7.28.2003
I am co-writing what I thought was a satire of a children’s book, which led a friend to ask the following question:
Are satire and parody two separate and distinct genres, or is parody merely one form of satire?
Well, yes . . . and no. My gut reaction is that they are two distinct genres, often containing elements of the other form. To put the question in a slightly different way: can parody exist apart from satire?
I found the following definitions at Merriam-Webster online:
Main Entry: sat·ire
Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin satura, satira, perhaps from (lanx) satura dish of mixed ingredients, from feminine of satur well-fed; akin to Latin satis enough
Date: 1501
1 : a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn
2 : trenchant wit, irony, or sarcasm used to expose and discredit vice or folly
Main Entry: par·o·dy
Etymology: Latin parodia, from Greek parOidia, from para- + aidein to sing --
Date: 1598
1 : a literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule
2 : a feeble or ridiculous imitation
Satire seems to include a broader range of subject matter than parody. Satire may encompass – according to this definition, at least -- human vices and follies. All human vices and follies, implicitly. Parody, by contrast, is an approximation of a particular style or styles for comic effect. I think it follows that satire would tend to have broader themes than parody, and that parody might not concern itself with themes at all . . . but might parody rather operate in a different mode entirely, mocking, as it does, a specific style? One apparent difference is that parody is narrower in scope, generally speaking.
Are satire and parody two separate and distinct genres, or is parody merely one form of satire?
Well, yes . . . and no. My gut reaction is that they are two distinct genres, often containing elements of the other form. To put the question in a slightly different way: can parody exist apart from satire?
I found the following definitions at Merriam-Webster online:
Main Entry: sat·ire
Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin satura, satira, perhaps from (lanx) satura dish of mixed ingredients, from feminine of satur well-fed; akin to Latin satis enough
Date: 1501
1 : a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn
2 : trenchant wit, irony, or sarcasm used to expose and discredit vice or folly
Main Entry: par·o·dy
Etymology: Latin parodia, from Greek parOidia, from para- + aidein to sing --
Date: 1598
1 : a literary or musical work in which the style of an author or work is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule
2 : a feeble or ridiculous imitation
Satire seems to include a broader range of subject matter than parody. Satire may encompass – according to this definition, at least -- human vices and follies. All human vices and follies, implicitly. Parody, by contrast, is an approximation of a particular style or styles for comic effect. I think it follows that satire would tend to have broader themes than parody, and that parody might not concern itself with themes at all . . . but might parody rather operate in a different mode entirely, mocking, as it does, a specific style? One apparent difference is that parody is narrower in scope, generally speaking.
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