ENG 4UI

Grand River Collegiate Institute

Creative Satire Assignment

Overview: Your goal in this project
is to find something in this world
(a vice or a folly) that must be ridiculed.
Once you've found it, your task is to satirize
it. The form you choose (essay, story, film,
drama, music, poetry, poster, art work, etc.)
and the tools you choose to use are up to you.

REQUIREMENTS:
1. The creation of an effective piece of satire that
ridicules, through irony, a social or personal vice or
folly
2. An informal piece that accompanies the satire. This
informal piece analyses your satire by discussing:
a) the imaginary thesis and/or target of the piece
b) the actual thesis and/or target of the piece
c) Why this target is important to ridicule
d) How you decided to construct your satire (see list
just below the NOTE:)
e) What tool of satire you used (with explanation)
f) Whether your satire is Horation or Juvenalian (with
explanation)
g) Explain how the piece is ironic and what are the
textual clues that let the reader know the piece is to
be taken ironically
h) How you would define the tone you used (with
proof)
i) Why you think your satire is effective.
NOTE: The satire and the assessment will carry equal weight. Make
sure that you take the analysis section of the assignment seriously and
pay close attention to spelling, grammar, and paragraph structure. If
it helps you, model your own analysis on the structure of a formal

essay, but use voice, tone, and more informal language to make the
piece enjoyable to read.
HERE ARE THE DIFFERENT WAYS TO CONSTRUCT A
SATIRE
1. Pretend the flaws of your target are actually strengths (and the
strengths of the opposition to the target are flaws)
2. Depict the vice or folly symbolically (through graphics or story)
3. Place the target into a different context that highlights its folly
4. Create an absurd solution to a problem (target-related). Have
the solution emphasize the folly of the target.
5. Push the target to an absurd extreme.
6. Take an absurd situation (target-related) and treat it as
something to be taken seriously.

Assessment:
Category
Communication
(analysis and
satire)

Level 4 (80-100)
Your writing is
polished---spelling
and grammar are at
a very high level.
Your analysis is
structured
extremely well.

Level 3 (70-79)
Your writing is fairly
polished---spelling
and grammar are at a
fairly high level. Your
analysis is structured
well.

Level 2 (60-69)
Your writing is not
really polished--there are a few
spelling and
grammar errors.
Your analysis is
decently structured.

Your assignment
demonstrates an
excellent level of
creativity, care, and
critical thinking.
The choices you
have made make a
great deal of sense.
The satire is very

Your assignment
demonstrates a good
level of creativity and
critical thinking. The
choices you have
made make sense.
The satire is effective.

Your assignment
demonstrates a fair
level of creativity and
critical thinking. The
choices you have
made make some
sense.
The satire is
somewhat effective.

/10
Thinking/
Inquiry
(satire)

Level 1 (0-59)
Your writing is not
polished---there are
a number of
spelling and
grammar errors.
Your analysis
demonstrates
limited to no
structure.
Your assignment
demonstrates a
limited to
unacceptable level
of creativity and
critical thinking.
The choices you
have made make
little to no sense.

/20
Application
(analysis)

/20

effective.
You have an
excellent ability to
think critically
about your own
work and about the
choices you have
made. Your
analysis shows keen
insight in terms of
your purpose and
audience. You
demonstrate an
exemplary grasp of
how satirical terms
apply to your work.

COMMENTS:

You have the ability

to think critically
about your own work
and about the choices
you have made. Your
analysis shows
insight in terms of
your purpose and
audience. Where
appropriate, key
satirical terms have
been applied.

You have some ability

to think critically
about your own work
and about the choices
you have made. Your
analysis shows some
insight in terms of
your purpose and
audience. Key
satirical terms have
been applied with a
degree of
effectiveness.

The satire is not

very effective.
You have limited
ability to think
critically about your
own work and
about the choices
you have made.
Your analysis shows
limited insight in
terms of your
purpose and
audience. Key
satirical terms have
been applied with
limited to no degree
of effectiveness.