What Is Juvenalian Satire? | Definition & Examples
Juvenalian satire is a form of satire that criticizes contemporary individuals and institutions with severity and contempt. The main goal of this literary genre is to make the audience feel angry and frustrated with the current state of the world and thereby inspire social reform.
Juvenalian satire can be found in literature, film, and animated television series.
What is Juvenalian satire?
Juvenalian satire, named after the Roman poet Juvenal, is a harsh and bitter form of satire that condemns human vice and folly. Unlike other forms of satire that are more tolerant or mild, Juvenalian satire is darker and more cynical. Although it may be funny at times, its primary purpose is not to elicit laughter, but to reform society.
To achieve its goal, Juvenalian satire employs various literary devices, including parody, exaggeration, invective, and irony. However, its tone and style are closer to tragedy than comedy. The Juvenalian satirist views the world with horror and contempt, rather than amusement. They often depict nightmarish and dystopian versions of society to deliver their scathing critiques. For example, George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 creates a grim and oppressive atmosphere to evoke feelings of outrage in the reader and warn them of the dangers of totalitarianism.
Juvenalian satire examples
Gulliver’s Travels by Johnathan Swift, with its cynical view on human nature, can be considered an example of Juvenalian satire.
The novel imitates the style of 18th-century travelogues, a popular genre at the time, satirizing both traveler’s tales and various aspects of society like political corruption and religious intolerance.
Lilliputians are portrayed as petty and putting great emphasis on trivial matters, like which end of an egg should someone crack, while the people of Laputa blindly pursue science without practical results, satirizing the Royal Society and its experiments. After his return, Gulliver is so appalled with humanity that he avoids his family, buying horses and conversing with them instead.
The novel American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis uses Juvenalian satire to critique the excess of American consumer culture in the 1980s.
With its dark humor, exaggerated characters, and over-the-top violence, American Psycho is meant to inspire anger in the reader and ultimately highlight the dangers of a society that prizes material possessions and power above human life.
Horatian vs Juvenalian satire
Horatian and Juvenalian satire are two distinct types of satire. Their main difference lies in their tone and purpose. More specifically:
- Horatian satire employs a humorous tone and tolerant attitude toward its subjects. It gently mocks individual and collective vices and follies, such as greed or hypocrisy, using exaggeration, wit, and ridicule. However, Horatian satire primarily aims to amuse the audience and encourage self-reflection, avoiding harsh condemnation. Satirical websites like the Reductress are examples of this type of satire.
- Juvenalian satire, on the other hand, has a more abrasive and pessimistic tone. It directly attacks public figures, institutions, and other forms of power that the satirist deems corrupt or evil. Using scorn, bitter irony, and savage ridicule, Juvenalian satire seeks to make the audience feel indignant about the state of the world and thus incite political or societal change. The novel Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, targeting consumerism and toxic masculinity, is a prime example of Juvenalian satire.
In short, Horatian satire aims to entertain rather than transform society, while Juvenalian satire aims to expose the injustices or absurdities of the world with less emphasis on humor.
Frequently asked questions about Juvenalian satire
- What is an example of Juvenalian satire?
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The movie Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb by Stanley Kubrick is an example of Juvenalian satire, which is one of the three main types of satire.
It employs dark humor and character exaggeration to satirize Cold War tensions and the absurdity of the nuclear arms race of the time. Behind the witty dialogue, however, the movie carries a serious message, highlighting how political and military forces drive humanity toward its destruction.
- What is the difference between Horatian and Juvenalian satire?
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Horatian satire and Juvenalian satire are two distinct types of satire that provide social commentary but have different characteristics and purposes.
- Horatian satire is more tolerant toward the absurdities in society and human behavior, and its primary goal is to amuse its audience.
- On the other hand, Juvenalian satire seeks to inspire social change by making the audience feel indignant toward social injustice, rather than simply entertaining them.
