Introduction 

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In my “Why I Write” essay, I explain that most people are only familiar with the nonfiction analyses that I write about electoral politics, capitalism, and the carceral state. Very few people know that my passion for writing started with fiction which I often saw as a means by which to engage in relevant social commentary. In that same piece, I also discuss the importance of representation when its function is to challenge material conditions, uproot oppressive ideas, and fight for liberation. As such, I want to fuse these ideas in order to create a satirical flash fiction story that encapsulates the harms of late-stage capitalism. 

 

Genre Research

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Flash fiction is a genre that is defined by its brevity. It is a short story that could range from a couple of words to a couple of pages. It contains a complete plot with a structured beginning, middle, and end. It typically incorporates some element of surprise towards the end in order to prompt the reader to think more deeply about the meaning of the story. To prepare for this experiment, I read several examples of flash fiction recommended by BookRiot including “Unnecessary Things” by Tatyana Tolstaya and “War of the Clowns” by Mia Couto. 

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Satire is both a genre and a literary device that utilizes irony, humor, and exaggeration in order to comment and criticize something in society. To prepare for this experiment, I read several pieces of satire from The Onion including one called “L.A. Books 5,000 Hotel Rooms For Police Officers To Take Naps In Between Displacing Homeless.” I felt like this satirical article had some of the energy that I wanted to capture in my piece. 

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With regard to the origins of satire, the word “satire” traces back to the Latin word “satur” which translates to “well-fed” and was used in the phrase “lanx satura” which translates to “a dish full of many kinds of fruit.” This was used by ancient Roman critics and writers to essentially engage in what is contemporarily known as satire today. Aristophane’s Old Comedy is what is commonly considered to be the literary origin of satire. There are three types of satire: Horatian which is comic and offers light social commentary, Juvenalian which is a darker means to speak truth to power, and Menippean which casts moral judgment on harm such as homophobia or racism. For the purposes of my story, the Juvenalian seems to be best suited for the content and themes.

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Bibliography 

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MasterClass. “What Is Satire? How to Use Satire in Literature, Pop Culture, and Politics-Plus Tips on Using Satire in Writing.” MasterClass, 25 Mar. 2021, www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-satire-how-to-use-satire-in-literature-pop-culture-and-politics-plus-tips-on-using-satire-in-writing#quiz-0. 

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MasterClass. “Writing 101: What Is Flash Fiction? Learn How To Write Flash Fiction in 7 Steps - 2021.” MasterClass, 25 Mar. 2021, www.masterclass.com/articles/writing-101-what-is-flash-fiction-learn-how-to-write-flash-fiction-in-7-steps#quiz-0.