Essay Irony and Humor - 1690 Words

Irony and Humor Two popular writing techniques used by many of the enlightenment’s great were irony and humor. Great writers such as Jean-Baptiste Poquelin Moliere and Francois-Marie Arouet De Voltaire made excellent use of these techniques. With humor, both writers wrote stories which kept their audience involved in funny situations, while with irony the writers were able to explain their underlying messages. Born seventy-two years apart, they are a superb example of how these techniques were carried out over time. Moliere’s Tartuffe and Voltaire’s Candide are classic texts, which unmask man and society through their clever dark comedy. After reading these two works, one will undoubtedly see how similar the two author’s†¦show more content†¦The reader can feel a pity for Candide that he cannot equate with Orgon. Very early in chapter 2 it states, â€Å". . . [Candide] wandered for a long time without knowing where he was going, weeping, raising his eyes to heaven,† which foreshadows how the rest of the story will unfold (338). Like in Tartuffe, it is Candide’s state of mind in which this story also thrives upon. Without losing something great, there can be no reward for finding something great. Everyone has put faith in something while losing sight of the truth, but hopefully not to the extent that Orgon did. Also everyone has chased a lost cause, or perhaps has lost more than gained, but not to the extent that Candide did. Both Moliere and Voltaire set up their stories with realistic protagonists, ones whom the reader can empathize with, but who are set to extreme natures. Every protagonist has to have an antagonist; David had Goliath, The People have The Government, and Batman has The Joker. Of course, when you have a fool as great as Orgon, the antagonists in the story will be near infinite. However, Orgon had three main antagonists to look at. In Tartuffe, Orgon’s most important antagonist is himself. In order to believe the amount of lies that he did, Orgon had to convince himself to throw away his own self reason and common sense. In act three from scene five, Orgon’s son Damis catches TartuffeShow MoreRelatedEssay about Emily Dickinsons Use of Humor and Irony1306 Words   |  6 PagesEmily Dickinsons Use of Humor and Irony While much of Emily Dickinsons poetry has been described as sad or morose, the poetess did use humor and irony in many of her poems. This essay will address the humor and/ or irony found in five of Dickinsons poems: Faith is a Fine Invention, Im Nobody! Who are you?, Some keep the Sabbath Going to Church and Success Is Counted Sweetest. 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The techniques of irony used inRead MoreAmusement in â€Å"The Ransom of Red Chief†.600 Words   |  3 PagesRansom of Red Chief†. Dictionary.com defines humor as a comic and absurd quality causing amusement. O.Henry adds amusement in the short historical fiction story, â€Å"The Ransom of Red Chief†. O.Henry adds humor to his story through the use of literary devices. O.Henry uses allusion, word play, and irony to create levity in his story. All of these create levity but one that especially creates levity is allusion. First, Allusion is good for creating humor because by using prior knowledge it helps toRead MoreMark Twain1159 Words   |  5 PagesMcKettrick 2 Mark Twain’s use of irony to express a better sense humor is displayed in many of his short stories. Such as â€Å"Luck†, in this story a clergyman explains how the â€Å"hero† was able to make mistakes and receive commendations and medals because acts of stupidity turned into acts of military intelligence. â€Å"He was appointed an officer, a captain of all things† (Twain, â€Å"Luck†), the clergyman said for the reason that the stupid â€Å"hero† that had barely made it through basic training was appointedRead MoreJuvenelian Satire in A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift Essay1052 Words   |  5 Pagescreated. He complements such criticism with sophisticated, clever language which may be mistaken for the more docile Horatian satire. Yet, this urbane voice, coupled with irony and the substance of the proposals accentuates Swift’s motive to use anger as a force for action. Through his absurd/humorous proposals, stinging irony, and use of voice, Swift effectively portrays A Modest Proposal as a Juvenalian satire designed to stir emotions concerning the social state of Ireland. 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The satire, sarcasm, irony, and general absurdity of the novel provide a view of the irrationality of mans behavior. The horror that is portrayed in Catch-22 is intensified by the humorous way in which it is portrayed. Distortion and exaggeration highlight the characters and scenario while magnifying the confusionRead MoreIntertextualism In Waiting For Godot710 Words   |  3 Pagesabsurdity. â€Å"Waiting for Godot,† displays many characteristics of postmodern literature such as irony, playfulness, and black humor, intertextuality, and lack of progress and plot throughout the play. The play is also a leading play in the theatre of absurd which was an outcome in the theatre world from postmodernity. In postmodern writings, it is prevalent for writers to use irony, playfulness, and black humor. The entire play is ironic in the fact that it is centered around waiting for Godot. Vladimir

Imagine having to scratch and scrape your finger n Essay Example For Students

Imagine having to scratch and scrape your finger n Essay ails against the grind stone to scrounge around enough money to get by. Imagine not being able to pay your bills and put food on the table at the same time and then think about how these people felt knowing that there were people in a better economic situation that were only getting richer. Why is it that rich people always seem to have all the luck? In the novel Paper Moon by Joe David Brown, Addie and Long Boy Pray change that whole scenario. Theyre an example of your average run of the mill father-daughter con artist team. They take money out from under the noses of the rich and the poor without them even noticing it. They are both poor and rich at the same time. History seems to show that this was done by a small amount of people to remain prosperous in such desperate times. In the early thirties, people were either poor or rich. There was no middle class. The rich seemed to get richer while the poor just got poorer, there was no in between. The only thing the classes agreed upon was the fact that it was necessary to do anything they could to climb the financial ladder. Joe David Browns interpretation of peoples dishonest actions during desperate times in Paper Moon accurately reflects the insensitive attitudes of the wealthy during the 1930s. The wealthy and the poor came from different experiences and could not relate to each other. Therefore, the conceited attitudes of the wealthy caused them to look down upon the poor and blame them for the wrongs of society. For example, the poor felt compelled to steal in order to survive, Good people wept in frustration or turned to crime to feed their families (Katz pg.24).The poor were forced to get up and get jobs while the wealthy sat back and relaxed. The wealthy seemed to have an air about them that made them feel superior. In these rough times they did not realize the hardships that others seemed to be going through. Instead they condemned the desperate acts of the poor and made them appear inferior. The immoral attitudes of society during the 1930s caused people to lose their respect for the law. Consequently, the wealthy used their monetary power to solicit the law enforcement. For instance, Many officials knew they could make a lot more money in bribes than from their regu lar salaries (Napolo pg.42). Because of this absentee nature, many things like speakeasies were able to pass right under their noses. Those who had family members in law enforcement were able to jump away scot-free while others would pay the price for their actions. The wealthy only thought about how their bribes would effect them, not about how their illegal actions effect society. In a like manner, Long Boy and Addie evade the law many times in order to benefit their well being. After attempting to sell some bottles of stolen liquor the pair got arrested for bootlegging. Long Boy attempted to convince the Deputy that it was for a friend when the Deputy said, This big bootlegger hea!h claims he dont know the law.People of this time tried to avoid getting into trouble any way they knew how. The tragic effects of poverty on society caused those who were once wealthy to take on a false identity so as not to seem poor. The morals of society drag people into concealing themselves from o thers so as not to lose prestige in their circle of friends. For example while in line to receive soup, People looked down hoping their friends would not notice them (Katz pg.14). Poverty always seems to drive embarrassment into the hearts of people. People dont want others to see them in a state where they cannot even afford to feed or clothe themselves. This forced both the wealthy and the poor to hide their faces in shame.The over-exaggeration of the value of money caused the government to create a society that focused on wealth. As a result, many people during the Depression forcibly took action so as not to succumb to despair. Just as President