Edward O Wilson Satire

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In the world of politics and policies, opponents rarely possess an agreeing opinion. Edward O. Wilson satirizes this competition between polar views in his novel, The Future of Life. Wilson’s satire illustrates the unproductive and selfish manner of arguments between opposing viewpoints or institutions through parallels between the viewpoints, hyperboles, and imagery.

In the two passages, both sides categorize the other as an overarching evil. Throwing names around like “wackos”, “environmental extremists” for the environmentalists, and “anti-environmentalists” or “brown lashers” for the opposing side, to express strong opinions about the opposing sides in just a few words. The names created for the benefit of one side or the other appeal to the emotions of the reader, not the logical side. Wilson adds similar diction to each side to show the ironic parallelism between the opposing sides. For example, in lines 15-17, the “anti-environmentalists” warn the audience that the environmentalists will rob you of your money and

The environmentalists try to paint the right wing point of view as harshly as possible. For example, when the “anti-environmentalists” adopt the name “environmental extremist” to describe their opponent, they infer danger to society. Especially with the recent events prior to the publishing of this novel in 2002, after the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, America was quite sensitive to any mention of “extremists”. The environmentalists did the same by comparing the “anti-environmentalists” to the Nazi regime of “uber alles (above everything else)” (line 47). By setting the sides like black and white (Nazi/terrorist, or peaceful), it leaves no room for any compromise or point of views in the middle. Which is the exact point Wilson satirized: the fact that any claims become illegitimate and childish because none of the claims are based on logic or are constructive to the