Final answer:
Gaines uses sarcasm in Chapter 7 of 'A Lesson Before Dying' to showcase the flaws in the education system, underscoring the tension between educational ideals and the reality of racial oppression. Barthelme also creates a satire on schooling in 'The School,' where humor mocks the societal norms. Both authors use these techniques to criticize and reflect on the systemic issues within education.
Step-by-step explanation:
In A Lesson Before Dying, Gaines employs sarcasm and humor in Chapter 7 to critique the education system. Through a sarcastic tone, he highlights the disparity between the ideals of education and the oppressive reality faced by African Americans during that era. The character's struggle with acquiring knowledge, due to the social and legal barriers of the time, serves as a satirical commentary on education being a privilege rather than a universal right. The narrative hints at the hypocrisy of a society that claims to value education while simultaneously restricting access to it for certain groups. This usage of sarcasm underlines the farcical nature of the purported equality in education.
Similarly, Barthelme uses humor in his short story "The School" to address the complexities of life, death, and the experience of education through the innocent perspective of school children. The blend of humor and seriousness captures the absurdities and contradictions within educational and life lessons. Sarcasm emerges as a powerful rhetorical tool to criticize and question societal norms and the education system's effectiveness.
The notion that there is a dichotomy between the advancement of white Americans and the deliberate hindrance of African-American progress is also a key theme explored through sarcasm. By using humor and sarcasm, both authors expose the underlying issues of the education system and its societal impact. These literary techniques serve as instruments to provoke thought and illustrate potent points about the intrinsic unfairness and flaws within existing societal structures.