By Oscar Wilde
The Importance of Being Earnest
Published in 1895
Literary terms
Aphorism: clever statements that are wise and true
Epigram:short, witty statements that are empty of any real meaning
Parallelism: repetition of ideas, images, or dialogue for intensity and comic effect
Incongruity: something seems out of place
Ambiguity: double meaning
Exaggeration: making something more
Author Information
1854-1900
Very concerned with a society that looked at art as important.
Traveled in Europe as “Sebastian Monmouth”
Jailed for several years for “lewd” behavior (he was gay).
Famous for the aesthetic movement or “art for art’s sake.”
Background Information
Satire of the English wealthy and their lifestyle. Wilde believed that “the aim of social comedy is to mirror the manners, not reform the morals, of the day.”
He shows that everyone and everything is absurd---and yet human.
Act 1
Setting: parlor of Algernon’s city home Half Moon Street in London; late 1800s
Reader is introduced to the wealthy background as there is a server, Lane and Algernon does not work.
Algernon and Jack continue the frivolous conversation, focusing on women. Jack/Ernest says he intends to marry Gwen. Algernon says he is her cousin and won’t allow him to marry her until Jack explains Cecily.
Act 1
Algernon questions Ernest’s identity because of a cigarette case and its engraving.
Jack admits to an identity swap. He’s Ernest in the city and Jack in the country. Algernon says that he has an imaginary friend, Bunbury, that he uses as an excuse as well.
Act 1
Lady Bracknell is the typical stuffy, pompous English lady. She is annoyed that Jack was “found” in a handbag as an infant at the train station.
Jack intends to get rid of “Ernest” whom he
is now calling his “brother.”
Gwen asks for Jack’s country address, and Algernon writes it on his sleeve in secret.
Act 2
Setting: Manor House at Jack’s country home near Wooten in Hertfordshire
18 year old Cecily is speaking with Miss Prism, her tutor and governess. Cecily is Jack’s ward as her grandfather (Thomas Cardew)died and left her guardianship with Jack.
Algernon shows up unexpectedly, posing as Jack’s brother, Ernest.
Act 2
With Algernon off stage, Jack shows up in black, saying that he is mourning the death of his brother.
Cecily claims Ernest, Jack’s brother is not dead as he is in the house. Algernon, pretending to be Ernest, has been wooing Cecily.
Act 2
Algernon asks Cecily if she will marry him and she claims that they have been engaged for 3 months. Cecily has been having an imaginary relationship with “Ernest” whom she thinks is Jack’s brother. No, she has never met him. She has given herself a ring from him and written letters to herself from him.
ACT 2
Gwen and Cecily greet each other and quickly get into a catfight as they think that they are both engaged to “Ernest.” When the truth regarding the identities of Jack and Algernon are told, the ladies retreat inside, suddenly best friends. Wilde sees this as typical womanly behavior.
Both Jack and Algernon plan to be christened with a new name “Ernest” that afternoon ( a legal name change).
Act 3
The women forgive the men, but the names remain a barrier to marriage.
Lady Bracknell arrives to take Gwen. She does not want her to marry Jack/Ernest (She is considered a blocking figure).
Rev. Chasuble arrives for the christenings, but now they aren’t taking place.
Act 3
Seeing Miss Prism, Lady B demands to know what happened to “that” baby 28 years ago. Miss Prism was a nanny working on writing a 3 volume novel. She misplaced the novel in the carriage and put the baby in a briefcase. The baby was lost as she checked the bag in the cloakroom of Victoria Station.
Act 3
Jack runs out of the room. He returns with that bag, thinking that Miss Prism is his mother.
Lady Bracknell then explains that Prism was the nanny and that his real parents were Mr. and Mrs. Moncrieff, who is Lady Bracknell’s sister. She cannot recall his father’s first name.
Act 3
Jack searches through a book of military records and discovers his father’s name was Ernest. Because of tradition, his name would have really been Ernest as well.
