Let's talk about tips for analysing the text genre called Satire, such as satire cartoons or satirical ads which is one of the non-written text types frequently covered
in IB English A Lang & Lit Paper 1.
1.There are two main types of Satire!
A. Horatian satire: generous, witty and humorous, wise and focused on self-expression.
B. Juvenalian satire: angry, caustic, resentful.
2. Check Satire Devices that are essential for IB Eng A Paper 1 non-written text analysis!
A. Irony—the actual intent is expressed in words which carry the opposite meaning. It is lighter, less harsh in wording than sar- casm, though more cutting because of its indirectness. The ability to recognise irony is one of the surest tests of intelligence and sophistication.
B. Travesty: presents a serious (often religious) subject frivolously; it reduces everything to its lowest level.
C. Parody: a composition imitating or burlesquing another, usually serious, piece of work. Parody ridicules in nonsensical fashion an original piece of work. Parody is in literature what the carica- ture and cartoon are in art.
D. Exaggeration/Hyperbole: exciting laughter through exaggerated, improbable situations. This usually contains low comedy: quarreling, fighting, course with, horseplay, noisy singing, boister- ous conduct, trickery, clownishness, drunkenness, and slap-stick.
E. Anachronism: is placing an idea, invention, item or word in the wrong time period. This is not always used just for satire and may just be an unintentional error, but when used deliberately it adds to the humour of the story by highlighting contrasts between one era and another. Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles, History of the World
F. Comic Juxtaposition: linking together with no commentary items which normally do not go together; Pope’s line in Rape of the Lock: “Puffs, patches, bibles, and billet-doux”
G. Mock Epic/Mock Heroic: Using elevated diction and devices from the epic or the heroic to deal with low or trivial subjects.
H. Understatement /Diminution: taking a real-life situation and reducing it to make it ridiculous and showcase its faults. Giving the nickname “tiny” to a 350 pound man, or describing him as “not the smallest guy in the room.”
3. When analysing text containing satire and writing a paper 1 essay, you must be able to find and analyse at least 2-3 of the above devices and organise their effects.
Then, do have a look at a sample paper 1 essay outlining with a satire text.
Conflict of values: Human dignity & respect on the law of nature VS scientific innovation & progress
Body 1: Language
Tone: doctor’s enthusiastic tone (careless of ethical considerations) → “massive biotechnology breakthrough!”, “Why not? [...] that’s just for starters”
Irony: doctor being careless about ethics; parents being more rational than the doctor; the parent ending their questions with “[...], doctor?” further highlights the irony
Logical fallacy: Winston Churchill and Orson Welles being chubby & Hellen Keller being blind
Understatement: “it won’t take but 20 minutes”, “we’re simply”, understating the complexity of nature
Body 2: Image
Umbilical cord connected to the scientist (+ scientist holding baby) → baby born from science and technology, not from a mother → against law of nature
Holding a phone → baby’s intelligence beyond typical development → discomfort to audience
Deformed baby? (big skull & frontal cortex) → exaggeration ↑↑
Body 3: Structure
Alternating conversation between a parent and a doctor
Parent's tone and mood transforms: curious → dubious → dissentive ⇒ represent audience’s reaction to the topic
Doctor keeps careless and immoral attitude towards ethics more apparent (“what is wrong with that?”, “Meaning? What’s all this silly talk about meaning?”) → conflict between values
Conclusion
👍Encourage audience to reflect on the issue as the story progresses; present social issue in a way that is easily accessible to audience (people who are interested in topics related to science vs. ethics)
👎Can create a misleading portrayal of doctors (as unethical and merely driven by scientific desires)??? (+ societal demands for beauty and intelligence)
Black and white representation (parents: naive, just; doctors/experts: evil, using their knowledge for unethical actions)
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