This course is designed to make students recognize the historical development, characteristics, and techniques of satirical discourse, focusing on written literature while also considering satirical discourse in other media (the visual arts, film/television, oral literature and stand-up comedy, etc.). The varied forms and contents of satirical discourse will be analyzed via numerous examples as well as theoretical approaches, thereby allowing students to comprehend how satire operates, what functions it serves, and how central it is to many varieties of literature and other media.
Upon the conclusion of the course, students will be able to:
1.Identify the elements of satire and related genres/modes,
2.Describe how satirical discourse developed over time in connection with contemporary historical, sociocultural, and intellectual developments,
3.Evaluate satirical works produced in a range of different media,
4.Explore the relation of satirical discourse to other literary genres/modes.