Jack says, “I’ve now realized for the first time in my life, the vital importance of Being Earnest.” (pun and the theme)
It is a play on words. He is Ernest by name and he has now learned how important it is to be earnest (truthful).
Some Themes
Truth is important in all relationships.
Love is more than just marriage and physical attraction. To be in love, people must know each other and the truth of one another.
Society was too focused on appearances and was hypocritical. Wilde suggests things like family and relationships are more important than money, social status, and identity.
For test: Essay will focus on above themes; there will be quotes and lit terms from group work, too. (Honors only)
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Handmaid's Tale information for data sheet (AP lit)
Handmaid’s Tale
Data sheet information
Author Basics
Author Margaret Atwood
Lives in Toronto,Canada
Wrote many works including poetry, essays, journalism pieces and novels including another popular favorite called Cat’s Eye
Atwood was born in Ottawa in 1939.
She holds graduate degrees from Radcliffe and Harvard.
Novel Basics
Published in 1983; made into a movie in 1990
Genre: a distopian, futuristic novel (opposite of a utopian or perfect society)
Setting: Republic of Gilead (Cambridge, Mass); in a dissolved United States well into the future; the religious right has taken parts of the country while areas of rebellion and outcasts are still held, such as is Detroit
Locations
Red Center: where the handmaids are trained/brainwashed
Jezebel’s: a nightclub for commanders where women don’t necessarily follow the societal rules
Colonies: places in the former US that are still “uncivilized”; women are sent here if they are infertile and cannot help society advance. Here they are called “unwomen.”
Characters
Offred: literally she is “of Fred”; she is a handmaid whose job is to produce a baby for the Commander and his wife; she had a child and a former love (Luke)
Serena Joy: Commander’s wife; infertile; former singer
Commander: the head of Offred’s household
Nick: chauffer and handyman in the household; possible helper or harmer or Offred; a low level Guardian
Characters
Moira: a friend of Offred; feminist; escapes from Red Center
Aunt Lydia: a trainer of the handmaids
Janine:another handmaid; becomes Ofwarren; has a baby and is envied for her pregnancy until baby is deformed and called an “unbaby.”
Ofglen: another handmaid; Offred’s shopping mate; member of underground Mayday organization
Characters
Cora and Rita: Marthas in the household of Offred
Luke: once had an affair with Offred; had a daughter together; divorced and married Offred; tried to take her and the child to Canada but was caught; she has never seen him again
Professor Pieixoto: gives a lecture in the year 2195 in the book’s epilogue; he has supposedly found and transcribed Offred’s journal
Thematic Ideas
Women’s bodies are not human but political
When people sit back and allow events and politicians to change society without check, society can destroy others and destroy certain members of a society.
Words, language, books speaking all are important aspects of a society and should not be regulated by government.
What started it?
Society in Gilead changed somewhat quickly as the religious right took over. Women were taken out of jobs, no longer allowed to hold property or bank accounts and stopped from reading. Signs were put up so women didn’t have to read; money now is simply a picture of the item.
Women’s roles include being married to the elite, handmaid’s whose job it is to bear children, aunts who help educate and various other household only jobs.
Symbols (Think and determine what they mean.)
Colors (red in particular) The habit of a handmaid is red to symbolize fertility but the costume is totally covering, resembling a nun’s habit but yet their whole job is sexual as red is also a color of lust and adultery.
Education/Harvard University: it is now the detention center; the yard the location of the hangings and salvagings
Eyes: the secret police; however the symbol itself suggests that government is all encompassing, watching everyone at all times (think Big Brother is watching….)
Data sheet information
Author Basics
Author Margaret Atwood
Lives in Toronto,Canada
Wrote many works including poetry, essays, journalism pieces and novels including another popular favorite called Cat’s Eye
Atwood was born in Ottawa in 1939.
She holds graduate degrees from Radcliffe and Harvard.
