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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
Satire
Explanation and Analysis—The Catholic Church:
In “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” Marquez satirizes the Catholic Church by making it seem hypocritical, out-of-touch, and overly bureaucratic. He does this in a few different ways. First, he has the character Father Gonzaga (the local Catholic priest) respond to the presence of an angel in the community by judging the angel for his unkemptness, criticizing his inability to speak Latin, and concluding that “nothing about him measured up to the proud dignity of angels.” This is hypocritical, given the Christian principles of helping the poor and treating everyone with kindness on the off chance that they are an angel in disguise.
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