Satire
Vocabulary to Analyze
HUMOR
 Exaggeration- an overstatement
 Understatement-opposite of exaggeration; using a
statement, often in the negative, to create comedic
effect.
 Farce-form of low comedy designed to provoke
laughter through highly exaggerated caricatures of
people in improbable or silly situations.
 Irony-saying/doing one thing while meaning another.
When the opposite of what is expected to happen
occurs
 Mockery: An absurd misrepresentation or imitation
of something.
Analyzing humor
 Watch the following clip and identify the elements of
comedy you see in it.
Is it
satire
?
Page 4 of your packet
Summarize
Judge
Analyze
Swift’s Satire
 “A Modest Proposal”
 Satirical Essay that mocks the essay genre by…





Using Irony—”Eat the Babies” (we should stop treating others
like they are less than human)
Using Farce—”Kid Skin Gloves” (lol; punny)
Using exaggeration—helping the economy recover by
reducing the population and increasing exports (no quick fix
to the economy)
Using understatement--"some scrupulous People might be apt
to censure such a Practice (although indeed very unjustly) as a
little bordering upon Cruelty.“ (a little???)
Using Mockery—Mocking the Irish for not fighting injustice
and the English for treating people so badly
“A Modest Proposal”
is satire because it
inspires people to reevaluate their society
and is funny
because…
Satire uses Exaggeration, Mockery, Farce, Irony,
and Understatement to be humorous but also to
inspire change.
Talladega Nights
mocks the NASCAR
world and is funny. Is
it satire?
Jonathan Swift’s Cultural Mockery
Review Historical Background
What conflicts exist in English
society during the 18th century?
What institution mainly fuels
these conflicts?
Religious conflict
 Prior to 1520 all of Europe was Roman Catholic (with
very few exceptions)
 1517: Lutheranism: Martin Luther & his 95 Thesis—
meant to reform the Catholic church but was
excommunicated from the church and others began to
embrace his ideas
 1529: Calvinism: John Calvin converts to Lutheranism
and added some of his own ideas to the reformation
Anglicanism in England
 1533: King Henry VIII separated from the RCC b/c of
his divorce with his current wife so he could marry (the
already pregnant?) Anne Boleyn
 Church of England formed and even embraced some
ideas from Lutheranism
Persecution & Conflict
 CATHOLICS
 Old School Religion
 PROTESTANTS
 New Kid on the Block
Gulliver’s Travels: Plot outline
 The “true” account of Lemuel Gulliver’s adventures
after being lost at sea and returning home about 9
years later to a wife, who is moving on, and a son he’s
never met.
 Are his adventures real?
 Are his adventures manifestations of lunacy?
Land of the Little People
Basic Characters
 Gulliver - narrator and protagonist; Surgeon
 Contradiction vivid and detailed narration = intelligent
and well educated BUT perceptions are naïve and
gullible.
 The Lilliputians- The 6 inch tall inhabitants of
Lilliput
 “Big Enders” and “Little Enders”
 The emperor - The ruler of Lilliput.
 Satire of autocratic rule and oddly somber picture of
political power
Swift’s Satire
 Political commentary using
 Exaggeration- an overstatement
 Understatement-opposite of exaggeration; using a statement,
often in the negative, to create comedic effect.
 Farce-form of low comedy designed to provoke laughter through
highly exaggerated caricatures of people in improbable or silly
situations.
 Irony-saying/doing one thing while meaning another. When the
opposite of what is expected to happen occurs
 Mockery: An absurd misrepresentation or imitation of something.
While viewing, every time you see an example of these tools being used, jot it
down…you should be able to come up with one example of each!
Land of the Little People: VIEWING (46 minutes)
Lilliputians
Persecution and Conflict
 “Big Endians”
 Old school breaking
eggs
 Exiles from
Lilliput=exiles from
England to France
 “Small Endians”
 New school breaking
eggs
 Current residents=
Residents in England
How is this a farce?
Farce-form of low comedy designed to provoke laughter
through highly exaggerated caricatures of people in
improbable or silly situations.
What is the purpose of this statement?
Can he truly make a difference?
Anglicanism in England
 1533: King Henry VIII separated from the RCC b/c of
his divorce with his current wife so he could marry (the
already pregnant?) Anne Boleyn
 Church of England formed and even embraced some
ideas from Lutheranism
Swift’s Satire
 Political commentary using
 Exaggeration Understatement Farce Irony Mockery:
Historical Connections
 Humpty Dumpty—literally fell off the wall. How can this
figuratively apply? What did Humpty Dumpty stand for?
 Humpty Dumpty was a cannon that was destroyed during the
English civil war—literally fell off the wall.
 Other religious conflicts: Jews vs. Christians; Jews vs. Muslims;