Novel Basics
Published in 1983; made into a movie in 1990
Genre: a distopian, futuristic novel (opposite of a utopian or perfect society)
Setting: Republic of Gilead (Cambridge, Mass); in a dissolved United States well into the future; the religious right has taken parts of the country while areas of rebellion and outcasts are still held, such as is Detroit
Locations
Red Center: where the handmaids are trained/brainwashed
Jezebel’s: a nightclub for commanders where women don’t necessarily follow the societal rules
Colonies: places in the former US that are still “uncivilized”; women are sent here if they are infertile and cannot help society advance. Here they are called “unwomen.”
Characters
Offred: literally she is “of Fred”; she is a handmaid whose job is to produce a baby for the Commander and his wife; she had a child and a former love (Luke)
Serena Joy: Commander’s wife; infertile; former singer
Commander: the head of Offred’s household
Nick: chauffer and handyman in the household; possible helper or harmer or Offred; a low level Guardian
Characters
Moira: a friend of Offred; feminist; escapes from Red Center
Aunt Lydia: a trainer of the handmaids
Janine:another handmaid; becomes Ofwarren; has a baby and is envied for her pregnancy until baby is deformed and called an “unbaby.”
Ofglen: another handmaid; Offred’s shopping mate; member of underground Mayday organization
Characters
Cora and Rita: Marthas in the household of Offred
Luke: once had an affair with Offred; had a daughter together; divorced and married Offred; tried to take her and the child to Canada but was caught; she has never seen him again
Professor Pieixoto: gives a lecture in the year 2195 in the book’s epilogue; he has supposedly found and transcribed Offred’s journal
Thematic Ideas
Women’s bodies are not human but political
When people sit back and allow events and politicians to change society without check, society can destroy others and destroy certain members of a society.
Words, language, books speaking all are important aspects of a society and should not be regulated by government.
What started it?
Society in Gilead changed somewhat quickly as the religious right took over. Women were taken out of jobs, no longer allowed to hold property or bank accounts and stopped from reading. Signs were put up so women didn’t have to read; money now is simply a picture of the item.
Women’s roles include being married to the elite, handmaid’s whose job it is to bear children, aunts who help educate and various other household only jobs.
Symbols (Think and determine what they mean.)
Colors (red in particular) The habit of a handmaid is red to symbolize fertility but the costume is totally covering, resembling a nun’s habit but yet their whole job is sexual as red is also a color of lust and adultery.
Education/Harvard University: it is now the detention center; the yard the location of the hangings and salvagings
Eyes: the secret police; however the symbol itself suggests that government is all encompassing, watching everyone at all times (think Big Brother is watching….)
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Handmaid's Tale Background Information (AP English)
Key Facts
full title · The Handmaid’s Tale
author · Margaret Atwood
type of work · Novel
genre · Anti-utopian (or “dystopian”) novel; science fiction; feminist political novel
language · English
time and place written · Early 1980s, West Berlin and Alabama
date of first publication · 1986
publisher · McClelland & Stewart in Canada, Houghton Mifflin in the United States
narrator · Offred, a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead
point of view · The Handmaid’s Tale is told from Offred’s point of view. She tells the story in the immediate present tense but frequently shifts to past tense for flashbacks to life before Gilead and to her time in the Red Center. Much of her narration is concerned not with events or action, but with her emotional state, which is often affected by the memories that well up from her happier past.
tone · The novel’s tone is dark, and at times elegiac for the lost world before Gilead. Consistently unhappy, Offred finds both refuge and pain in her memories. A sense of fear and paranoia also pervades the novel, since all the characters live under a ruthless, totalitarian government.
tense · Offred describes her life in the Commander’s home in the present tense but frequently shifts to the past tense to describe flashbacks and memories.
setting (time) · The not-too-distant future
setting (place) · Cambridge, Massachusetts
protagonist · Offred
major conflict · The Republic of Gilead has subjugated women and reduced Handmaids like Offred to sexual slavery. Offred desires happiness and freedom, and finds herself struggling against the totalitarian restrictions of her society.
rising action · Offred’s evenings with the Commander; her shopping trips with Ofglen; her visit to Jezebel’s
climax · After learning that Ofglen committed suicide to avoid arrest, Offred returns home and Serena confronts her about her trip to Jezebel’s.
