Due next Monday, November 26:vocabulary 5
missing work: Franklin and Gout questions: Nick, Chrishell, Austin and Ashli
In class: Satire and looking at visual satire.
Definition of Satire:1. A literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit. 2. The branch of literature constituting such works.
Satire is, basically, a word used to describe works of art, including (and especially) literature, which is designed to ridicule and, often, parody. It is most often recognised in the political sense of making light of genuinely serious problems and issues. However, since Satire is a formalised subject, one must recognise that like any written genre, it also has its forms and modes and although in ancient times satire was more likely to be presented as poetry, it clearly also is presented as narrative and dramatic text.
Hogarth was a prolific artist from around 1720 to the early 1760′s, and his artworks have an immense amount of detail about the everyday life of people who lived in London in this era.
In the first half of the 1700′s there was a diabolical situation occurring in the lower classes of London. Gin (or geneva, as it was called) was being consumed in massive amounts by the poor, and had reached such catastrophic levels that 9,000 babies had been thought to die because of neglegent mothers forcing the alcohol down their throats.
The process of distilling gin (of Dutch origin) had initially been encouraged in England at the beginning of the 18th century, as the distilling industry propped up grain prices which were very low. However, over the next 50 years the consumption of gin would increase to disproportionate and dangerous levels.
The government of the day recognised the problem in the 1720′s, but there was no act of Parliament addressing the issue until 1729. This first Gin Act introduced high prohibitive taxes and made licenses for the sale of gin compulsory. Despite good intentions, the act was a failure as, by that stage, it was estimated that one in seven houses in the poorer areas of London were gin-sellers. The sheer quantity of sellers meant that the Excise men could not enforced the law or collect the taxes.
In 1736 the second Gin Act was passed, which prohibited the sale of gin in quantities under two gallons. The immediate result of this was violent mob riots, and by the time the act was 2 months old, it was apparent that the real effect of the act was to increase the smuggling and underground selling of the liquor. In the seven years that followed, gin production rose by more than a third.
In 1743 the third Gin Act was passed, but followed a different tack. The duties on gin and the cost of licenses for production were reduced in order to put a stop to the illegal selling of spirits. However, the act had indifferent success. It had stopped the black market trade of gin, but had not reduced the amount of production or the level of consumption, and by 1751 reform was again on the political agenda.
In 1751 was the same year that Hogarth printed his pair of pictures, in an endeavour to bring to the attention of the public the consequences of drinking this vile liquor. Gin Lane [below] depicts some of the effects of excessive gin-drinking on the society of London, mainly the working poor. Before you think that this portrayal is extreme, there were many, many documented cases of citizens drinking large amounts of raw spirits (turpentine) and being found dead the next day.
There was even the case of Judith DeFoe, who murdered her child in order to sell the child’s clothes for money to buy gin. So, whilst we shudder to imagine it, all of Hogarth’s depictions may have had some basis in the contemporary reports of the day.
Vocabulary 5
1. acuity –noun- sharpness, particularly in the mind or senses; keenness, acuteness
2. delineate – verb- to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail, to represent pictorially; depict, picture, render
3. depraved- adjective- marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles; perverted, degenerate, vicious, corrupt.
4. enervate – verb – to weaken or lessen the mental, moral or physical vigor, to enfeeble; impair, cripple, paralyze
5. esoteric – adjective- intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret; occult, cryptic, arcane, recondite.
