Students will consider the different ways that humor can be used by a writer to criticize people, practices, and institutions that he or she thinks are in need of serious reform. Students will read satirists ranging from classical Rome to modern day to examine how wit can be used to make important points about culture.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Students research an aspect of modern life that they would like to lampoon.
Students read from satirists across history to absorb the style and forms of humor and institutions satirized.
Students write their own satire, drawing on techniques of famous satirists to criticize their targets.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

These questions are a guide to stimulate thinking, discussion, and writing on the themes and ideas in the unit. For complete and thoughtful answers and for meaningful discussions, students must use evidence based on careful reading of the texts.

What is satire, and when is it too harsh?
How can humor and irony make you more persuasive?
What do you think is funny? How far would you go to satirize it?
Who gets more reaction—satirists or protestors?

South Carolina struggles against the outgoing Buchanan administration in an attempt to "smash the Union up!" The artist uses the age-old pictorial conceit of two parties pulling on the different ends of a cow, while a man in the middle (in this case identified as "Georgia") happily milks the beast. The cow is emblazoned with the statement, "The Union. I have a good Constitution, and can stand a pretty strong pull!" The cartoon no doubt refers to South Carolina governor Francis Pickens's attempts early in 1861 to attract other Southern states to the secessionist cause. The artist clearly sympathizes with James Buchanan's efforts to preserve the Union. As Pickens expresses his intent Buchanan vows, "Not if I can prevent it governor!" The cow also speaks, "Governor, if you pull too hard on my tail, I'll kick you into the Atlantic Ocean." Toombs chimes in, "Pull away boys!! Georgia will get the cream of this joke!!" as he draws milk into a pail labeled "City of Savannah." The artist may be referring to Georgia's exploitation of the conflict to seize federal Fort Pulaski at Savannah on January 3. (Georgia's perfidy is cited again in "The Southern Confederacy A Fact!!!," no. 1861-22.) Although the print has no imprint it is, as Weitenkampf asserts, clearly the work of Currier & Ives.|Published by Currier & Ives, New York.|Title appears as it is written on the item.|Gale, no. 2256.|Weitenkampf, p. 128.|Published in: American political prints, 1766-1876 / Bernard F. Reilly. Boston : G.K. Hall, 1991, entry 1861-5.

An optimistic Unionist boast, issued early in Lincoln's presidency, predicting the summary defeat of the Confederacy. Abraham Lincoln (at left) stands over the shield of the United States and a bald eagle, and fends off the sword of a bewhiskered secessionist. To the far left Lincoln's predecessor James Buchanan flees, saying, "I am glad I am out of the scrape!" He wears horns and has the words "Something rotten in Denmark" written on his clothing. Lincoln declares, "Just in time!" The secessionist wears a large-brimmed planter's hat, and has a pistol in his belt. He says, "Now or never" as his troops retreat into the background. Behind him federal troops under Union commander Winfield Scott approach. Scott says, "This is the way we serve all Traitors!" His lead soldier, holding up a noose, responds, "I am ready!" Behind are more Union troops, and a gallows. A domed building, possibly the Capitol at Washington, appears in the distance at left.|Copyright secured by Carl Anton, Cincinnati.|The print was deposited for copyright in the District Court for Cincinnati on May 24, 1861.|Title appears as it is written on the item.|Weitenkampf, p. 126.|Forms part of: American cartoon print filing series (Library of Congress)|Published in: American political prints, 1766-1876 / Bernard F. Reilly. Boston : G.K. Hall, 1991, entry 1861-27.

This text is intended to be used in undergraduate literature courses as a supplement to help enhance students' interactions with literature and to guide their undertanding source material they may encounter in their studies. 

The purpose of this course is for adult learners to improve their communication skills, particularly writing, by arguing effectively for a raise. Their arguments will consist of evidence-based claims. Additionally, the lesson provides general guidelines on how to respond to the rejection of a raise and criticism of one's work. The target audience of this lesson is adults at the 7th grade reading and writing level. This lesson is intended for a real classroom. This module involves reading, writing and speaking components. The entire lesson will take roughly 45 minutes to complete.

This course takes rhetoric as a system for designing meaning that helps us understand complex situations and ideas, enlighten and persuade others to act, and thus reshape our world. We’ll study rhetoric systematically and empirically, both analyzing how it works on us as readers, and testing how we can make informed rhetorical choices as we design our own texts.