falling action · Offred’s arrest or escape at the end of the novel
themes · Women’s bodies as political instruments; language as a tool of power; the causes of complacency
motifs · Rape and sexual violence; religious terms used for political purposes; similarities between reactionary and feminist ideologies
symbols · Cambridge, Massachusetts; Harvard University; the Handmaids’ red habits; a palimpsest; the Eyes
foreshadowing · Offred’s kiss with Nick foreshadows their eventual affair; the attempted kidnapping of Offred’s daughter foreshadows Offred’s eventual loss of her child; Ofglen’s arrest foreshadows Offred’s own arrest.
full title · The Handmaid’s Tale
author · Margaret Atwood
type of work · Novel
genre · Anti-utopian (or “dystopian”) novel; science fiction; feminist political novel
language · English
time and place written · Early 1980s, West Berlin and Alabama
date of first publication · 1986
publisher · McClelland & Stewart in Canada, Houghton Mifflin in the United States
narrator · Offred, a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead
point of view · The Handmaid’s Tale is told from Offred’s point of view. She tells the story in the immediate present tense but frequently shifts to past tense for flashbacks to life before Gilead and to her time in the Red Center. Much of her narration is concerned not with events or action, but with her emotional state, which is often affected by the memories that well up from her happier past.
tone · The novel’s tone is dark, and at times elegiac for the lost world before Gilead. Consistently unhappy, Offred finds both refuge and pain in her memories. A sense of fear and paranoia also pervades the novel, since all the characters live under a ruthless, totalitarian government.
tense · Offred describes her life in the Commander’s home in the present tense but frequently shifts to the past tense to describe flashbacks and memories.
setting (time) · The not-too-distant future
setting (place) · Cambridge, Massachusetts
protagonist · Offred
major conflict · The Republic of Gilead has subjugated women and reduced Handmaids like Offred to sexual slavery. Offred desires happiness and freedom, and finds herself struggling against the totalitarian restrictions of her society.
rising action · Offred’s evenings with the Commander; her shopping trips with Ofglen; her visit to Jezebel’s
climax · After learning that Ofglen committed suicide to avoid arrest, Offred returns home and Serena confronts her about her trip to Jezebel’s.
falling action · Offred’s arrest or escape at the end of the novel
themes · Women’s bodies as political instruments; language as a tool of power; the causes of complacency
motifs · Rape and sexual violence; religious terms used for political purposes; similarities between reactionary and feminist ideologies
symbols · Cambridge, Massachusetts; Harvard University; the Handmaids’ red habits; a palimpsest; the Eyes
foreshadowing · Offred’s kiss with Nick foreshadows their eventual affair; the attempted kidnapping of Offred’s daughter foreshadows Offred’s eventual loss of her child; Ofglen’s arrest foreshadows Offred’s own arrest.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Alchemist information for data sheet (AP lit)
The Alchemist (for data sheet)
author: Paulo Coelho
Genre: novel/fable
Author Information
Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1947
Educated in a Jesuit Catholic school
Committed to a mental institution as a teen
Worked in theater and journalism
An admitted “spiritualist” and activist for free speech and individualism
Author of several other novels
Started writing seriously after an encounter with a stranger who told him to return to the church and walk a medieval pilgrim’s path
Background
Originally written in Portuguese
Published in 1988
First published in English in 1993
What is alchemy? (definitions and history just fyi)
Alchemy is the precursor of modern chemistry. It began in ancient Egypt and moved to the Greeks when they invaded the area. Arabs and ancient Chinese also followed this science and it was born in Europe as the Arabs moved into Spain in the 8th century.
Definition and Premises
Alchemy is best known for its goal of turning base metals into gold. The ancients also desired to use the science as a philsophical and spiritual one by searching for “the philosopher’s stone” or technically when an alchemist’s substance turned red or the achieving of the goal.
Carl Jung was the first to look at alchemy in a spiritual sense, suggesting that alchemy was not a search for actual gold, but that it was the transformation of the human from lead into the gold of spiritual enlightenment.