Christians vs. Atheists
Republicans vs. Democrats
The Great Schism (religious split) of the 17th Century
Americans’ prejudice vs. Iraqi people
Native Americans disbelief in Europeans—insisting they were
Gods
War today—people fighting and dying and fighting over why we
are fighting
Tea party movements—protest laws
Media Connections
 Night at the Museum (Romans vs. Cowboys and the





Night watchman)
The Lion King (Scar is exiled and goes to war against
the mainland)
Where the Wild Things Are (the boy with the wild
things)
Avatar(Use of resources and main character refusing to
blow up others)
Man vs. Wild (Surviving in unknown territories)
Da Vinci Code (Secrets to promote a change in
viewpoint)
Book Connections
 Macbeth (greed and power; using others to take over)
 Bible (Moses turning the Nile into blood freaked out
the Egyptians)
Important ideas we can extract
 Dangers of Racism and Discrimination
 Importance of Size
 Abuse of Power
 Dangers of Greed
 Dangers of Judging Others
 Honor can Quickly fade to Judgment
Land of the “Little People” lesson results in disappointment
in humankind; belittling our disputes; if Brobdingnag is
“Big People” what lessons might result?
Symbolism?
Exaggeration?
Labeling?
Analogy?
Irony?
Government controlling the
“giant”
Land of the Giants
Characters
 The farmer - Gulliver’s first master in Brobdingnag.
An average Brobdingnagian only ruling by size.
 Speaks to Gulliver as an equally rational creature.
 Puts Gulliver on display: Cha-Ching!
 Nearly starve Gulliver by accident
 Glumdalclitch - The farmer’s nine-year-old
daughter, who is forty feet tall.
 Befriends Gulliver and teaches him the language
 Takes care of him like a doll or a pet—symbolizing
Gulliver’s status here.
Characters part II
 The queen - The queen of Brobdingnag buys Gulliver
for 1,000 pieces of gold.
 Considerate: asks Gulliver to live at the palace and
inquiring over his health
 Not a hero, but a pleasant, powerful person.
 The king - The king of Brobdingnag: intellectual,
well versed in political science among others.
 Serious discussions about the history and institutions of
Gulliver’s home.
 figure of rational thought
Swift’s Satire
 Political commentary using
 Exaggeration- an overstatement
 Understatement-opposite of exaggeration; using a statement,
often in the negative, to create comedic effect.
 Farce-form of low comedy designed to provoke laughter through
highly exaggerated caricatures of people in improbable or silly
situations.
 Irony-saying/doing one thing while meaning another. When the
opposite of what is expected to happen occurs
 Mockery: An absurd misrepresentation or imitation of something.
While viewing, every time you see an example of these tools being used, jot it
down…you should be able to come up with one example of each!
Land of the Giants (Viewing 40 minutes)
Lilliputians vs. Brobdingagians
 Itty Bitty
 Execute people for fun
 Cruel masters
 Dominating
 Petty
 Ridiculous
 SMALL!!!!
 Swift’s satire: Small
stature=small mindedness=
Gulliver “bigger person”
 Predict:
 If Brobdingnag is “Big
People” what lessons might
result?
Quote—Brobdingnagians
 “But, by what I have gathered from your own relation,
and the answers I have with much pains wringed and
extorted from you, I cannot but conclude the bulk of
your natives to be the most pernicious races of little
odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon
the surface of the earth”
Reply—Gulliver
 “Nothing but an extreme love of truth could have
hindered me from concealing this part of my story. It
was in vain to discover my resentments, which were
always turned into ridicule; and I was forced to rest
with patience while my noble and most beloved
country was so injuriously treated.”
To teach the Brobdingnagians a “valuable” scientific invention!
“He would rather lose half his kingdom than be privy to such a
secret, which he commanded me, as I valued my life, never to
mention any more.”
Swift’s meaning
 Humans are AWFUL!
 Misanthropy?
 Why use the Brobdingnagians to say this and have
Gulliver resist?
 Softens the blow of the true message
Swift’s Satire
 Political commentary using
 Exaggeration Understatement Farce Irony Mockery:
Satirical elements
 Relates to England
 Whigs
 Tories
 “the scourge of France”
 Relates to humanity
 Trade
 Wars by sea and land
 Religious schisms
 Political parties
 Houses
 Cities
 Vanity
 Emotions
 Shortcomings (fight,
cheat, betray)
Napoleon I as Gulliver
George III as King of
Brobdingnag
What’s a more modern
example you could come
up with? Sketch it in your
notes.
Connections?
Important ideas we can extract
 Dangers Desensitizing Ourselves to violence
 Dangers of Scientific Discovery
 Importance of Examining our Activities and Vices
Jonathan Swift
The
importance
of
differences
 What is the most important physical difference between
the Lilliputians and the Brobdingnagians?
 Lilliputians are tiny
 Brobdingnagians are enormous
 How does this physical difference suggest other important
ways in which they differ?
 Lilliputians are small in character (taking over; warring;
enslaving; backstabbing etc.)
 Brobdingnagians are greater in character (value human and
“insect” life on a deeper level than he does himself)
 How do the Lilliputians and the Brobdingnagians each
represent a different way of viewing humanity?
 Gulliver >Lilliputians & distances himself from their follies
 Gulliver < Brobdingnag b/c he identifies and defends similar
follies
According to Swift…
 What is basically wrong with the world and its
inhabitants?
 How do you feel about his stance on morality?
Free write
 Name and DESCRIBE one scientific invention (besides
the atom bomb or gunpowder) that has changed to
course of humanity. Explain how it has changed
humanity and judge whether it has changed humanity
for the better or worse.
When you are done with your quiz
you need to…
 Turn quiz in (no Vocabulary next week because
you have a test next Friday)
 Turn to page 13 in your packet and read the letter
to Alexander Pope from Jonathan Swift.
 Answer the question that follows the passage.
Misanthropy:
Hatred or distrust of humankind
Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions
 1492. As children we were taught to memorize this year
with pride and joy as the year people began living full
and imaginative lives on the continent of North
America. Actually, people had been living full and
imaginative lives on the continent of North America
for hundreds of years before that. 1492 was simply the
year sea pirates began to rob, cheat, and kill them.
Vonnegut presents a different perspective of a common event:
what is it? Why do you think school children are taught to respect
the date? Is it right to teach this to children? What can you
conclude about Vonnegut and his writing based on this quote?
Would he and Swift be friends? Explain.
“Harrison Bergeron”
Kurt Vonnegut
A warning about the FUTURE
Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007)
 A blend of comedy, satire, science fiction and politics.
 Humanist
“Harrison Bergeron”
 First published in 1961 in the Magazine of Fantasy and
Science Fiction.
 SATIRE