6. fecund – adjective- fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive; fertile, teeming, prolific
7. fiat – noun- an arbitrary order or decree, a command or act of will or consciousness; edict, dictum, ukase
8. figment –noun- a fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion; creation, invention, fancy
9. garner –verb- to acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away; collect, accumulate, accrue
10. hallow- verb- to set apart as sacred or holy, sanctify, consecrate, to honor greatly, revere; venerate, bless
11. idiosyncrasy –noun- peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify; eccentricity, quirk, mannerism
12. ignominy- noun- shame or disgrace; dishonor, humiliation, disrepute, odium
13. mundane – adjective- earthly, worldly, relating to practical; prosaic, humdrum, routine, sublunary
14. nuance –noun- a subtle or slight variation as in color, meaning or quality, delicate gradation or shade of difference; shade, nicety, refinement
15. overweening- adjective- conceited, presumptuous, excessive, immoderate; arrogant, unbridled, inflated
16. penchant –noun- a strong attraction or inclination; proclivity, propensity, predilection
17. reputed- adjective- according to reputation or general belief, having widespread acceptance or good reputation; putative, reputable, supposed
18. sophistry- noun- reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound, a fallacy; specious reasoning
19. sumptuous –adjective- costly, rich, magnificent; lavish, munificent, opulent, splendid
20. ubiquitous – adjective- present or existing everywhere; omnipresent, pervasive, universal
Vocabulary 5, exercise 1 Please use the correct form
1. Although he is the _____________________________ head of a crime syndicate, he has never served time in jail.
2. In his writing, the poet paid close attention to every _________________ of meaning in the words he chose.
3. The fraternity developed a set of _____________________ rites that had to be performed by anyone seeking membership.
4. Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray is about a __________________ man whose portrait reveals his wickedness.
5. The fact that the plurals of some nouns are formed irregularly is a(n) ________________________of English grammar.
6. The ruler instituted several new __________________________.
7. The couple was beguiled into buying a bigger house than they needed by the clever ______________________ of the broker.
8. The _________________________ eye of the TV camera threatens to rob citizens of any sense of privacy.
9. It was the __________________________________ confidence of the candidate that prevented her from acknowledging her weaknesses.
10. The ____________________ of most people’s hearing diminishes as they grow older.
11. In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln ____________________ the battlefield on which the Union soldiers fought and died.
12. Unfortunately, the great musician’s mind was ____________________ by disease in the last decade of her life.
13. The painter left all _______________________ concerns to her sister while she single-mindedly pursued her artistic goals.
14. The ______________________ feast honoring the king’s birthday was followed by musical entertainment.
15. The architects will ______________________ the main features of their plan at the next client meeting.
16. The silhouette of a man on the porch was a mere _______________________ of your overheated imagination.
17. An instructor with a _________________________ for belaboring the obvious is bound to be boring.
18. The remarkably _________________________ mind of Albert Einstein produced theories on the science of physics.
19. He went from glory to __________________________, when his deception was exposed.
20. Over the years, the writer was able to ___________________ some wisdom that she passed on to others in her books.
Vocabulary 5. exercise 2
1. The man is __________________________ to have mob connections, but so far no one has been able to substantiate the allegation.
2. During the eleven years of his “personal rule,” King Charles I bypassed Parliament and ruled England by royal ________________________.
3. The phonograph is but one of the wonderful new devices that sprang from the _____________________ mind of Thomas Edison, our most prolific inventor.
4. American-style fast-food shops have gained such popularity all over the world that they are now truly _____________________________.
5. His constant use of the world fabulous, even for quite ordinary subjects, is a(n) ____________________________ that I could do without.
6. The passing years lessened her physical vigor but in no was diminished the _______________________ of her judgment.
7. I was so ________________________ by the oppressive heat and humidity of that awful afternoon that I could barely move.
8. Music can often express a(n) _____________________ of mood or feeling that would be difficult to put into words.
9. The ground in which those soldiers are buried was ______________________ by the blood they shed on it.
10. Analysis will show that his “brilliant exposition” of how we can handle the pollution problem without cost to anyone is merest __________________________.
11. His _______________________ sense of superiority dominates his personality in much the same way as his beetling brow dominates his face.
12. The marathon not only brought in huge sums of money for Africa’s starving masses but also _________________________ much sympathy for their plight.
13. May I interrupt this abstruse discussion and turn your attention to more ____________________ matters—like what’s for dinner?
14. You may have many good traits, but I do not admire your ____________________ for borrowing things and failing to return them.
