How to write a satire essay, Topics, Examples

A satire essay is a genre that utilizes wit and comedy to discuss a particular topic. It can be rather challenging to write, as it requires from the author to oppose the claimed opinion with humorous arguments instead of logic. Satire essays are usually written in an informal manner and they use humor as one of their main weapons against the opponents.

Satirical essays may deal with any variety of topics, but there are some that are more popular than others. One such topic would be politics, where the author criticized political views by ridiculing them with humor. This is why it is often called “political satire.” Another very common theme for satire essays is social issues. A satirical essay on this subject would often be using comedy to point out the flaws of society and to make people think critically about them.

The satires can be seen from different perspectives. Some say that they are just forms of expressing the author’s opinions, while others could argue that they have a very specific social impact. In any case, satire essays are usually well received by readers because it is a genre that requires intellect from both the writer and the reader. When writing a satirical essay, an author needs to combine their creative thinking with objective analysis of the topic in order for it to work properly. Readers must also understand how this particular genre works so they don’t take things too seriously when reading a satirical piece.

What is satire?

Satire is a literary device that uses irony, sarcasm and humour to lampoon a person or a group of people. It has been long used as a form of entertainment and it was popularised by the works of great writers such as Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope and Mark Twain. Their brilliant satires were epic in their criticism against those they chose to mock for some real life concerns that needed attention as well as the obvious truth about the folly of mankind. In modern times though, satirical pieces have become more about entertainment than making any important statements which is why satire essay examples are not hard to come across. However, if you want your satire essay paper to be an outstanding example on how this literary device should be properly used, you need to make sure that your piece is inspired by the classic writers and their works.

What Is a Satire Essay?

A satire essay is a type of academic writing task that requires choosing a notable topic, finding satirical examples from literature or real life, explaining them in detail and drawing all-important conclusions about what they mean with regard to the issue at hand. In essence, it is a witty criticism of some aspect related to modern way of life that needs changing. A masterful satire essay example will also inform readers why this change needs to happen if not immediately then certainly in the near future. While other types of essays are focused on proposing certain solutions for specific problems, this literary device more with exposing problems like injustice, corruption or greed and explaining why they exist and what might be done to change them.

How to Write a Satire Essay: Examples and Tips for Success

Here are some tips on how to write a satire essay with examples:

Start with an inspiring topic

Satire is all about strong opinions so you should give your readers even stronger ones by choosing something that truly bothers you. The best subjects are those that can be approached from different angles such as politics, religion, education, human rights, medicine and the media as well as their influence on day-to-day life. For example, you can write about lack of privacy in the modern world, which is now available for everyone thanks to social networks like Facebook or Twitter where personal information is posted without much thought given to consequences. You can then proceed with showing how even celebrities and politicians cannot escape the prying eyes of media or online communities.

Find examples from great literature

Writers such as Jonathan Swift, Mark Twain and Alexander Pope were skilled craftsmen when it came to using satire to deliver their message. They saw what was wrong with the world around them and used their talent in writing poetry and prose to bring attention to different issues that mattered most at that time. You can find a great list of satirical quotes here in case you are struggling with your papers , but remember that not all famous sayings will work for your topic so choose wisely depending on its focus.

Select relevant quotes from popular culture

In addition to literary devices, modern writers also use movie clips, pictures, music lyrics and even internet memes to make their point. This may be very helpful for your satire essay paper because you can take advantage of the existing popularity of these types of entertainment and use them to your full advantage. While selecting quotes, make sure that they are not too old (less than 20 years), otherwise, you might lose some of your target audience by employing this strategy.

Explain why people misunderstand satire

To understand satire or any other type of humour, it is essential to know its target audience well which means that everyone needs certain education about different types of literary devices like narcissism , sarcasm , irony and others. Without proper training, there is a great chance that satirical pieces will be misunderstood which in turn makes them pointless when it comes to making people aware of their mistakes. As for the situation in the modern world, not everyone knows where to look for literature that can help them become better individuals or has access to academic papers which is why your task as a writer is to teach your readers about satire and other literary devices so they will be able to enjoy it even if they haven’t experienced much exposure to it before.

Draw all-important conclusions

Even though drawing parallels between different types of sources may seem like an easy thing, you need to make sure that each part contributes something new to the discussion. Satirical essays are similar in this regard because every time you switch from one topic or example to another, you should be able to explain how these two things are related either by focusing on a single similarity or by pointing out how they contrast with one another. In any case, you should be able to prove your points and make your readers more knowledgeable about the topic at hand so don’t forget to properly explain every new thing before moving forward.

