Styles of Description (Part Two)

By: Sean Savoie 

For many Asian immigrants in the United States, sarcasm is one of the least understood forms of expression. If you, my dear reader, speak Chinese as a mother tongue and look up the word sarcasm in your dictionary, you may believe you have a clear understanding of the word and its use; however, if you really understand Western sarcasm, your English level must be extremely high because sarcasm can be quite subtle and complex. The most common form of sarcasm in a conversation is put to use by saying something that may be a joke or serious, causing the listener to wonder if something is a joke or not.

            My Webster's dictionary describes sarcasm as 1. harsh or bitter derision or irony 2. a sneering or cutting remark. Therefore sarcasm, according to the dictionary, is a rather negative form of expression. This may be true, but sarcasm has long played a crucial role in Occidental literature, working indirectly like a hidden knife to cut away at ridiculousness and the oppression of society. In this way, it is a very important stylistic way of describing something and creates its own unique tone.

There are different types of sarcasm, but to better understand it, consider some of the ways that it functions. It is often used to make another person, group, or organization feel or seem confused or less intelligent. For example, if a person is talking about how unbelievably peaceful the current United States governmental administration is, this person is probably being sarcastic, meaning that the person is saying something that is the opposite of the real meaning intended. This type of statement may function as irony, or, more likely, it is a sharp criticism against the current government.

Another type of sarcasm, which may be more familiar to Asian societies, functions to criticize one thing symbolically by explaining a completely different thing. George Orwell did this to some degree in his book Animal Farm, in which a group of barnyard animals, after chasing away the farmer, worked to develop its own system of government. Each animal in the story represents a different type of person in society, leaving the author a great deal of freedom to express the nature of various types of people. In this story, using animals to represent human beings is not the sarcasm; rather, sarcasm is used in subtle ways by depicting the actions of each individual animal. From what well-educated Asian friends tell me, such literary works have been used in history to criticize the Chinese government in various time periods in a similar way. The power of this form of expression is very evident.

This type of ironic sarcasm can be seen in the writings of the ancient Greeks. Afterwards, under the heavy domination of the Roman Empire, and then, for a much longer time, by the Catholic Church, people were far too intimidated and threatened by death to use sarcasm in an expression against the political powers. Under this type of oppressive control, common people were not allowed to learn how to read. This time period in history is called the Dark Ages. And I agree that without humorous sarcasm this period must have been a very dark time. Then came the Middle Ages. Then came the Renaissance, which in French means rebirth. During this time, in the 15th and 16th centuries in Europe, all types of expression began to flourish, opening a pathway for the greatest user of sarcasm in the history of English literature, William Shakespeare. All throughout the massive body of his work, William Shakespeare made use of irony and satire to capture, describe, define, and cast doubt on the complexities of human life. Ironically, though he never attended any university, his prolific literary work, including 37 plays and 154 sonnets, is considered the highest level of English literature.

Only later did the works of François-Marie Arouet, better known by his pen name Voltaire, take the use of satire and irony to the level of true political sarcasm. Voltaire was arrested and imprisoned many times for his sarcastic writings about the Catholic Church and the French monarchy, and was even sent out of France because he was seen as a threat to the royal family. He moved to England, where he was greatly influenced by the more tolerant society and the works of William Shakespeare. In literature, Voltaire is probably best known for his work Candide, which is also named Optimism. This work of satire greatly angered the rich people in society, yet had such a powerful effect that it was influential in the eventual revolution of the French people against the royal family. Yes, sarcasm can be extremely dangerous, especially for people who have power and are hiding the truth.

Sarcasm and satire are alive and well in modern-day America, as can be seen in political cartoons in news magazines, sharp and witty editorials, comedian monologues, situation comedies, fake news programs, websites and weblogs, and even the classrooms of public and private schools. The open use of sarcasm, especially when used to criticize the government, is certainly a sign of a free society; it can, however, also have a harmful effect on society and create problems for a writer who uses sarcasm.

One problem with the use of sarcasm is that it can go too far. In conversation or in written work, a person who uses too much sarcasm can be cynical, meaning that the person has no trust or belief in any individual, institution or system of belief. This cynicism completely discredits the speaker or author, leaving the reader or listener with the desire to seek a more reasonable understanding of the subject. This is why many people say that sarcasm can cut both ways. A knife can be used to cut another person, but it can also cut your self.

Another problem with sarcasm is that it tends to make a joke out of a serious situation. Many people, including myself, find humor in something that other people take very, very seriously. This is natural in a free society and allows people the opportunity to release stress; however, if the jokes about serious things make people feel that these things are in fact only jokes, big problems arise.

One good example of potentially dangerous sarcasm is a television program on Comedy Central called the Daily Show, which mixes current news with fiction and comedy in a satirical way. I personally love this show and can see its benefit for society, yet I also see potential problems. In one way, the program functions to help people see the absurdities in modern-day society. In another way, it can function to make people feel that very serious issues are laughable. This is a problem. The very best example is the United States government, which, although undergoing many serious problems that may present opportunities to laugh, is certainly no joke. The United States government is the most powerful government in the world, and therefore has an astounding amount of influence on the entire world. If the voting population of the United States sees the government as a joke, our society will fall apart.

Please keep in mind that sarcasm and satire are like linguistic weapons. Sarcasm is an extremely sharp knife, and in this way can be very useful or dangerous. College writers should most certainly utilize sarcasm and satire to sharpen their expression and develop their critical thinking while keeping in mind that this sharp razor can cut both ways.