Unit 2:
Solving World Hunger
by Eating the Poor:
Arguing with Humor, Irony, and Satire
Arguing with humor and irony and satire is a
much more sophisticated skill than arguing
with factual evidence.
Arguing with humor and irony and satire is a
much more sophisticated skill than arguing
with factual evidence.
You have to consider more carefully:
Arguing with humor and irony and satire is a
much more sophisticated skill than arguing
with factual evidence.
You have to consider more carefully:
• the topic
Arguing with humor and irony and satire is a
much more sophisticated skill than arguing
with factual evidence.
You have to consider more carefully:
• the topic
• the audience
Arguing with humor and irony and satire is a
much more sophisticated skill than arguing
with factual evidence.
You have to consider more carefully:
• the topic
• the audience
• the balance of humor and support and
credibility
Arguing with humor and irony and satire is a
much more sophisticated skill than arguing
with factual evidence.
You have to consider more carefully:
• the topic
• the audience
• the balance of humor and support and
credibility
Arguing with humor and irony and satire is a
much more sophisticated skill than arguing
with factual evidence.
You have to consider more carefully:
• the topic
• the audience
• the balance of humor and support and
credibility
So what is the balance between . . .
•
•
•
•
•
using humor or irony or satire
being truthful and using facts
having an approachable voice
persuading the audience
stating a confident thesis
So what is the balance between . . .
•
•
•
•
•
using humor or irony or satire
being truthful and using facts
having an approachable voice
persuading the audience
stating a confident thesis
Aristotle gives us three modes of persuasion,
or what he called Artistic Proofs:
1. Ethos: ethical appeal, means to convince
an audience of the author’s credibility or
character.
Ethos can be developed by choosing language
that is appropriate for the audience and the
topic, making yourself sound fair or unbiased,
introducing your expertise, and using proper
grammar and syntax.
Aristotle gives us three modes of persuasion,
or what he called Artistic Proofs:
2. Pathos: emotional appeal, means to
persuade an audience by appealing to their
emotions.
Pathos can be developed by using meaningful
language, emotional tone, emotion evoking
examples, stories of emotional events, and
implied meanings.
Aristotle gives us three modes of persuasion,
or what he called Artistic Proofs:
3. Logos: appeal to logic, means to convince
an audience by use of logic or reason.
Logos can be developed by using advanced,
theoretical or abstract language, citing facts
(very important), using historical and literal
analogies, and by constructing logical
arguments.
Reading #1:
“Me Talk Pretty One Day, ” David
Sedaris
“Me Talk Pretty One Day” Questions for
Discussion:
(1) Compare / contrast the beginning and
the ending. Look at how the students
changed: how they spoke, how they
dressed, how they communicate. What
changed?
“Me Talk Pretty One Day” Questions for
Discussion:
(2) In paragraph 2, Sedaris describes
himself as feeling like “Pa Kettle trapped
backstage after a fashion show” (Sedaris
250). Most of us won’t understand that
allusion, but what can you infer about Pa
Kettle?
“Me Talk Pretty One Day” Questions for
Discussion:
“Me Talk Pretty One Day” Questions for
Discussion:
Pa Kettle
“Me Talk Pretty One Day” Questions for
Discussion:
Ma Kettle
Pa Kettle
“Me Talk Pretty One Day” Questions for
Discussion:
$4.99 on Amazon.com
“Me Talk Pretty One Day” Questions for
Discussion:
(2) Sedaris doesn’t understand a few of
words the teacher uses, but what can you
infer are the meanings of:
apzkiubjxow? (paragraph 4)
palicmkrexis? (paragraph 16)
kfdtinvfm? (paragraph 21)
“Me Talk Pretty One Day” Questions for
Discussion:
(3) Although he writes with humor, Sedaris
still raises interesting points:
•
•
•
•
•
Sedaris’ comment on gender in language
Competition in American v. European Schools
The power of words to both construct and destruct
The crippling effect of miscommunication
The objectivity and subjectivity of language
“Me Talk Pretty One Day” Questions for
Discussion:
(3) Although he writes with humor, Sedaris
still raises interesting points:
•
•
•
•
•
Sedaris’ comment on gender in language
Competition in American v. European Schools
The power of words to both construct and destruct
The crippling effect of miscommunication
The objectivity and subjectivity of language
“Me Talk Pretty One Day” Questions for
Discussion:
Objectivity and Subjectivity is slightly
different from connotation and denotation.
