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 Pythons
  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
  societys 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 lifes 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 societys
  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 Days 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