Satire, Parody, and Everything in BetweenDON QUIXOTE

A MODEST PROPOSAL

GULLIVER’S TRAVELS

Satire vs. ParodyThe difference is the intention:◦ Satire is stands for a social or political change. It

depicts an anger or frustration trying to make the subject palatable.

◦ Parody is really meant for mocking and it may or may not incite the society. Parody is just pure entertainment and nothing else. It does not have a direct influence on the society.

Don QuixotePg. 627

Overt Purpose behind Don Quixote

Overt purpose--to parody the genre of chivalric romance by showing what would happen if anyone were insane enough to take romantic, chivalric, courtly love conventions seriously and to try to live by them in the modern world (of ~1600)

What happens to that purpose?

Cervantes thus juxtaposes concrete actuality (world of 1600) to high ideal values (chivalry)

Chivalry is thus not exactly satirized or parodied, simply judged against modern standards--and modern standards are judged against chivalry.

The ordinary modern world vs. Don Quixote

Ordinary World

World of reality

World of reason

Actions prompted by material

considerations

Don Quixote’s World

World of illusion

World of imagination

Actions prompted by high ideal

motives

Effect on reader of Don Quixote

We expect to laugh at Don Q and his mis-fitting into the modern world; we gradually come to admire him more than the sane folks surrounding him.

Don Quixote’s strength and the consistency of his belief system (albeit a mad one) coupled to his high ideals, make his world of illusion more attractive than reality.

This compelling attraction of DQ’s madness is first seen in in Sancho Panza, then in the reader

Man of La Mancha

SatirePoke fun at ◦ human institutions (e.g. Healthcare, government,

education, banking)

◦ Human weaknesses/vices (e.g. greed, lust, gluttony, spite)

Only meant to illuminate a societal issue, not provide solutions to it

Makes us laugh, but also makes us think

A MODEST PROPOSAL For preventing the

children of poor people in Ireland, from being a burden on their parents

or country, and for making them beneficial

to the public.

Pg. 583

A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT

The emperor believed himself to be the delight and terror of the universe, but it appeared quite absurd to Gulliver who was twelve times as tall as he.

In his account of the two parties in the country, distinguished by the use of high and low heels.

Religious disputes were laughed at in an account of a problem which divided the Lilliputians: “ Should eggs be broken at the big end or the little end?”

The first part tells about his experience in Lilliput

Main CharactersLilliputians ◦ Inhabit Lilliput◦ Only 6 inches tall◦ Prone to conspiracies and

jealousies

Emperor◦ Ruler of the Lilliputians◦ Despite small size, loves being in

control, exercising his power, and his large palace

Gulliver Meets the Lilliputians

He finds that the population is split between 'Big Enders' and 'Little Enders‘

The Emperor who is keen to go to war with Belfuscu and the defecting 'Big Enders‘

The Empress who originally likes Gulliver, but is then offended when he urinates on buildings to put out a fire

Satire in Voyage to LilliputLilliput – England

Blefuscu – France

The Big-Endian/Little-Endian controversy satirizes the futility of British quarrels over religion.

Gulliver sees the tiny Lilliputians as being vicious and unscrupulous –Swift makes them literally small to indicate the “small mindedness” of the British parliament.

Satire

What does the song satirize?

How do you know? (provide evidence from either the lyrics or the

video)

Parody