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03 Literature

Parody and Satire

Authors create literary works for various reasons.

Perhaps they wish to exercise creative liberty, inform the masses, or make a point.

Regardless of the topic, they often use different methods to get people to understand what they are saying and why are saying it.

Two popular literary genres they frequently use are parody and satire.

Works created in parody or satire use an existing subject, person, or circumstance, but they differ in how they treat the existing things.

The purpose of parody is to offer a comical mimicking of an original influence without condemning or trying to change the influence.

Satire is used to incur change by using irony, sarcasm, or ridicule and is considered “stealthy criticism” because it often escapes censorship.

While both genres are closely related and often used together, they do have distinct characteristics.

In the parody genre, the writer often uses a familiar subject or work and replicates it in way that becomes comical.

Playful, light parodies are generally referred to as spoofs Parodies were first seen in ancient Greek literature in a parodia, which was a narrative poem imitating the style of an epic poem.

The word “parody” has Greek roots, with par- meaning beside, counter, or against, and -ody relating to a song or an ode.

Thus, to parody is to weave a tale contrary to the original subject.

Some authors imitate a certain style, character or circumstance used in a work.

For example, the author may use a number of established characters, each from different works, and compile them all together to create one story that is different from the original sources while still keeping the characters intact; Others create parody by lifting whole elements of one work out of context and reusing it in their own.

Writer James Joyce did this in his book Ulysses, where he used characters and situational elements from Homer’s Odyssey in an Irish context during the twentieth century.

Some of the ways in which parody is used overlap with its counterpart known as satire.

Writers using satire typically intend for the work to be humorous, but its primary purpose is criticism.

While illustrating human vices, follies, or shortcomings, authors write in a calculated way to ridicule or show the irony of the subjects in the hope that their work will inspire change or even shame people into reform.

Satire usually has a definite target, be it an idea, an institution, or a politician, and is characterized by its strong vein of irony or sarcasm.

The word “satire” comes from the Latin phrase satura lanx, which means a dish of colorful fruits.

Satirical writing was first seen in ancient Egypt in a specific work about trades.

The writing described certain trades or vocations in exaggerated and disparaged terms to convince those learning the trades the importance of continuing to study the trade.

Many writers of satire incorporate parody within their texts.

However, the two differ distinctly and remain as two widely-used literary forms, each useful for its purpose.