Enforced Equality
Political abuse of power (Handicapper General)
Enervating effects of TV
Finally Equal
 Capitalism gone
 American democracy gone
 Consider the fact that this short story was published in
1961
 What does the elimination of advantages, difference,
and competition suggest concerning the nature of the
changes that have taken place?
 Is this possible in America? Should it be?
 Barbie dolls—original vs. now?
 Sports—every one gets a chance; medals to all; not
keeping score
Vonnegut’s Satire
 Political commentary using
 Exaggeration- an overstatement
 Understatement-opposite of exaggeration; using a statement,
often in the negative, to create comedic effect.
 Farce-form of low comedy designed to provoke laughter through
highly exaggerated caricatures of people in improbable or silly
situations.
 Irony-saying/doing one thing while meaning another. When the
opposite of what is expected to happen occurs
 Mockery: An absurd misrepresentation or imitation of something.
While reading, every time you see an example of these tools being used, jot it
down…you may or may not find all of them, but you should find several
examples for a few.
SATIRE

Enforced Equality



“Handicaps”
 Ear radios (intelligence)
 Bags of
bird
shot (strength)
Neil
Postman:
Amusing Ourselves to Death
 Masks
(physical
beauty)of electronic techniques called
“this
ensemble
Political into
abuse
of power
being
a new world– a peek-a-boo world,
 Handicapper
whereGeneral
now this event, no that, pops into view
 “Do or Die”
for a moment, then vanishes again. It is a
 Exempt from law?
world without much coherence or sense […]
Enervating
of TV
likeeffects
the child’s
game of peek-a-boo entirely self
 Hazel: how did she become “normal”; she has some reasoning skills,
contained.
But like
peek-a-boo,
also
but only
thinks in short
bursts—does
TV itdoisthis
to us?
endlessly entertaining” (77).
 George: acceptance of the “normal”; no rebellion; desensitized to
violence and ignorant to truth—can TV do this?
What we can extract
 Importance freedom, civil rights, and even social
status
 Strong vs. Weak—mental, physical, emotional etc.
 Dangers of dystopian (degraded, oppressive state)
society
 The more the government controls the less the public
knows and the more ignorant they become
 Ignorance should not be bliss, though Hazel seems to
embody this cliché
 Failure to appreciate uniqueness could lead to this kind
of apathy
Complete analysis handout with
your partner
10 minutes