Other Ideas
Alchemy branched into other areas of study including art and spiritual enlightenment. Alchemists believed in the significance of specific elements, such as air, water, and even specifics such as sulfur. These all had symbols referencing them, which were used in art, etc Many of these beliefs were used allegorically in literature.
Characteristics of this novel
1. Use of dialogue (between characters)
2. Dreams (Santiago’s)
3. Historical and Biblical allusions (King is a Biblical character; Salem is a true Biblical city, etc.)
4. Repeated imagery and symbolism (pyramids, stones, jewels, animals, etc.)
Characters
Gypsy woman: the first to tell Santiago to go
Crystal merchant: helps boy earn money
Englishman: in search of answers to alchemy; on the caravan with Santiago
Merchant’s daughter: she’s the merchant’s daughter!
Fatima: girl at oasis; Santiago falls in love with her
Characters
Melchizedek: king of Salem; gives him the 2 stones; never stop dreaming and follow omens
Alchemist: supposedly over 200 years old; Santiago meets him in the desert; he seems to think he must help Santiago achieve his dreams;
Santiago: shepherd; protagonist; makes mistakes; learns to have dreams and follow through; perseveres and has faith;
Settings
Andalusia:southern Spain; Santiago’s original homeland
Tarifa: Northern Africa
Al-Fayoum: the oasis in the desert
Sahara: the desert Santiago must cross
Tangier, Morocco: city of the crystal merchant; north Africa
Time: late 17th-early 18 century
Symbols
Dreams: the manifestation of the character’s dreams, goals, fears, etc.
Pyramids: the object of the quest
Urim and Thummim:the stones; represent a physical object of luck and the source of answers
Gypsy woman: the catalyst that begins the journey
Ruined church: Santiago’s treasure in “material” form
Themes
Follow your dreams…
True love will last…
Faith and spirituality as significant…
An individual’s quest for meaning in life…
Discovering what is really important in life…
Author’s Terms (could use this in genre or examples, too)
Soul of the World: the world’s morality
Unspoken language: what all humans know and understand
Philosopher’s stone: search for “life”…
The language of the world: what we all get from each other just by being human
Literary Devices in style (could use for characteristics of genre)
Personification: Santiago “hears” his heart; his dreams take on a reality
Irony: didn’t become a priest because he didn’t need God with his sheep, but he “finds” spirituality in his journey
Use of fables/allusions: other stories make the same point and are connected to Santiago’s journey or religious texts
Other Devices (could use for examples of author’s style)
Foreshadowing: Santiago’s dream, etc.
Allusions: King M of Salem…his story is in Genesis as he served Abraham…
Setting: as the story progresses, the setting becomes more unfamiliar but also more detailed in some respects
Discussion As We Begin reading…
“Simple things are the most valuable…” What about this statement seems true?
“When you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true.” Do you agree? Does the universe conspire against you?
In what way are “dreams” and “omens” significant in today’s world? Are these believeable ideas?
Discussion as we begin reading…
Have you ever had a non-waking dream that was so significant that it caused you to follow through or not follow through with something?
What controls a human life, fate or destiny? Why?
Are humans in control of all aspects of their lives?
“People are afraid to pursue their dreams because they feel they don’t deserve them.” Is this a a true statement?
Discussion as we begin reading…
What other stories can you think of that deal with dreams and following dreams?
author: Paulo Coelho
Genre: novel/fable
Author Information
Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1947
Educated in a Jesuit Catholic school
Committed to a mental institution as a teen
Worked in theater and journalism
An admitted “spiritualist” and activist for free speech and individualism
Author of several other novels
Started writing seriously after an encounter with a stranger who told him to return to the church and walk a medieval pilgrim’s path
Background
Originally written in Portuguese
Published in 1988
First published in English in 1993
What is alchemy? (definitions and history just fyi)
Alchemy is the precursor of modern chemistry. It began in ancient Egypt and moved to the Greeks when they invaded the area. Arabs and ancient Chinese also followed this science and it was born in Europe as the Arabs moved into Spain in the 8th century.
