AP Language & Composition

Ross/Grice

Satire Assignment to accompany Benjamin Franklin’s “The Speech of Polly Baker”

Benjamin Franklin’s “The Speech of Polly Baker” uses satire to examine the negative way the law treated women. Specifically, the piece calls attention to the unfairness of the law which punished mothers, but not fathers, for having children out of wedlock.

Satire is the literary art of diminishing or derogating a subject by making it ridiculous and evoking toward it attitudes of amusement, contempt, scorn or indignation. It differs from the comic in that comedy evokes laughter mainly as an end in itself, while satire derides; that is, it uses laughter as a weapon against something outside the work itself. That “something” may be an individual, a type of person, a class, an institution, a nation, or event the whole human race. Satire is used to call attention to dangerous living conditions, hypocritical public figures and business leaders’ illegal actions.

Satire involves elements of both parody (imitation) and caricature (exaggeration), but it is usually more complex than either of them. Because it relies on exaggeration and distortion, satire often has a humorous effect. However, while satire intends to be humorous, its ultimate goal is usually a serious one. A good satire makes its audience laugh and causes them to reconsider an issue.

You are probably more familiar with satire than you might think. T.V. shows like The Simpsons, SouthPark,Stephen Colbert’s Colbert Report, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewartuse satire to expose the ridiculousness of certain elements of society. The Onion, an online satirical “newspaper” also relies on satire. Even movies like Austin Powers and Scream are satirical.

Assignment

You will be writing a 2-4 page satirical essay. The first thing that you need to do is to pick an idea or custom in American society that you find problematic. For instance, you could pick…

  • The obsession of some Americans with their appearance
  • The casting of blame on parents, schools, or the media for teenage violence or ignorance
  • Those who make heroes out of or attack celebrities
  • Those who file “frivolous” lawsuits
  • Those who don’t care about the environment or those who care about the environment more than people
  • The evils of Twitter, Instagrams, or Facebook

These are just a few out of many possible examples.

Next, you’ll need to decide from what viewpoint you will write your essay. Benjamin Franklin adopted the persona of Polly Baker; you’ll need to create your own persona and think about how that “character” would feel about the issue you’ve chosen to satirize.

Finally, you’ll write your essay from the point of view you’ve selected. Reread “The Speech of Polly Baker.” How would you describe Polly’s tone? Which words or phrases seem particularly important in creating that tone? How would the speech be different if, say, Franklin himself were speaking? What does assuming a new identity allow him to do?

Reminders

Please type your essay in 12pt., TNR font – none of this Courier New business.

No funky margins; use 1-inch margins.

Use the proper heading.

Due date

Your essay is due ______.

Name: ______Date: ______Period: ______

Outlining your Satire

(Due:______)

1. Who or what is the target of your satire?

2. What is it about your subject that you would like people to reconsider?

3. Who is your audience? What do they think?

4. What kinds of things might you be able to parody or caricature to mock your subject?

English 11

Satirical Essay Rubric

CONTENT

  • The essay clearly fulfills the requirements of the assignment.
  • See the definition of satire on the assignment sheet.
  • The essay maintains a specific focus and a clear sense of purpose.
  • The essay establishes and maintains a point of view and tone.
  • The essay includes ample supporting details.
  • The essay features complexity and originality. 1 2 3 4 5

ORGANIZATION

  • The essay features a clear, specific thesis.
  • The opening engages the reader.
  • The conclusion is thoughtful and goes beyond a repetition of the main points.
  • The essay is logically organized.
  • Transitions between ideas are strong; the essay flows well.1 2 3 4 5

SENTENCE STRUCTURE AND STYLE

  • Syntax is clear and varied.
  • The writer avoids unnecessary passive voice, expletive constructions

(It is, There are).

  • The writer uses verb tense appropriately.
  • The writer avoids wordiness. (Try reducing the number of prepositional

phrases. Avoid, too, strings of phrases and clauses that muddle meaning.)1 2 3 4 5

DICTION

  • The writer chooses words that are denotatively and connotatively correct.
  • The writer avoids clichés and colloquialisms.
  • The writer uses clear, precise, mature diction. (NO very, a lot, things! Seriously

Do not use these wimpy words.)

  • The writer uses the appropriate level of formality.
  • For this particular assignment, a certain level of informality

is acceptable. This does NOT give you permission

to use bad grammar or inappropriate language. 1 2 3 4 5

GRAMMAR/ MECHANICS

  • Editing failure: Any essay that contains, in any combination, four of the Big 6 errors listed below will receive an editing failure.

FR fragmentRO run-onCS comma splice

AGR pronoun or subject-verb agreement errorAP apostrophe errorSP spelling error

  • If the essay contains fewer than four editing errors, I will assign a 5 for 0-2 grammar/ mechanics errors (including editing errors), a 4 for 3 errors, a 3 for 4-5 errors, a 2 for 6-7 errors, and a 1 for 8+ errors.

1 2 3 4 5

Subtotal: ______x 4 = ______Final