As long as there is
thought, there will always be thought against something. And as long as thought has been chronicled in writing, there has been satire. Satire is a form of
criticism that deviates from the norm in its execution; rather than outlining and proving points in something like an
essay form, satire seeks to persuade through sheer
wit. It’s
mockery must generally be
subtle to succeed, and of course if a criticism is to be subtle then it must be
disguised beneath something; hence most satire is concealed within some sort of a
narrative. To assure the reader grasps such an immense investment of
cleverness, there are certain parameters that must be met for
successful satire. These can be generally summed up in that satire sets up an expectation in the reader’s mind, and then somehow under or over fulfils it.
The earliest significant use of satire is
Chaucer’s classic frame tale, “
Canterbury Tales.” His target there was many-pronged, but consisted essentially of large groups of people. To mock them, he simply recorded their
true nature right beside the
ideal they should have, or pretended to, uphold. This marked the most basic trademark of satire; to contrast
reality with the
illusion you intend to critique. Chaucer, however, was
light-hearted and
forgiving in his
criticism, and as such his piece cannot be considered
true satire, but mere
literature with a satirical bend.
However, he laid down a groundwork for satirical writing that would later come to fruit far more
outrageously, in the 18th century. There can be no mistaking the intentions of
Alexander Pope’s “
The Rape of the Lock”; it exists only to reveal the
opulence and
excess of the
upper class. It’s aims are made so very clear in the manner in which it is set up. The poem is written in
epic form, and it’s subjects are treated with a
grand and
elevated tone. The reader is primed for matters of an
epic proportion; what they receive is more than a little
underwhelming: coffee and card games, which degenerate into a petty squabble. The gap between what was expected and what was delivered points the reader to the true nature of the poem, and when this knowledge is combined with the myriad hints and veiled comments throughout it, a new kind of criticism is forged. True satire, powerful and sharp.
Only a few years later, a similar
feat was accomplished by
Jonathan Swift, in his story “
Gulliver’s Travels.” Rather than ridicule a group of people, Swift aims his darts at
British society in general. Like Pope before him, the key to Swift’s satire lies in
comparison; however, his approach is more in line with that of Chaucer. He sets up
alternate societies with
bizarre and seemingly
irreconcilable differences. Yet when these differences are examined closely, the brilliance of
Swift’s satire is revealed. All that the reader would consider
abnormal in those other societies is in fact, metaphorically, something their own
society has come to accept from itself! For example, the
politicians in
Lilliputia have to put on an
elaborate show to stay in power. Most
outlandish, until one realizes the
parallels between their
circus act and what was and is required to survive in
British politics. In this way, Swift succeeds in
manipulating the reader into
convincing himself of Swift’s own points.
Using satire to criticize is
risky business; the author risks having all their work go right over the audience’s head. However, when executed as cleverly as has been seen in the works of Chaucer, Pope, and Swift, the
rewards more than outweigh the risk involved. Satire is a
powerful tool, and with a target as flawed and full of potential as the
human spirit, it will surely be used for a long time to come.