Definition and Premises
Alchemy is best known for its goal of turning base metals into gold. The ancients also desired to use the science as a philsophical and spiritual one by searching for “the philosopher’s stone” or technically when an alchemist’s substance turned red or the achieving of the goal.
Carl Jung was the first to look at alchemy in a spiritual sense, suggesting that alchemy was not a search for actual gold, but that it was the transformation of the human from lead into the gold of spiritual enlightenment.
Other Ideas
Alchemy branched into other areas of study including art and spiritual enlightenment. Alchemists believed in the significance of specific elements, such as air, water, and even specifics such as sulfur. These all had symbols referencing them, which were used in art, etc Many of these beliefs were used allegorically in literature.
Characteristics of this novel
1. Use of dialogue (between characters)
2. Dreams (Santiago’s)
3. Historical and Biblical allusions (King is a Biblical character; Salem is a true Biblical city, etc.)
4. Repeated imagery and symbolism (pyramids, stones, jewels, animals, etc.)
Characters
Gypsy woman: the first to tell Santiago to go
Crystal merchant: helps boy earn money
Englishman: in search of answers to alchemy; on the caravan with Santiago
Merchant’s daughter: she’s the merchant’s daughter!
Fatima: girl at oasis; Santiago falls in love with her
Characters
Melchizedek: king of Salem; gives him the 2 stones; never stop dreaming and follow omens
Alchemist: supposedly over 200 years old; Santiago meets him in the desert; he seems to think he must help Santiago achieve his dreams;
Santiago: shepherd; protagonist; makes mistakes; learns to have dreams and follow through; perseveres and has faith;
Settings
Andalusia:southern Spain; Santiago’s original homeland
Tarifa: Northern Africa
Al-Fayoum: the oasis in the desert
Sahara: the desert Santiago must cross
Tangier, Morocco: city of the crystal merchant; north Africa
Time: late 17th-early 18 century
Symbols
Dreams: the manifestation of the character’s dreams, goals, fears, etc.
Pyramids: the object of the quest
Urim and Thummim:the stones; represent a physical object of luck and the source of answers
Gypsy woman: the catalyst that begins the journey
Ruined church: Santiago’s treasure in “material” form
Themes
Follow your dreams…
True love will last…
Faith and spirituality as significant…
An individual’s quest for meaning in life…
Discovering what is really important in life…
Author’s Terms (could use this in genre or examples, too)
Soul of the World: the world’s morality
Unspoken language: what all humans know and understand
Philosopher’s stone: search for “life”…
The language of the world: what we all get from each other just by being human
Literary Devices in style (could use for characteristics of genre)
Personification: Santiago “hears” his heart; his dreams take on a reality
Irony: didn’t become a priest because he didn’t need God with his sheep, but he “finds” spirituality in his journey
Use of fables/allusions: other stories make the same point and are connected to Santiago’s journey or religious texts
Other Devices (could use for examples of author’s style)
Foreshadowing: Santiago’s dream, etc.
Allusions: King M of Salem…his story is in Genesis as he served Abraham…
Setting: as the story progresses, the setting becomes more unfamiliar but also more detailed in some respects
Discussion As We Begin reading…
“Simple things are the most valuable…” What about this statement seems true?
“When you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true.” Do you agree? Does the universe conspire against you?
In what way are “dreams” and “omens” significant in today’s world? Are these believeable ideas?
Discussion as we begin reading…
Have you ever had a non-waking dream that was so significant that it caused you to follow through or not follow through with something?
What controls a human life, fate or destiny? Why?
Are humans in control of all aspects of their lives?
“People are afraid to pursue their dreams because they feel they don’t deserve them.” Is this a a true statement?
Discussion as we begin reading…
What other stories can you think of that deal with dreams and following dreams?
Notes on J. Swift and satire (for honors)
Satire: What exactly is it?
Copy any slide that says COPY
Definition *Copy
Satire: using wit and sarcasm to make a point about an issue or event
Irony: when the opposite of what is expected happens (verbal, situational, dramatic)
What is the satire here?
