Thursday, March 25, 2010
Satire
For this blog I want you to respond to the reading. The area to focus on during this response is the satirical nature of the piece. What kind of satire is being used? What is the underlying message of the satire? Your response should focus on how the use of satire in the literature helps or hinders the delivery of the message. Remember to follow your rubric (that means quotes).
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ReplyDeleteExplain what you think Twain means by “the Descent of Man from the Higher Animals.”
DeleteMark Twain uses satire very effectively to get his point across. He uses hyperbole's to show how man can be cruel and wasteful. He's trying to tell us how humanity is violent and finds fun in watching thing suffer. We see this when he says,"...some hunters on our Great Plains organized a buffalo hunt for the entertainment of an English earl--that and to provide some fresh meat for his larder...they killed seventy-two of those great animals and ate part of one of them and left the seventy-one to rot." Mark Twain is comparing us to animals and saying that they are better than we are. He compare the English Earl to an anaconda and found that the anaconda only kills what it can eat and doesn't waste anything. "The fact stood proven that the difference between an earl and an anaconda is that the earl is cruel and the anaconda isn't." He watched the anaconda only kill one calf because that is all it could eat, compared to the earl who enjoyed watching all the buffalo die and he only ate one. This is an example of a hyperbole because Twain is comparing an anaconda with a man.
ReplyDeleteI think Twain's use of hyperbole's gets his message across very effectively. Twain could of tried to tell people about how mankind is violent and cruel by just saying but it wouldn't of been as effective because humans are used to hearing it or just wouldn't believe it. Twain's genius use of satire makes us feel bad because of the extravagant comparison between humans and animals. Because of his use of satire we feel bad about how we are and want to change our ways.
Mark Twain is saying how humiliating it is how similar we are to animals. He is against the theory of Evolution. He believes that "man is the only patriot" and that he will kill his own kind only to later "wash the blood off his hands." (461) Man sets "himself apart in his own country, with his own flag, and sneers at other nations," (461) and likewise, animals do this, too. Man is so similar, yet different, to animals.
ReplyDeleteI think Juxtaposition is a type of satire that is being used in this piece. Twain is comparing two things (man and animal) side by side. He says that it is ridiculous how man organizes wars and fights, but animals just kind of go at it and kill each other. For example, a cat only scares the mouse. "She does not hurt it; she doesn't dig out its eyes, or tear off its skin, or drive splinters under its nails -- man fashion." (460) When the cat is done playing with the mouse, she puts it out of its misery and makes a quick meal out of it. "Man is the cruel animal" (461) Twain says.
As I mentioned earlier, Twain finds it ridiculous how similar yet different man is from animals. He wants us to realize that fighting, war, torture or violence isn't everything! At least when predators hunt their prey, they put them out of their misery, instead of just torturing them and torturing them, such as humans do.
I believe that satire is important in delivering the message that the writer wants to give. Like the video we watched today, it sort of makes us think of how we should act and how not to take things for granted. Satire brings a different atmosphere to a piece of literature. It makes it unique, instead of being just like all the other stories. I think satire helps the delivery of the message that the writer is trying to send.
--Jenae
ReplyDelete(I went over the limit by a little bit, but I don't want to have to cut anything out, so here's part 1.)
ReplyDeleteFrom the very beginning of this piece, the satirical elements jump instantly out. The hyperbole of the "Lowest Animal", implying that nothing in the world could ever be worse than it, is completely outrageous, yet instantly attention-grabbing. An instant later, irony finds its way into the equation (situational irony; we expect the "Lowest Animal" to be a worm or a bug or something like that, but it turns out to be us, of all things). In a few sentences, the oxymorons begin. Twain mentions the "Descent of Man from the Higher Animals," (P. 458) which is obviously an oxymoron. Cut that phrase in half, and you are left with "Higher Animals," which would not be an oxymoron at all, if it wasn't talking about the beasts of the earth. Oxymoron and situational irony in one; good job, Twain. Even more situational irony is found when Twain is talking about Darwinian Theory, as he completely turns it upside-down, which would be shocking to those who believed in it. (Personally, I don't, but I'm not here to give my opinions on man and his origins, but to analyze Twain's.) Another tone of sarcastic verbal irony is present when he says that he has "used what is commonly called the scientific method." (P. 458) Obviously, using the scientific method to "prove" an opinion, is ridiculous, and thus, sarcasm.