Use a proper structure

You can’t go wrong with a standard five paragraph essay so start by introducing your topic, giving some examples from popular culture and literature, elaborating on why it is important, drawing all-important conclusions and then writing a brief introduction which will sum up everything that happened before. If you feel that this type of approach didn’t work for you or if you have some other ideas in mind , remember that the most thing is to mention all of these points in your satire essay paper. Even if you don’t deliver them as a part of a structured argument, just writing about these things will be enough to help the reader understand what makes this topic so controversial and why it is important for everyone to talk about it more often.

Satirical Essay Structure

Satire is a form of literature, and sometimes graphic and performing arts, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, corporations, government or society itself into improvement. Although satire is usually meant to be humorous, its greater purpose is often constructive social criticism , using wit as a weapon.

Satirical Essay Structure

A satirical essay can be organized several ways while still making its point known. The three main ways are by:

arranging arguments according to importance or order of appearance in the work being parodied;
arranging arguments according to their relationship to each other within one overall argument; or
arranging arguments according to what best supports the satirical conclusion as a whole.

While the writer should focus on the intent and spirit of their work, they should be able to adapt to whatever structure is necessary to best convey it. For example, if the writing is meant as an exoteric satire, then it may make sense for arguments to appear in order of importance and relationship within one whole argument and supporting that whole argument’s satirical tone or theme rather than appearing in order of appearance in the original text. Exoteric satire focuses more on humor and ridicule while esoteric satire tends to focus more on philosophy and critical thinking .

Satirical essays can also be written with a less common approach: parodying both form and content. In such cases, an introductory paragraph setting up how the essay will be written is followed by the essay itself, then another paragraph explaining that the essay was just a parody of its original. This establishes that the writing isn’t meant to be taken seriously and it may also include personal information about the writer’s intentions with this specific work.

Satirical essays can also benefit from some standard formal elements of an academic paper, like thesis statements, topic sentences, and concluding statements. A thesis statement serves as an arguable claim or prediction about something in satire essays. Topic sentences help support the argument put forward in satirical essays; they are strong supporting arguments presented near the beginning of paragraphs within satirical essays. Lastly, conclusions serve as final statements reinforcing what has been said previously in satirical essays.

Great Satire Essay Topics To Write About

If you are stuck with satirical essay writing, here are some interesting satire topics you can use to write a high school satirical essay or even a college level satire essay:

