One of the more influential, and yet subtly complex literary genres is satire. Since it’s a fairly advanced subject to tackle, we’ll be treating this more as an introduction to satire rather than a comprehensive examination.
So, to get our feet wet with satire, here are a few links that you’ll need for class:
- Satire: Notes from Mr. DeMiero’s Keynote presentation
- Text of Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” – perhaps the most famous piece of satire in the English language
- Shmoop’s pretty darn good explanation of Swift’s satire
- Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron“
- Former teacher’s solution to PDA: Modest proposal satire essay
- A fairly sharp jab at you pesky teenagers from “The Onion”: Area Teen Up To Something
- IMDB’s link to “2081“
- Official site of “2081“
- In-depth analysis of “2081“
- Link to “Santa’s Children” by Italo Calvino
- Link to “Millions” by Danny Boyle
And, if you’re willing to dig a little deeper – and definitely a little darker – here’s one of the best short stories you’ll probably ever read. It’s disturbingly satirical, yes, but it’s also macabre and definitely creepy.