What do you really mean?

Satire, Irony and Social Commentary

Key Terms

• Satire

• Irony

• Sarcasm

• Hyperbole

• Understatement

• Parody

Satire

• A form of literature that uses irony, sarcasm, parody, hyperbole and other methods of ridicule and humor to criticize human institutions and human folly

• The purpose of satire is usually reform

• The satirist wants not to destroy but to repair or improve humanity or human institutions

Irony

A figure of speech in which the actual intent is expressed in words that carry the opposite

meaning

Three Types of Irony

• Verbal – when what is said is the opposite of what is meant

• Situational – when the appearance of things is opposite to the reality

• Dramatic – when what a character says or thinks is not what the reader, audience or other characters know to be true

Verbal Irony

Your boyfriend shows up in ripped up jeans and a stained t-shirt. With a smirk, you say, "Oh! I see you dressed up for our date. We must be going to a posh restaurant."

      

Situational Irony

Once upon a time, there was a girl who went into the woods. She entered a funny little house, and she was kinda hungry so she ate a bowl of porridge that was sitting on the table. Unfortunately for her, it was poisoned and she died.

Because most people are familiar with the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, this ending comes as a bit of a surprise. This is situational irony.

Dramatic Irony

When watching a talk show, the audience knows why a person has been brought on the show. However, the person sitting in a chair does not know that he is going to be reunited with a former lover. This adds to the suspense and humor of the show.

                             

Dramatic Irony

Have you ever seen a horror movie that has a killer on the loose? You, and the rest of the audience, know that the teenagers should not go walking in the woods late at night, but they think a midnight stroll would be romantic. Needless to say, the teens become the next victims.

Sarcasm

• A bitter or cutting speech, intended to wound a person’s feelings. It comes from a Greek word meaning to tear flesh

• Sarcasm is an example of verbal irony (although verbal irony does not have to be sarcastic)

Sarcasm

Mother comes into the TV room and discovers her 11-year-old watching South Park instead of doing his homework, as he was set to a dozen minutes ago.  Pointing to the screen she says, "Don't let me tempt you from your duties, kiddo, but when you're finished with your serious studies there, maybe we could take some time out for recreation and do a little math."

Hyperbole (Overstatement)

A figure of speech that employs exaggeration in order to make the actual meaning of the

moment clearer

Hyperbole (Overstatement)

Someone tells us of an occasion on which he told an off-color joke about a grandmother and then realized to his surprise that his own grandmother, a prim and proper lady, happened to be standing right behind him.  "I literally died," he says.

Understatement

A figure of speech in which what is actually meant is expressed by lessening or negating

the full significance of the moment

UnderstatementWe visit our friend in the hospital.  We know from his wife that the prognosis is bad, and also that our friend has been informed of his condition.  When we enter, we ask him how he's feeling.  "Well," he says, "I have been better.“

"She's not a bad cook."  ==> 

She's quite a good cook.

"He's not the world's best speller."  ==> 

He's very poor at spelling.

Parody

An imitation of the style of an author or work for comic effect and ridicule

Original

Parody

Types of Satire

Horatian satire is playfully amusing. It seeks to correct vice with gentle laughter and understanding.

Juvenalian satire provokes a darker kind of laughter. It is often bitter or even angry, and criticizes corruption or incompetence with scorn and outrage.