How Does Mark Twain Use Satire In Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live. No doubt a familiar name, with 42 seasons, 817 episodes, and over 3.5 million people tuning in each week, SNL is one of the most successful television programs in American history. Mainly watched as a source of amusement, SNL lures viewers in with the witty, derisive, and sarcastic spirit of their script; however, under the jokes and comical skits lies latent commentary on issues that beset society. Satire, as seen in SNL, has been utilized numerous times throughout literature as a tool for the author to relay a certain notion in an entertaining fashion. American author Mark Twain commonly applied satire in his works to criticize the flaws he observed in humanity, while maintaining a sense of appeal. In the novel, The Adventures

In the feud between the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons, irony is used to illustrate how possessing a foolish amount of self-regard and a lack of personal resolve merge to form a detrimental outcome. After first witnessing Buck shoot at a man, Huck inquires about the feud asking, “What was the trouble about, Buck?-land?’ ‘I reckon maybe- I don’t know.’ ‘Well, who done the shooting? Was it a Grangerford or a Shepherdson?’ ‘Laws, how do I know? It was so long ago...There ain’t a coward amongst the Shepherdsons- not a one. And there ain’t no cowards amongst the Grangerfords either’” (110). Unable to recall the source of the conflict, Buck discerns the honor his family takes in defending their name, so he picks up a gun a follows suit. Twain’s ridicule of the family’s pomposity shows how easily individuals are able to adopt the behaviour of others around them. Furthermore, we see satire present

For instance, after fabricating a tale regarding his life as a sordid pirate, the king tells a religious town, “‘Don’t you thank me, don’t you give me no credit; it all belongs to them dear people in Pokeville camp meeting… And then he burst into tears, and so did everybody. The somebody sings out, ‘Take up a collection for him, take up a collection! Well, a half a dozen made a jump to do it, but somebody sings out, ‘Let him pass the hat around!’ Then everybody said it, the preacher too” (132). As seen in the minicking structure of the quote, Twain exaggerates the crowd's eagerness to cling to an idea; once a proposition is made, the group instantaneously complies, spending no time assessing it’s cogency or the possible ramifications. So honored to discover their beliefs had transfigured him, the town failed to question the reliability of his wild story. Due to their absence of scrutiny and the exorbitant amount of pride they held in their religion, the town is swindled by the king. Moreover, when the audience of one of the duke and king’s performances realizes they have been deceived, a lone spectator voices, “‘What we want is to go out of here quiet, and talk this show up, and sell the rest of the town! The we’ll all be in the same boat. Ain’t that sensible?’ (‘You bet it is!- the jedge is