GISDepartment of Global and Interdisciplinary Studies

Few literary forms are more wed to the world around them than satire, which ridicules cultural vices through irony and exaggeration. Studying American satire, then, means studying the historical norms, attitudes, and actions that it attacks. We will begin the course by learning to identify and interpret the satiric tools of parody, caricature, and irony. We will then examine how American satire from Mark Twain to contemporary writers has taken on the American dream, religion, war, and race. While the course will focus on literary satire, it will also explore satire in a variety of contemporary media, including television, animation, comics, and film. Because of its focus on culturally specific irony, the course offers students a vehicle to deepen their understanding of the subtleties of English and the paradoxes of American culture.

As they become acquainted with American literary satire, students will develop critical thinking and analytical skills. They will learn 1) to identify the various satiric tools of parody, caricature, and irony, 2) to analyze how these tools are employed in American satire to critique cultural norms and values, 3) to compare and contrast the different ways in which American satire has addressed issues such as war, religion, race, and the American dream, and 4) to communicate their insights effectively in written and oral form.

Will be able to gain “DP 1”, “DP 2”, “DP 3”, and “DP 4”.

英語 / English

Classes will emphasize discussion and group work, with lectures interspersed to provide historical and analytical context about the assigned readings. Each week students will be provided with 1) short stories, excerpts from longer works, or critical essays, and 2) a prompt to consider before class. Discussions will draw upon these prompts to help the students develop their critical and analytical skills. Students will be assessed on their understanding of the class material through their presentation and a final paper. Students will receive feedback in class and in written form, based on a grading rubric.

あり / Yes

なし / No

授業形態/methods of teaching：対面/face to face

※各回の授業形態は予定です。教員の指示に従ってください。

1[対面/face to face]：Introduction to the Form

What is Satire?

2[対面/face to face]：Tools of Satire

Parody, Caricature, and Irony

3[対面/face to face]：British Roots of American Satire

Jonathan Swift, Benjamin Franklin, and Literary Hoaxes

4[対面/face to face]：Satirizing the American Dream I

The Myth of Horatio Alger and Nathanael West’s Cool Million

5[対面/face to face]：Satirizing the American Dream II

Animation and The Simpsons

6[対面/face to face]：Satirizing the American Dream III

The Techo-Dystopia of Gary Shteyngart

7[対面/face to face]：Satirizing Religion

Nationalism and Religiosity in Mark Twain

8[対面/face to face]：Satirizing Secularism

Flannery O’Connor’s Catholic Vision

9[対面/face to face]：Satirizing War

Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, Stephen Crane, Joseph Heller

10[対面/face to face]：Satirizing Race

George Schuyler and The Harlem Renaissance

11[対面/face to face]：Satire in American Comics

Garry Trudeau’s Doonesbury

12[対面/face to face]：Satire as Public Pedagogy

The Colbert Report

13[対面/face to face]：Class Presentations

Presentations

14[対面/face to face]：Class Presentations and Review for Final Paper

Presentations and Review

Preparatory study and review time for this class are two hours each. To prepare, students will read comics and excerpts from satires and criticism that the instructor will provide. They should be ready to discuss responses to a prompt that will be provided in advance.

No textbook will be used. Handouts and reading materials will be provided by the lecturer.

Bakalar, Nicholas. American Satire: An Anthology of Writings from the Colonial Times to the Present. Meridian, 1997.
Greenberg, Jonathan. The Cambridge Introduction to Satire. Cambridge, 2019.

Participation 20%
Presentation 40%
Final paper 40%

None.

None.