Satire is a very important literary genre that ridicules either people or an organization or a political set up. It includes sarcasm or parody or irony to bring out how absurd a certain behaviour or thought is. So, what is the aim of satire? It is to bring about a positive change, mostly political or social, or maybe, even prevent the absurdities.
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
Think about Gulliver. Do you remember how the Lilliputians used to debate endlessly about which end of the egg they must crack? Or how in Balnibarbi, a great deal of resources was spent on researching if sunbeams could be extracted from cucumbers? It brought out the absurdity of rulers in Europe and the pettiness of schemes in the 18th Century as seen by an Irishman.
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
When dialect expert Henry Higgins decides to give a makeover to a flower girl with a cockney accent, he thinks he will do so effortlessly, chiefly on his own merit. What he doesn’t account for is the object of his focus may have a mind of its own. That’s Eliza Doolittle for you. The satirical story ridicules and exposes the quirks of human nature and the elitist attitude of the Higgins in our society.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
What can a harmless-looking animal farm with harmless animals such as pigs, donkeys, horses and humans possibly have to do with satire? Apparently, a lot. This book was author George Orwell’s means to raise a voice against Soviet communism. It gave rise to the oft-twisted-and-used line. “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others”. Get it?
1984 by George Orwell
A classic “1984” is not classified as just children’s literature. In fact, it is crossover literature that speaks to young adults as well. It is a political satire published in 1949. So in that content, it was set in the future when war and propaganda takes over the masses. There is a watchful government eye all over, monitoring its people and their activities. Does it ring a bell? Well, no wonder that “984” speaks to us even today, seven decades after it was published!
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
To what lengths would you go to save a family of burrowing owls? Well, the protagonist – in this young adult novel set in Florida – along with two friend hopes to stop the construction of a pancake house. Read “Hoot” if you’re interested in an ecological satire. You can read his other novels “Flush”, “Scat” and “Chomp” too for a liberal dose of the same.
So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld
What gets Hunter Braque’s adrenaline pumping? It’s big names, flashy brands, celebrity endorsements and every other sign of flashy consumerism. He works at a retail store and when a client goes missing, it is up to Hunter to watch out for her. This story is consumerist satire at its best.
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