Post #3 - Satire

Satire is defined on Dictionary.com as "the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc."

What I take away from this definition is that satire is when you take a part of the human experience, be it a part of human nature, an idea, or a recent/ongoing event, and expose its flaws in a literary work.  I like to think of it as a sort of humorous criticism of the way society functions.  An older example I have of satire was a piece of writing (I don't remember the name of it) in which all the characters were somehow hindered so that their best qualities could not be expressed.  Attractive people had to wear ugly masks, star athletes were forced to wear weights around their ankles so they couldn't run, etc.  I believe this short story was written (Mr. Dessert can correct me if I'm wrong) to expose some of the flaws in the idea that everyone needed to have the exact same opportunities as everyone else.  If one's natural abilities are hindered, the world would become a significantly more boring, less opportune place.  That piece of writing tried to express that idea with satire.  

To me, Brave New World is a perfect example of satire.  In that novel, everything is backwards.  Marriage is frowned apon, people are doing drugs left and right, and the people that are normal to our society's standards are locked away on reservations.  In Brave New World, the common "rules" that our society follows are stomped on and left to die.  Things that are considered "normal" in our way of living are frowned apon in Brave New World.  The fact that everything is backwards is a perfect example of Satire.    

I even use satire myself in my spare time! As many of you know, I'm a nerd who likes to spend my Saturdays talking in front of audiences.  To close this post I'm going to copy and paste the first few lines of a satirical speech I wrote about female behavior.  Thinking of this speech helps me remember satire, but if you don't think it will help you then you should stop reading.  If you're a feminist, you should definately stop reading because you'll be offended if you continue.

"Ladies, sorry to break it to you, but we have a problem. Throughout history, we have thought ourselves to be superior to men, but with the coming of recent events that idea is no longer a reality.  What started out as honest work out on the farm turned into disasters like suffrage, and (Horrified) equal pay!"

Thanks for reading, I like your comments :)