The Use of Satirie in Literature

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Comedy is commonly used to lighten the mood of a troubled conscious, assumptions can be made that satire is being used to symbolize external or internal conflicts. Many believe satire is solely to entertain and surface laughter although it is there is meaning behind the laughter not just meaningless laughter. Literary authors use satire to portray the human condition of misery and humiliation to emphasize the mental selfishness of mankind. Making jokes about other genders, races, or interests is a selfish judgment based on personal opinion. In this world there will never be a time where everyone has the same opinion, it is what makes this world so diverse but yet authors thrive on diversity as a target to roast on.

Roasting on another man’s attributes or cultures can be seen as a display of jealousy and self-pity. An attacker will make fun of another man’s flaws to feel better his own flaws; the laughter surfaced by jokes about the flaws gives the attacker confidence. Deep down when a man feels badly about himself it creates a panic of desperation, a gutless desire for reassurance (“Understanding Satire”). Ordering a slave to dance against his own will is self-pleasuring knowing the slave has to do what he/she is ordered, all just to feel better about being homeless (Godot II. 43). Humorous criticism does not only target others but it can also target the attacker’s own self. Many people joke about their own personal flaws to hide the overbearing humiliation of them, beating other people before they can point out the flaws. Even more serious subjects like suicide can be joked about. “What about hanging ourselves? ”Hmm it’d give us an erection“ (Godot I. 12). Such a serious manner and it turns into some sexual joke...

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... point out what that human condition may be whether it is happiness or depression.

Works Cited

Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot: Tragicomedy. New York: Grove, 1954. 12,43.

Print.

“Irony: Explained.” PR Daily News: Public Relations News and Marketing in the Age of Social

Media. PR Daily News. 13 Nov. 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2013 .

Moliere. Tartuffe. New York: Dover Publication, Inc,. 2000. 18,19,26. Print.

Person Jr., James E. “Recent Articles.” Deadly Satire, Saving Grace: The Faith & Work of

Evelyn Waugh. Catholic Education Resource Center, 2005. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

Raffel, Burton. Beowulf. New York: New American Literature, 1963. 59. Print.

“Sarcasm in Literature.” Literary Exploration. Web. 19 Nov. 2013

“Understanding Satire.” Literary Exploration. Web. 19 Nov. 2013 .

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