AP Language & Composition
Ross/Grice
Satire Assignment to accompany Benjamin Franklin’s “The Speech of Polly Baker”
Benjamin Franklin’s “The Speech of Polly Baker” uses satire to examine the negative way the law treated
women. Specifically, the piece calls attention to the unfairness of the law which punished mothers, but not
fathers, for having children out of wedlock.
Satire is the literary art of diminishing or derogating a subject by making it ridiculous and evoking toward
it attitudes of amusement, contempt, scorn or indignation. It differs from the comic in that comedy evokes
laughter mainly as an end in itself, while satire derides; that is, it uses laughter as a weapon against
something outside the work itself. That “something” may be an individual, a type of person, a class, an
institution, a nation, or event the whole human race. Satire is used to call attention to dangerous living
conditions, hypocritical public figures and business leaders’ illegal actions.
Satire involves elements of both parody (imitation) and caricature (exaggeration), but it is usually more
complex than either of them. Because it relies on exaggeration and distortion, satire often has a humorous
effect. However, while satire intends to be humorous, its ultimate goal is usually a serious one. A good
satire makes its audience laugh and causes them to reconsider an issue.
You are probably more familiar with satire than you might think. T.V. shows like The Simpsons, South
Park, Stephen Colbert’s Colbert Report, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart use satire to expose the
ridiculousness of certain elements of society. The Onion, an online satirical “newspaper” also relies on
satire. Even movies like Austin Powers and Scream are satirical.
Assignment
You will be writing a 2-4 page satirical essay. The first thing that you need to do is to pick an idea or
custom in American society that you find problematic. For instance, you could pick…
 The obsession of some Americans with their appearance
 The casting of blame on parents, schools, or the media for teenage violence or ignorance
 Those who make heroes out of or attack celebrities
 Those who file “frivolous” lawsuits
 Those who don’t care about the environment or those who care about the environment more than
people
 The evils of Twitter, Instagrams, or Facebook
These are just a few out of many possible examples.
Next, you’ll need to decide from what viewpoint you will write your essay. Benjamin Franklin adopted the
persona of Polly Baker; you’ll need to create your own persona and think about how that “character” would
feel about the issue you’ve chosen to satirize.
Finally, you’ll write your essay from the point of view you’ve selected. Reread “The Speech of Polly
Baker.” How would you describe Polly’s tone? Which words or phrases seem particularly important in
creating that tone? How would the speech be different if, say, Franklin himself were speaking? What does
assuming a new identity allow him to do?
Reminders
Please type your essay in 12pt., TNR font – none of this Courier New business.
No funky margins; use 1-inch margins.
Use the proper heading.
Due date
Your essay is due ______________________________.
Name: ________________________________ Date: __________________ Period: ______
Outlining your Satire
(Due:_________________________)
1. Who or what is the target of your satire?
2. What is it about your subject that you would like people to reconsider?
3. Who is your audience? What do they think?
4. What kinds of things might you be able to parody or caricature to mock your subject?
English 11
Satirical Essay Rubric
CONTENT
 The essay clearly fulfills the requirements of the assignment.
o See the definition of satire on the assignment sheet.
 The essay maintains a specific focus and a clear sense of purpose.
 The essay establishes and maintains a point of view and tone.
 The essay includes ample supporting details.
 The essay features complexity and originality.
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ORGANIZATION
 The essay features a clear, specific thesis.
 The opening engages the reader.
 The conclusion is thoughtful and goes beyond a repetition of the main points.
 The essay is logically organized.
 Transitions between ideas are strong; the essay flows well.
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SENTENCE STRUCTURE AND STYLE
 Syntax is clear and varied.
 The writer avoids unnecessary passive voice, expletive constructions
(It is, There are).
 The writer uses verb tense appropriately.
 The writer avoids wordiness. (Try reducing the number of prepositional
phrases. Avoid, too, strings of phrases and clauses that muddle meaning.)
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DICTION
 The writer chooses words that are denotatively and connotatively correct.
 The writer avoids clichés and colloquialisms.
 The writer uses clear, precise, mature diction. (NO very, a lot, things! Seriously
Do not use these wimpy words.)
 The writer uses the appropriate level of formality.
o For this particular assignment, a certain level of informality
is acceptable. This does NOT give you permission
to use bad grammar or inappropriate language.
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GRAMMAR/ MECHANICS
 Editing failure: Any essay that contains, in any combination, four of the Big 6 errors listed below
will receive an editing failure.
FR fragment
RO run-on
CS comma splice
AGR pronoun or subject-verb agreement error
AP apostrophe error
SP spelling error

If the essay contains fewer than four editing errors, I will assign a 5 for 0-2 grammar/ mechanics
errors (including editing errors), a 4 for 3 errors, a 3 for 4-5 errors, a 2 for 6-7 errors, and a 1 for
8+ errors.
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Subtotal: ______ x 4 = _______ Final