The next few passages in the work consist of anecdotes about experiments and observations he has made, each one bringing more and more situational irony as the animals do the "right" thing over the animals. Men kill and waste buffalo while an anaconda eats a calf and leaves six others when it is satisfied. Men take more than they need, from the weak and naïve, while animals "could not be persuaded to add to [their food stores] either honestly or by chicane." (P. 459) Roosters and men both keep harems, but since the chickens consent, it is not wrong for the rooster. Cats are not moral, but since they do not know they are not moral, it's okay, as opposed to the consciously immoral man. At this point in the essay, I stopped reading for a moment. The last example struck me as so ridiculous, that for a moment I wondered if Twain might have actually been trying to satirize his own satire. I'm really not sure, but it still strikes me as ironic. Moving on, Twain begins listing man's negative moral traits, such as indecency, vulgarity, and obscenity, and how the "higher animals" feel no shame, but man must cover his. (So we should walk around naked all of the time? Verbal irony much?) Man also causes pain for the sake of pain and cruelty, while animals do it unconsciously, which makes it okay. "The cat plays with the frightened mouse, but she has this excuse, that she does not know that the mouse is suffering." (P. 460) Again, I stopped. I get a strong vibe from the cat examples that Twain is almost trying to make a point about satire in general, and how if a person sees something in satire, he will believe it instantly. (This is probably not what he was really going for, but I still think it could be applied to this essay.) Man is a slave to others and has slaves of his own, while all animals are honest and do all of their work for themselves. (Twain, do you remember that little bird called the "cowbird?" It lays its eggs in other birds' nests and has them do the work for her. Hm…)
(Part 2.)
ReplyDeleteThe examples continue on like this for the rest of the piece. Twain gives more examples of why humans are terrible and unreasonable, somehow ending with nine men in a cage that didn't get along as well as eight or nine animals in a cage. The whole essay is a giant juxtaposition. By comparing animal to man, we see just how ridiculous man really is. Personally, I get a strange feeling from this essay. Perhaps it is because from the beginning I don't agree with some of his views, but to me the entire piece just seems ridiculous. In the back of my mind, I want to believe that Twain is hinting at "Man is ridiculous, and I am, too. Look at how ridiculous I am!" but I'm not sure that he is. These could be legitimate arguments on his part. I happen not to agree with them if they are, but if they aren't, and the words that I'm seeing really are in-between the lines, I think Twain is an amazing writer. I'm not sure which it is, but I have either just gained a new level of appreciation for him, or lost quite a bit of it.
--Kelsey Weems
Austin Cook was the first one
ReplyDeleteI agree with jenae. I think juxtaposition is being used in this reading. Mark Twain is comparing humans and animals and he thinks it's scary that we are so much like them. "In the course of my experiments, I convinced myself that amoung the animals man is the only one that harbors i sults and injuries, broods over them, passion of revenge is unknown to higher animals." I agree with this sentence because usually animals dont or cant hold grudges.
ReplyDeleteMark Twain also uses alot of sarcasm, situational irony and verbal irony. Satire is a great way to get your point across and can explain where the author is coming from more details and experiments."man is the Reasoning Animal." This is not a quote that I agree with. Animals do not have souls, they do not know or could possibly learn anything that we have. In my opinion humans are NOT lower than animals. Although humans do kill eachother we are still known for compassion while animals have no compassion for eachother at all. Thats were I think it comes to a end. We also know there is a God and animals do not. Personaly this reading didnt really inspire me to think about it, it was really just something intresting to read.
Carlee
In this piece, called “The Lowest Animal” Mark Twain talks of the human race and how he believes that the scientific method can prove that the animal species are above the human race. He uses every kind of satire including pun, oxymoron, sarcasm, hyperbole, and juxtaposition.
ReplyDeleteOne example of satire that is used in this passage is juxtaposition. Throughout the whole story Twain compares humans and animals. He talks of how a cat plays with a mouse which is stated on page 460, "She does not hurt it; she doesn't dig out its eyes, or tear off its skin, or drive splinters under its nails -- man fashion." He goes on to tell that, “Man is the Cruel animal.”
Another example of satire that is used in this passage is hyperbole. Twain talks of putting different animals in a cage and he teaches them to get along with each other without them killing each other. He then goes on to use the same example but with humans and different religions. He puts different humans with different religions in a cage which was, “chaos of gory odds and ends of turbans and fezzes and plaids and bones and flesh-not a specimen left alive.” (pg.462)
The underlining message of the satire used by Mark Twain in this passage is that he can be serious and get his point across while still using sarcasm, pun, oxymoron, hyperbole, and juxtaposition.
Beth Cummings
Fist off, i would like to say, if i may, that i did not understand this piece at ALL. It had a large vocabulary and i had a very difficult time with it. What i did gather from the story was that Mark Twain, throughout this entire piece was using satire. Satire-the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc. Twain is, through the course of the story, criticizing human beings, calling them cruel. He compares them to cats and anacondas, talking about how greedy they are. Man commits himself to the "atrocity of atrocities, war." "In truth, man is incurably foolish." pg. 462. I think that he is criticizing all of society, and he is trying to bring reform into society.
ReplyDeleteHonestly it was difficult for me to find mush satire in this piece not because I don't understand satire but because I didn't go along with what he was saying. What I did catch was mianly due to todays discussion on it. In this piece I believe he was using sarcasm mostly. He would also use hyperboles to further his satirical message. For example in this piece he says, "Man is...avarcios" Avarcios means greedy but you can disect that into different things. For example you can say man takes more than he needs for the heck of it but is that really completely true? I think not. Man takes more than he needs usually to impress people or to fill a void. There is a fish in the pacific reefs that will gather and hord shells to impress the lady fish. They will even go so far as to steal shells from other fish. Remind you of a certain "species" if you will?
