Aubrey Sonnenschein
Mr. Schwager
AP English Literature 405
11 March 2014
Surprisingly
Satirical
In his excerpt from the satirical
piece, The Spectator, Joseph Addison uses various devices to portray his
daily routine. His use of laconic, hourly updates helps to convey his point
cogently and understandably. The repetition in the passage accurately
symbolizes a sort of stagnation and repetitive occurrences in his daily life.
It’s evident that the tone of his writing and of the character that he’s
created is similar to the tone he propagates as he goes through his own life’s
motions. By elaborating on life’s inertia but also the possibilities of it
taking a sudden turn out of monotony, Addison makes himself relatable to others
who suffer the same common, persistent struggles. He uses repetition of key
events and elaborate detail shifts to unveil a satirical account of life’s ups,
downs and middle ground.
One obvious form of repetition lies
in the grouping of words. Addison positions ten and eleven or even, ten, eleven
and twelve o’clock together to portray the similarities in those hours from day
to day. Beyond grouping, there are words that assure a pattern of stagnation in
the character’s life, such as “Nap as usual” and “Dined as usual.” Furthermore, the behaviors of smoking pipes,
drinking, etc., are formed into a sequence. While there are certain disparities
between his days like purchasing something new or meeting with a friend, these
changes all revolve around an established pattern. Their differences lie in the
fact that they’re deviating from the norm. But in everyone’s life, there are a
few things that shake routines in insurmountable ways.
The attention to detail somewhat
shifts after news of the Grand Vizier’s death surfaces. The transition to
apathy is so clear that it’s nearly palpable. Suddenly, most of the diary
entries are centralized around Vizier and what could have happened if he hadn’t
died. Addison’s phrasing
and meter change from abbreviated snippets to more complete exposition. Rather
than the previous curt and choppy, yet succinct diary entries, he begins to
expound on his thoughts and employ more full, robust thoughts, rather than
terse glimpses. What might have been, “No annuity from Sir Timothy,” prior to
the Vizier’s death has blossomed into, “Stayed within till two o’clock for Sir
Timothy; who did not bring me my annuity according to his promise” (l. 55-57).
All the while, death pervades
the last section of the passage, satire is still maintained by virtue of
the piece’s layout. It’s ingenious how he is able to deftly present the appearance that a
character is nonchalant, yet gain the reader’s sympathy by exhibiting a genuine
change of heart. Elusive
emotional hints such as, “Could not take my nap” (l. 60) afford the reader with
a sort of inevitable compassion. The detail of this piece thoroughly
qualifies it as the satire and true depiction of reality that it is.
Both repetition and detail coincide
to create a complex, but comprehensible and satirical piece. It exemplifies
certain aspects of life that nearly everyone faces at one time or another and
provides an atypical approach on how to handle such things. It seems as though
Addison had a firm grip on his intentions for The Spectator. The subtle,
skillful use of satire can profoundly alter a reader’s experience, particularly
as it contrasts with somber overtones or subtext.
No comments:
Post a Comment