A satirical essay that talks about replacing human labour with robots.
A satirical essay that talks about why you should not trust anything the government tells you.
A satirical essay that talks about how people who use smartphones are becoming more and more anti-social in real life, due to their smartphone addiction. This is a great satire topic for college students because it demonstrates being able to identify problems in society with modern technology.
A high school satire essay talking about how having parents in the workplace all day long leads to children growing up at an earlier age, forced into adulthood when they are usually too young to be responsible adults. You can also talk about how this leads to children developing bad at an early age, which leads to more problems for the parents.
A satirical essay talking about how it is time for celebrities to have a larger say in society. This satirical topic can be used as a great satire essay discussing social issues that need attention from those who have a platform to stand on and talk about them. Celebrities sometimes have a bigger voice than people with platforms, so this definitely makes for a good essay topic.
A satire essay talking about some of the best methods you should not use to get rid of household pests. You can discuss both lethal and nonlethal methods here so this one will apply as either college or high school level satirical essay depending on how strongly you advocate your point of view. It would be interesting if there were pros and cons of each method.
A satire essay talking about how most people who are watching sports games in the stands do not know anything about the game they are watching, which makes it very simple for someone to make bets with them on what will happen next. You can discuss how this is quite common at big sporting events and the best way to get around it if you want to avoid being scammed.
An essay where you talk about how some of our ways of life are actually detrimental to us, despite their benefits. This would be an interesting topic for a high school or college level essay because it deals with understanding why some things that seem good have negative side effects down the line.
A satirical essay writing on some of the reasons why modern education is not as successful as it used to be. You should compare modern education with the standard of education back before technology was so pervasive in our lives. Be sure to support your claims by giving examples from real studies, if you can.
A satirical essay writing about how games are becoming more realistic than ever before, which might have some negative implications for society itself. For example, give an example where video games might teach kids violence and make them strive to become like their favorite game character or something like that. This would be a great satirical topic because we often consider gaming a hobby and we rarely consider the consequences people who play too much might face.
A satire essay talking about how most “hobbies” children begin doing at a young age are actually just interlinked to other hobbies, making it difficult for kids to have multiple hobbies. For example, playing video games might boost your interest in computers so you learn how to code and develop a video game. You can use this satirical idea as a great essay topic because the consequences of being too involved in one hobby from a young age can have serious implications on people’s lives when they get older.
A satirical essay that talks about why we need more debates in society today. This would be a good satirical topic for high school students who can compare what modern society would look like if there were more debates going on everywhere. At the college level, you could talk about specific reasons debates are and how these apply to issues going on in the world.
A satirical essay that talks about how most people have a very weak understanding of what “free will” really means, which has led to some very dangerous consequences for society as a whole. This is a great satirical topic because it covers one of the biggest philosophical questions in history and you can use it as a good idea for either high school or college level writing.
A satirical essay talking about why we need more open discussions going on between celebrities and our modern society. You can talk about how celebs often have a voice that reaches millions of ears and they can say many things with little repercussion so this would be an interesting topic if you want to discuss social issues from the perspective of those who are famous today.
A satirical essay where you point out the flaws of “fake news” in our world today. This idea would be perfect for a high school level essay because there are still plenty of people who do their research before believing articles they read on the internet which is how this topic should be positioned.
A satirical writing talking about why we need to stop focusing on making new products and advancements if it means that older ones will fall into the background. For example, you might discuss how smartwatches are taking over traditional wrist watches because people can basically do everything with smartwatches nowadays while they cannot do much at all with regular watches anymore. This is a good satirical topic for college students who can delve deeper into this issue and give more examples to back up their claim.
A satirical essay writing about why game shows are one of the most original pieces of entertainment that any society can possibly produce. You can argue that game show content is virtually endless and you will never run out of ideas which is why this would be a good satirical topic for teenagers who might not be able to think outside the box.
A satirical essay talking about how modern education needs to begin focusing on teaching kids more important life skills instead of just providing them with information they need to know in order to pass tests. This is an interesting topic because it discusses the benefits of different kinds of education so it would be best if you use examples from your own experience as well as real world studies about schools today.
A satirical essay discussing how this is the era of “fake news” and any source can be used as long as it’s credible enough for people to believe what they read. You can discuss why some sources are preferred over others even if their argument might not always be accurate so your perspective on this issue would be very unique which makes it an awesome topic for college students.
A satirical essay talking about how we need to bring back road rage because it’s one of the most exciting things going on in modern society today. You can discuss how road rage provides a level of excitement that you cannot find anywhere else and how it needs to make a resurgence in our culture because everyone needs a little bit of crazy now and then!
A satirical essay where you point out the flaws of millennials today. This is a good idea if you want to talk about how this generation has changed our society for better or worse and what other generations have had to say about these changes which makes it perfect for teenage writers who are at that awkward stage in life.
A satirical essay talking about why texting is the best way to communicate with others because typing words onto your phone screen is so much easier than actually speaking with someone face to face. You can discuss how technology has improved our lives tremendously but also removed us from direct human contact which makes it an interesting topic for high school students who are often suffering through this problem every day!
A satirical essay talking about why libraries should no longer exist because this era belongs to the digital era where everything you read or watch will be online for everyone to see. This is a contentious topic but if you’re able to discuss it in an insightful way then it will definitely garner attention from your readers who might not know what side of the argument you are taking!
A satirical writing discussing why we need to stop putting so much emphasis on physical appearance because this is an age where talent reigns supreme. You can discuss how too much emphasis on looks has created a society full of shallow people who only care about beauty which makes it perfect for teenage writers who are struggling to find their true self in all the wrong places!
A satirical essay discussing why there should no longer be terms like “mankind” or “firefighter” because this is an age where the genders and professions should be treated equally. This will generate a lot of attention because people will not know where you stand on this issue and it would be best if you use personal anecdotes to back up your claim which makes it great for teenagers who might not have much experience with these kinds of things in the real world.

These are just some examples of satirical essay topics that you can write about. Feel free to use the topics above when writing your essay.

Let us now review some examples of satire essays.

Satire essay examples

Satire essays are usually written for school, college or university courses. They may be assigned as part of an assessment task, where the goal is to improve your understanding and practice in order to achieve a certain grade. One common misconception about satire essays is that they involve humour; while this may be true, they will certainly require more than just cleverly-written jokes and funny anecdotes. Satirical writing has its own unique way of delivering materials and information that should not be missed in your own satirical essay.

