Saturday, December 20, 2014

3 Modes of Satire/Parody

First, there is stark contrast between two images of Sinclair that is repeated throughout the novel. One image of Sinclair is that he is idolized. In the poem 'Mount Rushmore (Bachelder, 27), Sinclair is described to be a significant character whose face should be carved in Mount Rushmore. The poem almost laments what could have been done, and what great accomplishments Sinclair could have achieved as the governor of California. However, subsequent chapters show Sinclair cowering behind a couch, scared for his life as people angrily label him as a 'commie'.

Second, Bachelder creates a fake novel called 'Pharmaceutical!' that Sinclair wrote when he was 120. The review of the novel lambastes Sinclair; they point out predictive plotlines of the novel, where the hero is a poor man who is working hard to support his family. Moreover, various anachronisms of the novel are highlighted, which is due to Sinclair being 'out of touch with contemporary culture' (Bachelder, 15). By creating fake and negative reviews, Bachelder shows the weakened socialist views in modern society.

Third, the novel is satirizes the modern society that has become immune to social issues. In a letter 'There Are Problems with the Demo, Lyle' (Bachelder, 37) where a game developer is exchanging ideas, she mentions that 'kids who play our games don't want to make world a better place... They want to shoot things.' (Bachelder, 39). The letter mentions creating characters with superpowers to shoot at, who are 'radicals' in real life. This letter symbolizes indifference and violence that is prevalent in modern society, which is fueled by technology.

For my tactile media project, creating a descriptive/visual contrast between dehumanization of homosexuals by the Korean church and re-humanization of such claims would be helpful in satirizing biased perspective that the church is promoting.

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