Question

What is a common purpose of satire?

to explain to the reader how to make or do something
to express the author’s feelings with descriptive details
to change readers’ minds through the telling of realistic stories
to change readers’ minds through humor and exaggeration

Answer 1

The common purpose of satire is to change readers' minds through humor and exaggeration, using these tools to expose and critique societal issues while engaging the reader in reflection.

Step-by-step explanation:

The common purpose of satire in literature is to change readers' minds through humor and exaggeration. A satire utilizes these elements to expose and critique human vices, folly, or societal issues. It often presents phenomena in a way that makes readers laugh, but simultaneously prompts them to reflect on the underlying serious topics being addressed. The effectiveness of a satire lies in its ability to entertain while also engaging the reader in critical thought, without being too obvious in its criticism or losing the satirical edge.

Effective satires maintain a balance, offering critiques in clever, humorous ways often through familiar situations that resonate with the audience. Authors such as Jonathan Swift, who wrote Gulliver's Travels, are renowned for their skillful use of satire. By presenting stories that appear realistic and unbiased, but are actually laden with hidden commentary, satirists influence readers to view certain practices from a different, often revealing angle. The challenge for writers is not to distort the thematic message with humor but to maintain the readers' focus on the serious content beneath the satire.

Answer 2

Satire is a genre of literature and performing arts, usually fiction and less frequently in non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into improvement.[1] Although satire is usually meant to be humorous, its greater purpose is often constructive social criticism, using wit to draw attention to both particular and wider issues in society.