Examples Of Satire In Fahrenheit 451

While the tone may range from playful to angry, satire generally criticizes in order to make a change. Exaggeration, parody, reversal, and incongruity are satirical devices. Author’s use satirical devices to strengthen their central idea.

Bradbury uses reversal to strengthen the central idea of dystopia in the satirical novel Fahrenheit 451. In this future society reading books is against the law and it is Guy Montag's job as a fireman to burn them. Yet, in our society books are important and a fireman would never set a fire purposely, in the novels society Clarisse questions “... how long’ve you worked at being a fireman?” “Since I was twenty, ten years ago.” “Do you ever read of the books you burn?” He laughed. “That’s against the law!” (Bradbury 5) This is an example of reversal because it is the opposite of what our society is. Reversal reinforces the idea of a dystopian society in the novel by implying what our society could be with more censorship like mass book burning. Thus, the reversal device is essential to understanding the dystopia in which Montag lives.

His proposals purpose is to mock policies trying to fix all economic issues with thoughtless proposals. As a result Swift has his own proposal by imitating someone proposing to fix the economy by selling children for food. The author explains, “I Profess in the sincerity of my Heart that I have not the least personal Interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary Work having no other Motive than the publick Good of my Country, by advancing our Trade, providing for Infants, relieving the Poor, and giving some Pleasure to the Rich” (Para 33). He deliberately exaggerates his proposal of selling children as food to point out how outrageous policies to uplift the economy have become. In sum, exaggeration helps Swift prove his