Michael Dandridge P6 M5 4/18/08 Joseph Heller’s novel, Catch-22, is one of his most remarkable as well as well renowned novels. Unlike other World War II works such as “Saving Private Ryan” and “Letters from Iwo Jima”, in which both promote patriotism though the horror of violence and death of soldiers, but Heller’s novel takes a totally different approach. In the novel, Catch-22, Joseph Heller takes a satirical approach to denounce warfare as revealed by the main character Yossarian, the other characters that surround Yossarian, and the effects of the missions on the squadron. Heller uses satire in the novel Catch-22 in order to create a different kind of approach that ultimately changed the way readers were supposed to view a World War II story. Satire being irony, or sarcasm used to expose vice or a moral fault had became the idea for the novel.
The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Essay Examine some of the targets of satire in The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy and assess the effectiveness of Adam’s satirical technique’s in question or condemning these targets. Douglas Adams’ ability to target various things such as human nature, science fiction and politics is very effective in creating the satire found in the novel ‘The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’. Adams uses satirical techniques such as ridicule to show the arrogance that humans possess, creating humour that is easy to relate. Science fiction is another target of Adams comedy, using the satirical technique of parody to create unorthodox humour, shown through the personalities of robots and computers. Adams uses the character of Zaphod to create satire, by mocking the ability of politicians, and ridiculing the political systems that are seen in a majority of countries around the world.
Dear Editor, Garrett Hardin’s essay, “Lifeboat Ethics,” although a compelling read, is an appalling example of sloppy conservatism which seeks to manipulate the reader through erroneous, contradictory, bigoted, self-important, and cruel statements. “Lifeboat Ethics” is undoubtedly one of those opinion pieces that is meant to show readers the error of their ways. He all but begs the reader to set aside his or her “kind-hearted liberal” feelings, and provides many examples to walk the reader through his own viewpoint—as any good op ed should. (p. 134). Nonetheless, the omissions and baseless presumptions present in this piece insult the intelligence enough that it is impossible to seriously consider Hardin’s point (which is stunning in its brutality).
The style of Kafka’s writing is humorous but dark. His writings even coined a word listed in the dictionary as Kafkaesque. “So ubiquitous is Kafka’s legacy that the word “Kafkaesque” has been introduced into the English language. The adjective refers to anything suggestive of Kafka, especially his nightmarish type of narration, I which characters lack a clear course of action, the ability to see beyond immediate events, and the possibility of escape. The term’s meaning has transcended the literary realm to apply to real-life occurrences and situations that are incomprehensibly complex, bizarre or illogical.” Pg 182 What that basically means it that it describes a nightmarish situation which most people could relate to but very surreal there also seems to be an evil component that is like a shadow out of the corner of your eye.
Through the minds of Palahniuk and Stevenson a common ground is reached in the two books Fight Club and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; both the narrator and Dr. Jekyll create their own misfortune in trying to fix the problems of the world, or better yet what they perceive the problems to be. In a sense the doppelganger of Dr. Jekyll and The Narrator create a misery that is eerie. These characters could be considered Byronic heroes; they start off admirable individuals but by the end of their journey we pity them. Another observation than can be made is through the birth of their alter egos Dr. Jekyll is in essence attempting to play God, and Tyler Durden (The Narrator’s doppelganger) believes he is God. The consequences of their decisions lead them to, ceaseless misery,
In Albert Camus’ The Stranger, Meursault constantly shows his existential principles, such as his indifference toward anything and his belief that there is no afterlife. Camus informs the reader very little of Meursault’s character in The Stranger. The first person narration allows Meursault to tell the story through his own perspective, and he does not divulge much of his background or childhood. The most striking aspect of his personality is his apathetic attitude towards everything, introduced in the first paragraph of the novel: “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know” (Camus 1).
Chaucer’s Use of Satire In the reading "The Prologue" by Geoffrey Chaucer, one will find that satire is the most used literary device throughout the entire story. The definition of satire is the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc. (Dictionary.com) Strictly following that definition, the satire in the prologue is brilliantly used to break down the characters lives and reveal their flaws and human errors. Every one of the pilgrims on the journey is satirized to some extent, although the narrator is more critical of some more than others. Chaucer uses the narrator to describe each of the pilgrim’s flaws either through physical description, or by describing the pilgrim’s actions, or ways of life.
But it takes the ability to be yourself and not conform or follow others. Emerson alludes to many great historical figures such as “Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton.” This says you could be misunderstood today but your ideals and thoughts are great. Don’t hide yourself. Like Diplo, “express yourself.” Emerson feels the plagiarism of another’s own character and qualities to be an outrage and how each and every person should have their own unique identities that are meaningful to them saying, “Envy is ignorance…”and “…imitation is suicide.” Emerson also uses a powerful metaphor, stating, “…no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him
“The gulling of Malvolio is a joke that goes too far”. To what extent does Shakespeare blur the boundaries of comedy in his depiction of the gulling of Malvolio? The boundaries of comedy can sometimes be blurred as they range between light and dark comedy. Dark comedy is often used to dismember the potential discomfort an audience may feel should heavy moral subjects arise in pieces of art such as psychological impairment in Twelfth Night. Malvolio is used in Twelfth Night to personify the notion of Lent and order in the text and is the butt of the comedy in the sub-plot.
Neither were his misfortunes of the nature of moral catastrophes, as were those of Othello and Desdemona. In Shakespeare, as in the Bible, the misfortunes that are objective in their source are never moral in character. Romeo and Juliet were undoubtedly "the victims of the animosities of their parents," or in other words were the victims of social conditions for which they were personally in no way responsible. About their misfortunes, however, there is not the slightest suggestion of retribution, and as Carlyle long ago observed, their apparent defeat is really a moral victory. But it is very different with Othello and Desdemona, for there is an element of retribution in their misfortunes.