Many authors show satire in their texts to add humor and mock society while simultaneously capturing the attention and keeping the interest of the reader. May Day (1920) by F. Scott Fitzgerald is set in New York City after the first World War in 1920 with the prohibition law in place and at the beginning of the roaring twenties. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) by Mark Twain is set throughout America before the Civil War around the year 1840. Even though both novels contain several differences, the numerous ways the authors use symbols, characters, and diction help display satire throughout the novels to tease society as well as to create humor. Different characters show the variety of lifestyles, symbols are used to convey the
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Fitzgerald uses different intellectual levels when characters are speaking - it helps to show the different social statuses of the characters. “Peter bowed. ‘How do you do?’ he said” (Fitzgerald, 80). A high class Yale graduate bows to two low class soldiers. This conveys satire because the high class, intellectual individual bows in respect to the lower class whereas it should be the other way around because the higher class is the most respected. Secondly, Mark Twain uses the same technique in his novel to satirize white society in order to show the readers the extremely different lifestyles of the blacks and whites during the age of slavery. “Tom told me what his plan was, and I see in a minute it was worth fifteen of mine for style, and would make Jim just as free a man as mine would” (Twain, 235). Tom and Jim are determined to free Jim from slavery, which is against the social norms; however, they proceed to do so because they believe in doing what is morally right. This is satirical because Twain is teasing the social norms set in the age of slavery by making them be viewed as ridiculous and foolish to be in place. Also, Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer are not the only ones who showed respect towards slaves in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Jim’s owner, Miss Watson, wanted to set Jim free. “Old Miss Watson died two months ago, and she was
Fitzgerald uses different intellectual levels when characters are speaking - it helps to show the different social statuses of the characters. “Peter bowed. ‘How do you do?’ he said” (Fitzgerald, 80). A high class Yale graduate bows to two low class soldiers. This conveys satire because the high class, intellectual individual bows in respect to the lower class whereas it should be the other way around because the higher class is the most respected. Secondly, Mark Twain uses the same technique in his novel to satirize white society in order to show the readers the extremely different lifestyles of the blacks and whites during the age of slavery. “Tom told me what his plan was, and I see in a minute it was worth fifteen of mine for style, and would make Jim just as free a man as mine would” (Twain, 235). Tom and Jim are determined to free Jim from slavery, which is against the social norms; however, they proceed to do so because they believe in doing what is morally right. This is satirical because Twain is teasing the social norms set in the age of slavery by making them be viewed as ridiculous and foolish to be in place. Also, Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer are not the only ones who showed respect towards slaves in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Jim’s owner, Miss Watson, wanted to set Jim free. “Old Miss Watson died two months ago, and she was