Sedaris shows how words like hate and
love are subjective. What about gender in
language? What about his words
intoxicating and deceptive in his thesis?
“Me Talk Pretty One Day” Questions for
Discussion:
(4) His thesis:
“Understanding doesn’t mean that you can
suddenly speak the language. It’s a small
step, nothing more, yet its rewards are
intoxicating and deceptive” (Sedaris 252253).
Reading #2:
“The Word Police,” Michiko Kakutani
“The Word Police” Questions for Discussion:
(1) Kakutani begins by dissecting what she
sees as the current state of affairs – well,
as current as the 1993 inauguration of
Pres. Bill Clinton.
a. How is she stating facts and establishing
her tone from the very beginning of the
article?
b. How does she connect the beginning of
the article to its ending?
“The Word Police” Questions for Discussion:
(2) Why is Political Correctness seen as a
liberal movement? Why wouldn’t it make
more sense to be a conservative
movement? And so, is “Americans’
puritanical zeal for reform and their
unwavering faith in the talismanic power of
words” liberal or conservative (para. 4)?
“The Word Police” Questions for Discussion:
(3) Kakutani employs a technique called
hedging, in which she leads the reader to
her point by not giving him/her a logical or
ethical alternative.
Let’s look at paragraph 5 for an example of
this.
“The Word Police” Questions for Discussion:
(4) Dissect the logic behind the arguments
posed in paragraphs 14-15.
Should we refer to members of the
wrestling team as he or she?
Should racist or sexist slurs be
prohibited or be limited to use by only
those who are affected?
“The Word Police” Questions for Discussion:
(5) Kakutani is arguing with irony:
“The point isn’t that the excesses of the
word police are comical. The point is that
their intolerance (in the name of tolerance)
has disturbing implications” (para. 18)
paragraphs 19-20 & 24-25
Reading #3:
“Salvation, ” Langston Hughes
“Salvation” Questions for Discussion:
(1) At the heart of the writing is the
struggle to resolve the conflict between
one’s self-perception and community
expectations (internal v. external).
“Salvation” Questions for Discussion:
(1) At the heart of the writing is the
struggle to resolve the conflict between
one’s self-perception and community
expectations (internal v. external).
• How can acceptance by a religious community be a
powerful rite of passage? Let’s talk bar/bat mitzvahs,
confirmation classes, baptisms, etc.
“Salvation” Questions for Discussion:
(1) At the heart of the writing is the
struggle to resolve the conflict between
one’s self-perception and community
expectations (internal v. external).
• How can acceptance by a religious community be a
powerful rite of passage? Let’s talk bar/bat mitzvahs,
confirmation classes, baptisms, etc.
• Why do many cultures choose the years between 12
– 16 for these coming of age rituals?
“Salvation” Questions for Discussion:
(1) At the heart of the writing is the
struggle to resolve the conflict between
one’s self-perception and community
expectations (internal v. external).
• How can acceptance by a religious community be a
powerful rite of passage? Let’s talk bar/bat mitzvahs,
confirmation classes, baptisms, etc.
• Why do many cultures choose the years between 12
– 16 for these coming of age rituals?
“Salvation” Questions for Discussion:
(2) Let’s look closer at the structure of the
writing:
(a) How do the opening two sentences introduce
the idea of deception? And who is deceived?
(b) How does the opening paragraph present two
dictions, one of a boy and one of a revival
meeting? Why are both important?
(c) Do you hear both dictions in the final
paragraph or does only one remain?
“Salvation” Questions for Discussion:
(2) Arguing with Irony:
How does the congregation’s pressure
toward piety work against the young
Hughes’s actual piety and belief?
“Salvation” Questions for Discussion:
(3) Modeling his style:
(a) Paragraph rhythm: Look at how the lengths of
paragraphs create a rhythm in paragraphs 4-5
and 11-12.
(b) Sentence rhythm: “all moans and shouts and
lonely cries and dire pictures of hell” (para. 3)
“Salvation” Questions for Discussion:
(3) Modeling his style:
(c) Word repetition: “And I kept waiting serenely
for Jesus, waiting, waiting – but he didn’t come. I
wanted to see him, but nothing happened to me.
