Political Satire in Terry Pratchett' S Discworld

Political Satire in Terry Pratchett's Discworld An Honors Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Elon University Honors Program By AmyL. Duncan May, 2008 Approved by: . ~ J(!)wl!L~ lfea; Schwmd, Thests Mentor ~~\ ~~)~ Kevin Boyle, Department (Reader) b~ Kim Pyne, Depttm:DrrReader) ELON UNIVERSITY Political Satire in Terry Pratchett' s Discworld Amy Duncan (Jean Schwind), Dept. of English 5/12/2008 British author Terry Pratchett has gained worldwide acclaim for his fiction. However, his reputation as a fantasy writer has limited recognition of his status as an inventive political satirist. My paper remedies this critical neglect by examining the artistry and principal targets ofPratchett's satire. The satire of the Discworld novels is timeless, relevant, and hilarious. Discworld is the imaginary world that serves as the setting for Pratchett's fiction: it transcends time and space, drawing characteristics from multiple eras and locations. Pratchett claims that Discworld is governed by magic, but that it is logical: "The reason it is fantasy is that it is logical about the wrong things, about those parts of human experience where, by tactic agreement, we don't use logic because it doesn't work properly" ("Imaginary Worlds" 160). Discworld strongly resembles our own world, making it an ideal forum for satire. Especially in the City Watch arc of the series, Pratchett offers subtle, incisive criticism of Western political philosophies and institutions. In particular, his presentation of a philosopher despot (Lord Vetinari), an undiplomatic diplomat (Commander Vimes), and a downwardly-mobile king (Captain Carrot) upend traditional models of government and power. As elected officials currently targeted by The Daily Show and The Colbert Report can attest, political satire has the power to influence popular opinions of government and politicians. Pratchett exerts a similar power by challenging hegemonic notions of civic leadership. In this paper I apply formalist and new historicist approaches to examine Pratchett's literary satire. I argue that Pratchett is a major contributor to the contemporary renaissance in political satire, and that his novels reflect the current political and social climate. 1 I Theories of Satire What is-satire? According to Jonathan Swift, one of Britain's best-known and most accomplished satirists, "Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own" (Swift lxv). It is humorous but insightful; realistic, yet absurd. The genre traces its roots to ancient Greece and has inspired some of the greatest minds in literature, including Thomas More, Daniel Defoe, Mark Twain, and George Orwell. Satire is a central feature of popular art forms-the works of Gilbert and Sullivan and the films of Charlie Chaplin-as well as literary classics. But satire is viewed as a lesser genre, inspired by the ordinary folly of everyday life: in his Anatomy ofSatire Gilbert Highet writes that satire "cannot, in spite of the ambitious claims of one of its masters, rival tragic drama and epic poetry" (3). It is both loved and hated for its evisceration of the human condition, but is seen as common; it places the mundane under a microscope and examines it as if it were extraordinary. Anyone can write satire: the Roman poet Juvenal argues that "It is difficult not to write satire" (Highet 15). Yet truly effective satire is an accomplishment of the elite, witty few, who wield their pens as swords to cut down humanity. Satire requires a healthy ego-perhaps even arrogance because writers in this genre assume a position of moral or intellectual superiority over the targets of their humor. According to Swift, it is this arrogance that blinds the satirist to his own imperfections as he magnifies those of his fellow men. Gilbert Highet, the foremost authority on literary satire, observes that satire is merely a method of recording reality: "it is topical; it claims to be realistic (although it is usually exaggerated or distorted); it is shocking; it is informal; and (although often in a grotesque or painful manner) it is funny" (5). Satire is a way of twisting reality in such a 2 L way that its flaws are apparent and absurd. But Highet points out the ease with which readers miss satiric int~ntion and mistake satire for sincerity. Plato, he notes, wrote a parody of a patriotic speech over the Athenian war dead which was so close to orthodox sentiments and the accepted oratorical manner that some good critics took it seriously in antiquity and some modem scholars still believe it was sincerely written-although Plato himself said it was comparable to a dirty joke ( 15). In any situation where the orthodox view is subtly challenged and convincingly parodied, it can be taken seriously. Thus Highet identifies foolproof