ReplyDeleteI would guess that his message is to show that man is not really the best of the best in the animal kingdom. In the passage he says, "The Cat is innocent." When he says this he is talking about how man makes faults knowingly or consciously to use his words while the cat makes faults unconsciously. I gather that what he is saying is that man is cruel and guilty because of his faults; I think he is wrong. Not that man is not guilty of our faults and yes even cruel sometimes but that with all of mans faults comes the power of logic and reasoning. Combined with our faults these make us better in a way. If you put catnip in a metal bowl and electrify the bowl the cat will go for it. It will continue to go for it for some time before it realizes what is happening. Throughout the years it may still every once in a while try it again only to find it still electrified. What I am trying to say is man is higher because of our faults. Once we make a mistake we learn from it. Another thing, maybe Twain is right about the absence of revenge in animals but again as it says in the bible it is through our faults we become better; we learn to forgive and therefor we are better because of it. Another thing if man is such the cruel animal that twain describes than why do we have mercy, compassion, charity, forgiveness, love, peace, joy, kindness, and patience just to name a few. Man is the high archy of all animals for one huge reason that God himself gave us and that we sometimes take forgranted, the ability of choice.
In the passage "The Lowest Animal" Mark Twain uses satire throughout the whole story. The whole piece is basically juxtaposition. He is comparing the human race to animals, even though we all know humans are better:). Twain refers to humans as cruel in the quote “Man is the Cruel animal.”
ReplyDeleteMark Twain doesn't agree with the Theory of Evolution, he thinks that humans will kill their own race to get their point across and get what they want. Animals don't torture their prey such as humans do as Twain would say which isn't true. Mostly all of the bigger predators slash their prey as much as they want until they're pleased and are ready to devour it.
I think the point that Twain is trying to mainly get across is that the human race is not above all but that animals are equal or maybe even above the human race. God gave us the chance to live and make they right choices to make the world a better place which is why I believe that we make a bigger difference and help the world out more than an animal. Some animals help humans overcome obstacles but overall I believe that the human race was meant to be on top and help the world become better.
-Shea
Well he uses many differnt kinds satire in the whole story. In this story he is bacisly just comparing us to animal and saying we are crul and mean"...some hunters on our Great Plains organized a buffalo hunt for the entertainment of an English earl -that and to provide some fresh meat for his larder...they killed seventy-two of those great animals and ate part of one of them and left the seventy one to rot."
ReplyDeleteI thnk the piont he is trying to make is we arent as good as animals. but Gad made us to have a brain that we can love and have feeling for and animal dont really have that we have so much more in good and bad things then animals do> we are the top pf the animals and thats the way it should always be.
This is the most satirical piece of literature I have ever seen. Twain attempts to completely destroy the face of humanity or human nature, and does a fairly good job I might add. Essentially, he places the human race below any other animal, giving examples comparing some specific elements of our actions and emotions to quadrupeds and other "higher animals." To Twain, humans are the topic of the essay: the lowest animal.
ReplyDeleteThe two types of satire that stuck out to me the most were juxtaposition and hyperbole. All throughout the whole essay, Twain compares humans to animals. One significant example, he compares humans to cats on the topic of cruelty. Twain says that, "the cat plays with the frightened mouse; but she has this excuse, that she does not know that the mouse is suffering." He argues that because the cat does not know it is torturing the mouse, it is completely acceptable. Humans though, when we torture other human beings just to enjoy seeing the pain, understand what we are doing. Twain calls us the Cruel Animal.
The biggest example of hyperbole I found was at the end of the essay. Twain conducts "experiments," saying that man is incurably foolish. He put a variety of animals in a cage and eventually, the animals got along, and even became affectionate toward each other. Then, Twain says that he put many men of all different religions in a cage and after two days there was, "...but a chaos of gory odds and ends of turbans and fezzes and plaids and bones and flesh-- not a specimen left alive." This example is as extreme as hyperbole gets.
I honestly think the effectiveness of this satirical essay depends solely on the audience. For one, if the audience does not even understand the satire, the literary work, in essence, is worthless. Some people might view this as horrendously offensive. In fact, I bet that most people ALREADY HAVE viewed it as offensive. Others might realize that they fit under the category of some of the satirical devices, and will feel the need to change. Personally, I do not like this kind of satire. I feel it is demeaning, and it doesn't necessarily make me want to change the ways of the world. I might agree with some of the underlying messages, but the delivery almost, if not completely, destroys it for me.
Daniel Austin
hi I'm Jarren. Twain uses the example of the Earl and the Anaconda to show how cruel and wasteful we are
ReplyDeleteboy what is this decade old blog doing in my search results
ReplyDelete