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Mark Twain: Satire to Spare. By Zachary Mendelovici. Satire Is. Satire is basically poking fun at forms of authority Politics are most commonly satirized as well as religion Satire targets “human folly and hypocrisy” (Blount JR) Satire comes from Latin satura meaning dish of mixed fruits.
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Mark Twain: Satire to Spare By Zachary Mendelovici
Satire Is • Satire is basically poking fun at forms of authority • Politics are most commonly satirized as well as religion • Satire targets “human folly and hypocrisy” (Blount JR) • Satire comes from Latin satura meaning dish of mixed fruits
Satire Is continued • Satire came about after the civil war • People were sad and angry at the government • Satire provided comedy at the expense of the government
Mark Twain • Mark Twain was not known to be fond of politicians or religion • He became increasingly dark and cynical as he aged • “Where fore being all of one mind, we do highly resolve that government of the grafted by the grafter for the grafter shall not perish from this earth.” (Twain autobiography excerpt taken from McChesney)
Mark Twain and Satire • Mark Twain was the first real master of satire • Many of his books, including Huckleberry Finn, have satire in them • Many believe that Mark Twain’s hatred of religion led to his satire
Mark Twain and Satire • Mark Twain “Changed the rules of American fiction.” (McChesney) • He led this new style of literature • It was really Mark Twain who can be credited with American satire
Goals of Mark Twain’s Satire • His main goal was to make people laugh • His height was after the Civil War which was a sad time • “From ancient times satirists have shared a common aim: to expose foolishness in all its guises, vanity, hypocrisy, pedantry, idiocracy, bigotry, and sentimentality.” (Blount JR)
Examples of Satire • What ought to be done to the man who invented the celebrating of anniversaries? Mere killing would be too light. • Truth is the most valuable thing we have. Let us economize it. • Denial ain't just a river in Egypt. • Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education. • A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.
Contemporary Satire • Contemporary satire has made a major comeback with shows like The Weekend Update, The Colbert Report, and the Daily Show • Focus mainly on politics, religion, and social issues • Can be major tools during elections
Goals of Contemporary Satire • Many of same topics and approaches as in Twain’s era • Most shows are for viewer’s enjoyment • Become more popular as anger with government increases
Fun Facts • Mark Twain never laughed at his own jokes • Loved speaking to crowds • Refused loans, always paid his debt
Video • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJQFI9KJcEk • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVTXOzMszFE&feature=related
Works Cited • Blount JR., Roy. "Mark Twain: America's Original Superstar." Time.com. Time Magazine, 3 July 2008. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9 171,1820166,00.html>. • Brancaccio, David. "Who's Laughing Now." PBS.org. PBS, 11 July 2003. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/satire.html>. • McChesney, John. "Satire to Spare." NPR.com. National Public Radio, 15 Nov. 2010. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. <http://www.npr.org/2010/11/15/131268307/- the-autobiography-of-mark-twain-satire-to-spare>.
