Satire

   I've always liked the idea of satire. They involve many great things such as irony, sarcasm, and poking fun at others, which is always fun. Satire, like allusions, is used all the time across the globe. It is a fun and entertaining way to get the point across.

   I've learned that there are three different types of satire;

   Horatian satire- Horatian satire is the most common of the three. It is meant to amusingly poke fun of some aspect of humanity, like greed for example or the search for true love. As the audience laughs at the silliness of others they are also laughing at themselves saying "True. True. That is just like me!" It is a more lighthearted thing meant to make people smile as they think about the subject at hand. An example of this would be Mark Twain's speech "Advice to Youth" which humorously and harmlessly makes fun of societies attempts to educate young people on proper behavior.

   Mennipus satire- This type of satire resembles Horatian satire in that it is harmless and humorous but the only different is that it does not focus on just one subject. The point is not really to get any kind of message across about anything. It is simply meant to be laughed at and enjoyed. An example of this type of satire would be Family Guy. Family Guy is an endless medley of satire upon satire upon satire. There are so many allusions and references in the show that there is not really any sensible story. It's simply something to laugh about.

   And the final form of satire is...

   Juvenal satire- This satire is the most serious of all satire. It sets out to make fun of something in a harsh and unforgiving manner. It is not meant to be funny it is focused on getting a message out and making people face it. This type of satire would be used by someone who really wants to make a point with force. This type of satire might be used during times of election when people are trying to make others look bad and foolish. It might also be used in times of trouble when people need to be pushed into action.

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

   I felt pretty good when I went to the library to pick this book up and saw that it wasn't even 200 pgs long. I expected the book to be decently long since it was such a widely acclaimed book, but I guess it's hard to make a book incredibly long when it's entire plot takes place in one day. Besides, I don't think the author was worried about the length of his book. Solzhenitsyn set out to write a book that was real, true, and hit people in thier minds and hearts, and he succeeded.

   This book was really powerful. It spoke truth about humanity and how everyday is a struggle to stay alive in this messed up place we call our home. Whether we're living in a WWII Soviet prison camp, or livng right here in Lexington, everyday we must fight for our right to live, exist, to love, to be loved. If we are to live our lives happy and fulfilled we need to stay true to ourselves, despite society's attempt to crush our inividuality. We need to band and work together, to live in peace and harmony with one another if we want to thrive. We also need to take care of ourselves; to nourish our body, mind and spirit.

   I really like this book. It was inspirational and showed a side of humanity that hinted towards hope.