PART I I

Reminders about Satire and Parody

TONE

Satire can be humorous or serious and is aimed at a specific person or situation whereas a parody is aimed at a person or situation, but more humorous or tongue in cheek.

AIMS/PURPOSE

Satire unlike parody isn’t merely to make fun or light of a situation or person. Its aims are one of three:To create awareness of a problemTo warn against a situation or problemTo promote reform/call for reform of a

situationNote: The goal of satire is not merely to abuse, but rather to trigger change or reform.

ELEMENTS OF SATIRE OR PARODY (SPOOF/SEND UP)

FOUR ELEMENTS In BOTH SATIRE AND PARODY1. Purpose- Make fun or light of a situation (Parody) Call for reform (Satire) To warn (Satire) To raise awareness (Satire)2. Target- Specific person or situation3. Tone- Specific attitude of the author4. Audience- Set group of people towards whom the text

Characteristics/Techniques of Satire

Satire isn’t just poking fun at people. A satirist has a whole range of tools at her/his disposal to make her/his point. Listed below are some of the techniques that a satirist employs.

Allusion a reference, either direct or indirect, to something in literature or history – Bible, Shakespeare, myths. Example: The President was a modern King Lear, uncomprehending of his fate and his responsibility. Or saying The President is a modern Julius Caesar, needing

to safeguard being stabbed in the back by one of his political colleagues or other political figures or candidates if he’s not careful. 

Continued: Techniques of Satire

 

Black humor a form of humor that regards human suffering as absurd rather than pitiable—often to a disturbing effect. Example: dead baby jokes, Helen Keller jokes.

Caricature exaggeration which is achieved by distorting parts or characteristics; a graphic parody. Example: political cartoons.

Dramatic irony when the audience knows more than at least one character in a piece of literature. (Romeo not knowing that Juliet was alive.)

  Euphemism the substitution of a bland, inoffensive word or phrase for one which is

considered offensive or unpleasant. Example: “passed away” instead of “died” or “collateral damage” for the number of deaths or casualties.

  Exaggeration enlargement beyond the bounds of truth; overstatement. Example:

There were a million people waiting in line.  

  

Continuation of Techniques of Satire

Hyperbole intended overstatement or exaggeration, used for effect. Example: Ms. Stef nearly dropped dead when _____ turned in his homework on time. My parents are going to kill me if I don’t get an A in English. Or Alex knocked the socks off of the English teachers with his satire on the life of a teenager.

Reversal a dramatic change in outcome from what we expect (similar to situational irony)

Sarcasm verbal irony that is often cutting and intended to give pain to the person addressed. Example: Nice perfume. Did you take a bath in it. Or Your mama’s so fat that when she sits around the house, she sits AROUND the house!

  Send-up an entertaining or humorous parody or take-off   Tone the writer or speaker’s attitude toward the subject; emotional coloring of a work  

Continuation of Techniques of Satire

Spoof a mocking imitation of a person or institution, usually light and good-humored; parody. Example: Weird Al’s “Amish Paradise”, “Like a Surgeon”, etc. (We also had the cartoon depiction of Queen Elizabeth with the electronic device from Obama).

  Understatement a statement that is restrained, in ironic contrast to what could have been said. Example: When the streets of Caracas have been flooded, someone might comment to someone from elsewhere, we are having a bit or rain or bad weather.  Another example might be when someone has been in a car accident, he might refer to the damage as a “scratch” or a “dent” to describe the damage.

(From our reading: Holden Caulfield tells the mother that he has to have an operation, but it’s nothing serious, just a brain tumor.)