Nothing! I wanted something to happen to me,
but nothing happened” (para. 7)
(d) Free indirect discourse: taking on the voice of
someone else by using exclamation marks but no
quotation marks. Look at para. 2.
Reading #4:
“A Modest Proposal,” Jonathan Swift
Reading #4:
“A Modest Proposal,” Jonathan Swift
For Preventing the Children of Poor People in
Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents
or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to
the Public
“A Modest Proposal” Questions for
Discussion:
(1) Swift’s satirical masterpiece is often
misinterpreted. Let’s set you straight:
• Swift is attacking the rich, not the
poor.
• The voice in the article is not the voice
of Swift.
“A Modest Proposal” Questions for
Discussion:
(1) Swift’s satirical masterpiece is often
misinterpreted in two ways:
• Swift attacking the rich, not the poor.
– But isn’t it attacking the rich at the expense of
the poor? (and that’s irony)
• The voice in the article is not the voice
of Swift.
– How does the unnamed writer present himself
as logical, ethical, and well-intentioned?
“A Modest Proposal” Questions for
Discussion:
(2) OK. Let’s assume you missed the point
that Swift is being facetious. Does he give
any clues?
“A Modest Proposal” Questions for
Discussion:
(2) OK. Let’s assume you missed the point
that Swift is being facetious. Does he give
any clues?
Reread paragraph 17 to find a classic
strategy of rhetoric: Make your own
position appear reasonable and moderate
by showing that others hold views more
extreme than your own.
“A Modest Proposal” Questions for
Discussion:
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Reread paragraph 17 to find a classic
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extreme than your own.
Reading #5:
“Corn-Pone Opinions,” Mark Twain
“Corn-Pone Opinions” Questions for
Discussion:
(1) Twain’s article is based around the quote,
“‘You can tell me whar a man gits his corn pone,
en I’ll tell you what his ‘pinions is’” (Para. 3).
Look closer at how Twain goes beyond this
statement in Paragraph 8 to arrive at the
following equation:
corn-pone = self-approval = approval of people =
conformity = public opinion = Voice of God
“Corn-Pone Opinions” Questions for
Discussion:
(2) Twain argues that humans are herd animals,
easily persuaded, and often will agree on a
prevailing notion that is ignorant or silly, acting
out of blind desire to fit into the majority at any
cost. We uses the example of a hoopskirt. What
other examples do you recognize in society?
What about in yourself?
“Corn-Pone Opinions” Questions for
Discussion:
(3) Choose a family member whom you
recognize a lot in yourself. For example, I am SO
like my dad. Then begin to explore and analyze
how much of who you are – your interests,
beliefs, attitudes, morals, etc. – stem from that
one person.
Reading #6:
“Beauty and the Beast,” Dave Barry
“Absolutely Fabulous,” Augusten
Burroughs
“Beauty” & “Fabulous” Questions for
Discussion:
(1) Like Swift’s piece, Burroughs’s tone can be
misinterpreted. How do you know Burroughs is
being somewhat facetious? Look at paragraphs
1-3 and 7-8.
“Beauty” & “Fabulous” Questions for
Discussion:
(1) Like Swift’s piece, Burroughs’s tone can be
misinterpreted. How do you know Burroughs is
being somewhat facetious? Look at paragraphs
1-3 and 7-8.
(2) In contrast, Barry’s tone is obvious from the
beginning. Look at paragraphs 1-3: How does
Barry establish his humorous tone?
“Beauty” & “Fabulous” Questions for
Discussion:
(3) Although Burroughs is being facetious with
wanting the perfect abs, he raises a point about
addiction – touching upon his own addictions in
the past. Let’s look closer at paragraphs 23
through the end at his tone. How does this
“taint” the image of perfect abs at the end?
“Beauty” & “Fabulous” Questions for
Discussion:
(4) Look at gender definitions in Burroughs’s
piece:
“male determination that builds bridges
and skyscrapers” v. bulimia
What about abs, dieting, beauty? M or F?
“Beauty” & “Fabulous” Questions for
Discussion:
(5) Look at gender definitions in Barry’s piece:
Men are average looking. And OK with it.
Women see themselves as not good
enough.
Women have low self esteem.
Women grow up thinking they need to
look like Barbie.
Men realize these tasks are pointless and
demeaning.