Literary Term : Satire

 

Satire

The word ‘satire’ comes from the Latin word ‘satura’ or ‘satira’. Satire a literary genre in which human vice or folly is scorned or attacked ideally with the hope of shaming into improvement. It is a comical piece of writing. Satires help to poke fun at institutions and public figures with the goal of reforming society or politics. Geoffrey Chaucer, Jonathan Swift, Mark Twain, Sir Terry Pratchett and Jon Stewart are famous satirists in English literature.

Features of satire:

i.  Satire is a literary technique.

ii.This technique uses trenchant wit, humour, sarcasm, irony, caricature, parody, exaggeration or redicule.

iii.    Satirical writing use fictional or archetypal character that stands for real people to condemn and denounce their corruption.

iv.     Satire helps to point at and criticize dishonesty, silliness, foolishness, stupidity, shortcoming and absurdity of an individual or a society.

v. It is intent with constructive social criticism.