Reading Past the Surface of Satire

Identify the real central idea of a satirical text, which differs from what it literally says.

Satire uses humor, exaggeration, and irony to criticize people, institutions, or ideas. Its literal statements are often the opposite of its actual central idea. Jonathan Swift's famous essay A Modest Proposal, published in 1729, solemnly proposes a monstrous solution to poverty in Ireland; its real target is the heartless way the poor were being treated and discussed. Consider an original satirical piece: a mock news report announcing that a school has solved overcrowding by declaring every hallway a classroom and every lunch period 'independent study.

' The literal claim praises the solution; the real central idea criticizes administrators who disguise problems instead of funding solutions. To identify satire, watch for absurd exaggeration presented with a straight face, praise for something plainly harmful, and a tone that does not fit the content. Then ask: what real practice is being exaggerated, and what does the writer want readers to see about it? Missing satire leads readers to report the opposite of the author's view.

• 1Satire criticizes through exaggeration and irony.
• 2Its literal claim often opposes its real point.
• 3Ask what real practice is being exaggerated.