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Motifs
Definition of Satire
Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians, are often the subject of satire, but satirists can take... read full definition
Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians, are often the subject of... read full definition
Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians... read full definition
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—Family Man:
The following example of satire from Chapter 1 is an excerpt from U Po Kyin's newspaper article. He has one of his lackeys plant this satirical article, with the intention of framing Dr. Veraswami for anti-British sentiment:
Mr Macgregor is of the type of the Fine Old English Gentleman, such as, in these happy days, we have so many examples before our eyes. He is 'a family man' as our dear English cousins say. Very much a family man is Mr Macgregor. So much so that he has already three children in the district of Kyauktada, where he has been a year, and in his last district of Shwemyo he left six young progenies behind him. Perhaps it is an oversight on Mr Macgregor's part that he has left these young infants quite unprovided for, and that some of their mothers are in danger of starvation, etc., etc., etc.
The apprentice who writes this letter employs a satirical tone, referring to Mr. Macgregor ironically as a "family man" who sires and subsequently abandons children. This satirical segment is intended to critique the behaviors of powerful British leaders in Burma, many of whom put on a moral front while committing various harms behind closed doors.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Syphilis:
In an example of satire from Chapter 1, U Po Kyin's apprentice employs a sardonic, critical tone in his newspaper article as a means of critiquing both Mr. Macgregor and the British Empire. Note the use of this satirical tone in the following passage:
In these happy times, when we poor blacks are being uplifted by the mighty western civilization, with its manifold blessings such as the cinematograph, machine-guns, syphilis, etc., what subject could be more inspiring than the private lives of our European benefactors?
In this excerpt, the article-writer refers to "syphilis" as one of the "manifold blessings" brought to Burma/Myanmar by European colonizers. This is undoubtedly an instance of verbal irony: the author upends White colonial paternalism, undermining the idea that Europeans have "blessed" the Burmese with their presence. The opposite was more often true: Europeans brought with them oppression, enslavement, and condescension, seeking to destroy native cultures and replace them with European ones. Many European imperial powers, including the British, saw fit to extract resources and labor from colonized regions, impoverishing native peoples for generations. This article satirizes the concept of the "white man's burden," critiquing the idea that White people bring blessings and resources to the regions they colonize. The actual relationships between colonized and colonizer are extractive.
