Final answer:
Satire uses humor and ridicule to expose human follies, often relying on a reader's understanding of the context to be effective. It's crucial for satire to maintain a natural narrative style and familiar subject matter, sometimes using a naive narrator to subtly convey criticism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Satire is the use of humor, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. It can be a potent literary technique, and when done well, enables readers to see the underlying message behind the humor. For the satire to be fully appreciated, the reader must have some understanding of the subject or the context being satirized. Without this knowledge, the satirical nature of a work may be lost on the reader.
To write effective satire, one must maintain a credible context, ensuring that the narrative is presented in an objective and natural style. It's important that the topic is both familiar and recognizable to the readers, so they can fully engage with the satirical elements. An effective approach is to utilize a naive narrator, or one who is explaining a phenomenon to an inquiring audience, without overtly displaying a critical attitude, leaving the readers to deduce the underlying criticism themselves.
Masters of satire, like Jonathan Swift, used humor and a close parallel to real life to encourage readers to reflect on the true nature of what is being presented. Therefore, a good satire can be a subtle but powerful way to highlight and critique societal norms, practices, or policies.