so he didn't have to exert himself too much. This is also an example of Horatian satire because Golding is implying that the intellects don't actually do that much work, they tend to just boss people around unless they want to do a good deed every once in awhile. The one technique that is used here in both examples is parody. Piggy is imitating the actions, or lack thereof, of the intellects who invented the atomic bomb. The next book that has satire in it is Harper Lee's To kill a
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Satire is a great tool used by many writers and actors since ancient times. The earliest example that we know about is a script from 2nd millennium BC in Ancient Egypt (Definition: Satire) and since then has evolved into a great part of our society. Satire is used to point out the faults of human vice in order for change and reform in either of two ways. There is a very bitter Juvenalian or a mild and light Horatian. In order to fully understand these forms of satire, method, purpose, and applications will be addressed.
The best ways to present satire is either through incongruity, parody, reversals, or exaggeration. When a writer presents incongruity, there are elements that are out of place, and they shouldn't be there. This not...show more content...
For this reason, satire offends very few people, but still inspires that important change. Whatever form satire takes is how this will be accomplished. If it is Juvenalian, it is done with indignation and harshness. This tone is somewhat dark and makes inspires change though a form of resentment. This is usually more successful than the other because anger causes action. The other form is Horatian, and is the amused and witty form of satire. It is presented as mockery, but never to insult or offend anyone. This is just to show the faults of something and make people realize why they are wrong. Both encourage change, and both are important.
Arguably, one of the most successful Juvenalian satires ever written is "A Modest Proposal" byJonathan Swift. Swift satirizes many things in the essay, with the most prevalent being the way that England treats Ireland. Many of the inhabitants living there were poverty stricken and starving to death. Swift then presents his plan to sell the children for food and that way they could earn a little bit of cash. He says, "I have been assured by a very knowing American ... that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food" (Jonathan Swift). This is a very strong incongruity because eating babies isn't something
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Satire reflects in different ways on our society today. While satire was all over back then today we mainly see it in political cartoons and on television. On television there are show such as the Colbert Report and John Oliver who relay "news reports" to viewers. They are poking fun at the news going in the world today. One of the biggest shows of Satire is SNL. Most recently they have had "Trump" on and have been making fun of presidential career thus far. In today's society the big butt and boobs are the goal for many up and coming stars. For television hosts this gives a chance for them to make parody's of them. For example, Ellen DeGeneres has dressed up as a fictional cousin of the Kardashians. In this costume she has the big hair, big
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