15. The artist’s sketch not only _________________________ the model’s appearance accurately, but also captured something of her personality.
16. “Your suspicion that I am constantly making fun of you behind you back is a mere _____________________ of your overheated brain,” I replied.
17. There is a quite a difference between the austere furnishings of my little apartment and the ___________________________ accommodations of a luxury hotel.
18. He was a changed young man after he suffered the __________________________ of expulsion from West Point for conduct unbecoming a gentleman.
19. Most people I know are so busy dealing with ordinary problems of life that they have no time for _____________________ philosophical speculation.
20. Beneath the man’s cultivated manner and impeccable grooming there lurked the _______________________mind of a brutal sadist.
Vocabulary 5, exercise 3
Synonyms
1. known for his propensity for exaggeration __________________________________
2. a distinct shade of meaning ___________________________________
3. as a result of the general edict ___________________________________
4. a supposed heir to a huge fortune ___________________________________
5. an eccentricity of speech ____________________________________
6. depicted the view from the balcony ____________________________________
7. sought occult knowledge in ancient books ____________________________________
8. the latest fabrication of his imagination ___________________________________
9. their omnipresent sense of dread ___________________________________
10. known for the keenness of her wit __________________________________
11. a truly vicious attack on an innocent person __________________________________
12. the fertile products of a lively imagination ___________________________________
13. weakened by the relentless repetition ____________________________________
14. collects data from many sources _____________________________________
15. deceived by the specious reasoning of a lawyer _____________________________________
Antonyms
16. desecrated the tombs of their ancestors ___________________________________
17. a man of modest means ____________________________________
18. the unworldly side of life _____________________________________
19. made a meager meal ____________________________________
20. the glory of her situation _____________________________________
Vocabulary 5, exercise 4
1. It is only in superior mental powers, not in physical strength or (ignominy / acuity) of senses, that human beings surpass other living things.
2. Cleopatra took her own life rather than suffer the (figment / ignominy) of being led through the streets of Rome in chains.
3. Like a true fanatic, he considers anyone who disagrees with him on any issue to be feebleminded or (depraved / mundane).
4. Your language is indeed clever and amusing, but your argument is nothing but a piece of outright (sophistry / idiosyncrasy).
5. In a democracy, the government must rule by persuasion and consent—not by mere (fiat / sophistry).
6. The conversation between the computer programmers was so (esoteric / ubiquitous) that I wasn’t sure whether they were speaking English.
7. Her imagination is like a (fecund / depraved) field in which new ideas spring u like so many ripe ears of corn.
8. In that rarefied atmosphere, I was afraid to ask anything quite so (sumptuous / mundane) as the location of the john.
9. We will never abandon a cause that has been (garnered / hallowed) by the achievements and sacrifices of so many noble people.
10. Someone with a pronounced (penchant / figment) for saying the wrong thing might justly be described as a victim of “foot-in-the mouth” disease.
11. I appreciate all those kind expressions of gratitude for my services, but I had hoped also to (garner / nuance) some greenbacks.
12. Probably no complaint of young people is more (ubiquitous / depraved) than “My parents don’t understand me.”
13. Scandal and corruption many so (enervate / delineate) an administration that it can longer function effectively.
14. He means well, but we cannot tolerate his (idiosyncratic / fecund) behavior in an organization that depends on discipline and teamwork.
15. How I’d love to knock the wind out of that lout’s (fecund / overweening) conceit!
16. Two synonyms are rarely exactly the same because (fiats / nuances) of tone or applicability make each of the words unique.
17. The alert defense put up by our team completely neutralized our opponents’ (reputedly / sumptuously) unstoppable passing attack.
18. A true sign of intellectual maturity is the ability to distinguish the (figments / penchants) of wishful thinking from reality.
19. The (sumptuous / ubiquitous) banquet was a pleasant change of pace from the spartan fare to which I had become accustomed.
20. Few writers have J.D. Salinger’s remarkable ability to (delineate / garner) the emotions and aspirations of the average teenager
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