Here?
Here?
Here?
Here?
So, why satire?
It’s funny, and when something is funny, people pay attention. The fine line is keeping the balance between humor and making a point and harming someone.
Tina Fey’s “30 Rock” was in its second season; then Fey created her Palin character and SNL’s ratings took off. Her own show, which has nothing to do with Palin, had an increase of over 30% in its newest season.
So, why Jonathan Swift? *COPY
When Swift lived in the 18th century, Britain controlled other countries like Ireland and the rich in Britain lived lavishly while the poor lived under the control of others in squalor.
Swift used satire to make a point of poverty, wealth, politics, culture, etc. By using humor, people paid attention, and he couldn’t be jailed because he just had to say it was “satire.”
The First Political Satirist: Jonathan Swift
Swift satire *COPY
Gulliver’s Travels: The entire novel is a satire of his society. “Lilliput” satires war, politics, and political parties. “Brobdingnag” satires what it takes to be a politician. “Modest Proposal” satirizes eating babies because the government won’t take care of the poverty issue in Ireland.
Copy any slide that says COPY
Definition *Copy
Satire: using wit and sarcasm to make a point about an issue or event
Irony: when the opposite of what is expected happens (verbal, situational, dramatic)
What is the satire here?
Here?
Here?
Here?
Here?
So, why satire?
It’s funny, and when something is funny, people pay attention. The fine line is keeping the balance between humor and making a point and harming someone.
Tina Fey’s “30 Rock” was in its second season; then Fey created her Palin character and SNL’s ratings took off. Her own show, which has nothing to do with Palin, had an increase of over 30% in its newest season.
So, why Jonathan Swift? *COPY
When Swift lived in the 18th century, Britain controlled other countries like Ireland and the rich in Britain lived lavishly while the poor lived under the control of others in squalor.
Swift used satire to make a point of poverty, wealth, politics, culture, etc. By using humor, people paid attention, and he couldn’t be jailed because he just had to say it was “satire.”
The First Political Satirist: Jonathan Swift
Swift satire *COPY
Gulliver’s Travels: The entire novel is a satire of his society. “Lilliput” satires war, politics, and political parties. “Brobdingnag” satires what it takes to be a politician. “Modest Proposal” satirizes eating babies because the government won’t take care of the poverty issue in Ireland.
Restoration history notes (for honors)
Restoration 1660-1798
England is weak after the war with the colonies, but toward the end of the period, strengthens itself.
Science dominated by explaining with scientific observation what was happening in the natural world.
Writing during this time period became more no-nonsense, precise, exact, and very plainspoken.
Restoration
New religious ideas came into being such as Deism, which meant that God created the world and then left it to run itself.
Charles II allowed only the Anglican Church; others were persecuted and left England because of this.
Restoration
There began to be a huge rift in social classes as the poor became very poor and the rich became very rich. This led to new types of literature, the essay and the novel; both often were in the form of satire, or political and social mockery.
Journalism also was born, as well as newspapers and magazines.
Restoration
Toward the end of the time period, issues and literature changed as people became more focused on industrialization, social inequality, and poverty.
Writers: Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, Samuel Pepys, William Wordsworth, Samuel T. Coleridge
England is weak after the war with the colonies, but toward the end of the period, strengthens itself.
Science dominated by explaining with scientific observation what was happening in the natural world.
Writing during this time period became more no-nonsense, precise, exact, and very plainspoken.
Restoration
New religious ideas came into being such as Deism, which meant that God created the world and then left it to run itself.
Charles II allowed only the Anglican Church; others were persecuted and left England because of this.
Restoration
There began to be a huge rift in social classes as the poor became very poor and the rich became very rich. This led to new types of literature, the essay and the novel; both often were in the form of satire, or political and social mockery.
Journalism also was born, as well as newspapers and magazines.
Restoration
Toward the end of the time period, issues and literature changed as people became more focused on industrialization, social inequality, and poverty.
Writers: Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, Samuel Pepys, William Wordsworth, Samuel T. Coleridge
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