The Cambridge Introduction to Satire (Cambridge Introductions to Literature)
Cambridge University Press
Edition: Illustrated, 12/20/2018
EAN 9781107030183, ISBN10: 1107030188
Hardcover, 332 pages, 23.5 x 15.9 x 2.5 cm
Language: English
Originally published in English
In satire, evil, folly, and weakness are held up to ridicule - to the delight of some and the outrage of others. Satire may claim the higher purpose of social critique or moral reform, or it may simply revel in its own transgressive laughter. It exposes frauds, debunks ideals, binds communities, starts arguments, and evokes unconscious fantasies. It has been a central literary genre since ancient times, and has become especially popular and provocative in recent decades. This new introduction to satire takes a historically expansive and theoretically eclectic approach, addressing a range of satirical forms from ancient, Renaissance, and Enlightenment texts through contemporary literary fiction, film, television, and digital media. The beginner in need of a clear, readable overview and the scholar seeking to broaden and deepen existing knowledge will both find this a lively, engaging, and reliable guide to satire, its history, and its continuing relevance in the world.
Part I
1. What is satire?
2. What isn't satire?
Part II
3. Classical origins
4. Renaissance satire
rogues, clowns, fools, satyrs
5. Enlightenment satire
the prose tradition
6. Verse satire from Rochester to Byron
Part III. Transition
Satire and the Novel
7. Small worlds
the comedy of manners
8. Unfortunate travelers
the picaresque
9. The Menippean novel
10. Satire and popular culture since 1900
Epilogue
Charlie Hebdo, satire and the politics of community.