Example of a satirical essay: Pro-Choice to Pro-Life: The Only Choice You Can Make in America Today

Funny how things can be misconstrued. I thought that when Roe V. Wade was made law, there would no longer be any need for pro-life activists or pro-choice advocates; if you want an abortion, go get one—and that’s it. Done deal. No controversy at all. Yet here we are, forty years after the Supreme Court decision and record numbers of people rallying against choice. What happened?

Apparently it took about four decades for America to realize what is really going on with this whole pro-life/pro-choice thingy. We all got tricked into thinking that a woman’s right to choose whether or not she wanted an abortion was what the whole pro-choice/pro-life debate was about. It turns out that isn’t it at all, though—and here’s why.

There are two sides to this argument, and if you really think about it, one side is only fighting for the other side because they feel like they have to. Pro-lifers fight so hard for their cause because pro-choicers also exist; pro-choicers fight just as hard for their cause because pro-lifers also exist. Everyone thinks they’re working towards their own specific goal when really there would be no need to fight in the first place if either side didn’t believe their goals would help others.

Here’s the real irony: pro-life and pro-choice don’t mean anything. If you choose to be pregnant, you’re still supporting a fetus’ right to live. If you choose not to give birth, then you’re giving your child up for adoption and taking away their chance of ever living. It doesn’t matter if you support choice; we all support life—and that is what makes this argument so ironic.

Pro-lifers feel like they have to get abortions stopped because they believe fetuses are people too. They don’t want anyone getting abortions because they believe abortion means killing a human being—but guess what? A fetus isn’t actually a person. It isn’t actually a baby; it’s just a bunch of cells we all came from, and we’re no better than anyone else because we were once those little cells that didn’t even know they existed.

Pro-choicers, on the other hand, don’t want abortions to stop. They show up at pro-life rallies with signs that say “Keep your laws off my body” and “My child is an individual and so am I.” They rally so hard for choice because they believe pregnant women should be able to do whatever they’d like with their bodies—but remember: if you abort a fetus, you aren’t killing a person. A fetus doesn’t have its own thoughts or feelings, and it definitely isn’t a child. A couple of days after conception, you don’t even have an embryo anymore—you just have two cells that are the same as every other cell in your body.

If we all rallied behind science instead of humanity, abortion wouldn’t be such a controversial topic. It’s kind of sad how everyone is so worried about what they can contribute to society when really most people who think abortion is wrong only want to protect life because they think embryos are already living humans. If people would stop thinking these cells were babies and start thinking about them as microscopic tissue samples with no brain activity, pro-lifers would lose their largest support group.

The bottom line is: no one has any right to control what anyone else does with their body, and no one has the right to force something on someone else that they never consented to. The sooner America realizes this, the sooner we can put an end to these rallies and protests.

Elements of a good satirical essay

A satire piece usually involves several elements that are crucial to understand before writing one yourself.

It must be written with the intention of making a point; this is achieved through wit and sarcasm . The materials used must also contain something to satirize (a criticism or mockery of someone or something)–it does not have to be an actual person or thing, but could simply be an idea. The purpose is to make readers view the topic in question in a new light, by exaggerating its good points and bad points in order to prove your point (usually comedic). Because of this, humour is essential when writing a satire essay; however, if jokes are not your strong suit, you may want to try using irony instead. For example, if your topic is about how great it is that technology allows us access to endless information, you could say something along the lines of “it’s great that we can look up anything on Google.” This would be ironic because–while some people might agree with this statement–most do not think of everything associated with Google in a positive light (its privacy policies or effects on society).
Conciseness: Since these types of essays must make a point and use wit/irony/humour to prove it, writers have only a limited amount of words available to do so. Satire essays must be short and concise; they should go straight to the point without any unnecessary tangents or side-notes. If you need more room, it’s best if you choose another topic.

Satirical essay writing style:

As for writing style, it is important to stay concise and to the point; however, this is easier said than done. Keep sentences short and simple; avoid complicated vocabulary. If you find yourself struggling with conciseness, there are always dictionaries and thesauruses available online or in print that can help improve your writing. Another option is looking up synonyms of words that do not fit well in an essay; this will tighten up your text and make it flow better.

For example:

The girl would not stop dancing around like a maniac.
The girl was behaving in an extremely hyperactive manner.
This would be preferable because–while the second sentence may be seen as repetitive–it flows better than the first, and is much shorter.

To conclude, when writing a satire essay, remember to not only use humour throughout your paper in order to keep readers interested; also pay attention to how you say things by choosing concise words that fit well in each sentence. Finally, if you do lack confidence when it comes to jokes or sarcasm, try using irony instead; just be sure that the tone of your story does not change throughout!

References:

Satire Essay