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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:
Brave New World is a satire, in that it dramatizes elements of modern life in order to point out the absurdity and potential dangers of progress taken too far. The drug soma, for instance, is a satirical version of real mind-altering drugs that readers are surely familiar with. The way soma is used in the book is over-the-top to the point of being absurd and almost darkly humorous: the totalitarian state forces people to consume the drug and, in doing so, become too happy and can't enjoy the full richness and complexity of life. In this way, Brave New World is playing with an idea that may sound appealing on the surface: using a modern scientific advancement to eliminate negative emotion. But it takes that idea to the extreme in order to caution the reader against blindly accepting new scientific or technological developments in their own societies, lest they end up anesthetized like the people living under the totalitarian World State.
Related Themes:
