By the end of the term, you will be able to distinguish satire from other literary forms and identify elements of satire in a variety of literary genres. Through your careful reading and lively discussion of the texts, you will gain the insight and courage to respond to the material from your own perspective. It is not a goal of this course that you become a satirist in your own right. In fact, I have serious reservations about the use of satire as a tool for social and political reform.
Satirists have grave responsibilities that they often overlook in the energy of the satiric impulse.
I hope that a good bit of our discussion of the works of satire and the situations that provoked them will focus on these responsibilities as well as on the legitimate function satire can perform in a civilized society. The rules for this course are simple. You must attend class. You must read and digest assigned material before class discussion. You must participate in class discussion.