According to Fred White "Satire is sarcasm raised to the level of literary artistry. It pokes fun at hypocrisy, short-sightedness. It can be heavy-handed, even bitter in its attack, or it can be a gentle ribbing." He gives as the best example of a writer who used heavy-handed satire the writer Jonathan Swift. His examples of the second type are some modern day comedians to include Charlie Chaplin, Lenny Bruce, Lily Tomlin and George Carlin. He states that whether it is done in a serious or a comedic manner the purpose of satire is to alert readers to the "ethical shortcomings of practices that. . . seem altogether ethical." In the section "For Further Reflection" White explains that satire combines both emotional responses and our intellect it can overcome evel the most logical argument because it generates a keener emotional response.
Today's "Try This" assignment is to:
Test your satric wit by writing a story that pokes fun at some aspect of contemporary culture. Here are some possibilities:
- celebrity hounding
- what people say they value most in a presidential candidate vs. whtat they secretly value most
- courtship rituals
This one will take some thought and right now I have not ideas at all my brain has not yet woke up for the day.
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