ways of recognizing satire. Highet identifies several ways of determining whether a text is satiric. The first is a direct statement from the author: if the author claims that he or she is writing satire, the genre is obvious. A statement of pedigree, or justification from the author referencing past works of satire, is another clear sign. Beyond these two, the signs are more clouded and subject to debate. Use of a theme and method ofprevious satirists is Highet's third indicator, closely tied with his fourth, which is directly quoting another satirist. Subject matter is widely used and reused by authors; thus the reader must scour the text for additional clues to the satiric intent. Satire is topical and often personal: a satirist will often cleverly integrate a public figure into his work by incorporating unmistakable features of that individual, so that despite the character's different name, the resemblance is evident. Use of satiric devices and language is another giveaway. These include "irony, paradox, antithesis, parody, colloquialism, anticlimax, topicality, obscenity, violence, vividness, exaggeration" (Highet 18). The satirist's goal is to shock; the use of language to unsettle or startle the reader contributes to this end. Finally, Highet argues for "the satiric emotion" in the writer, which he describes as a blend of amusement and contempt. In some satirists, the amusement far outweighs the contempt. In others it almost disappears: it changes into a sour sneer, or a wry awareness that life cannot all be called reasonable or noble. But, whether 3 L it is uttered in a hearty laugh, or in that characteristic involuntary expression of scorn, the still-born laugh, a single wordless exhalation coupled with a backward gesture of the head-it is inseparable from satire (21 ). The necessary element of humor is what separates satire from the "serious" genres. And indeed, the subject matter of satire must necessarily be lighter than that of tragedy. Satire cannot be applied to pure evil or to terminal illness; it is in the incompetent, contemptible aspects of the human condition that satire finds its niche, and on such topics it is written (Highet 23). When one wishes to take on a serious, fatal subject, one writes a tragedy. Satire is a weapon against stupidity. Politics provides the perfect target for such a genre, not only because of its prominence in contemporary society but also because claims of public service by inherently selfish beings are always suspect. Politics is not a field held in high regard; especially in the past thirty years, political discontent has become commonplace. The ubiquitous presence of mass communication, bringing with it televised images of abuses of power and public office; the absurd obsession with celebrity culture, including treatment of politicians as celebrities; and the vast amounts of money spent on frivolous political projects have all contributed to this sentiment. From Watergate to the Monica Lewinsky scandal, from outcry over Presidential hopeful John Edwards' $300 haircut to a proposed $400 million "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska, television inundates viewers with images of political absurdity. In such an atmosphere, satire is not only imminent, but necessary. Like great satirists before him, British fantasy writer Terry Pratchett creates a neutral setting in which to eviscerate and parody nearly every subject imaginable. Though the element of escapism exists in fantasy novels, that characteristic unfairly 4 L 1 becomes the defining one and overshadows any legitimate social critique the author makes. Some authors are able to overcome the escapist stigma-most notably J.R.R. Tolkien, whose Lord ofthe Rings novels, in their protest against slavery and totalitarianism, are "a direct parallel to both World Wars and human history" (Thomas 61-62). Whether examining the (surprisingly many) benefits of a dictatorship or dissecting the madness of religious fanaticism, Pratchett's satire critically examines both societal and political issues, providing thoughtful commentary on the human condition and institutional policy. 5 L Contemporary Political Satire: Its Manifestations and Implications J Pratchett's fiction is a part of a widespread resurgence in the popularity of political satire. Humorous television shows, films, literature, and web sites can be found in abundance throughout contemporary Western society. Satire has become a pervasive force in twenty-first century society and culture. The rise ofpostmodem and existentialist philosophies may account for this satiric renaissance; both theories focus on the meaninglessness of existence and, if given a black-humorous spin, can easily become the foundation for satire. These two philosophical

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