The Dispossessed

by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Dispossessed: Satire 1 key example

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 5
Explanation and Analysis—Urras:

Urras is an imagined world that serves as a satirical representation of the real world. On Urras, A-Io serves as a representation of capitalist America. Shevek is a foreigner to Urras, so he experiences Ioti society as strange, confusing, and at times frightening. The very things that startle Shevek, however, might be uncomfortably familiar to an American reader: the prevalence of commerce, the subjugation of women, the opulence of the wealthy, the stark class divides, and more.