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Examples would be really helpful. I really have no idea how I'm supposed to start this satire or what I'm supposed to talk about. Satirical writing is a bit iffy to me. Any help is greatly appreciated. I'm not trying to fish for answers! I'm trying to understand the concept of satirical writing, but have no idea how I can tie it in with dress code.
School Dress Codes. One of the most enforced school policies of all time. Everyone has an opinion about what is too short, what is too long, what is too low, what is too high, what is too tight, and what is too loose. According to schools, middle school girls are all indecent. Because of this, there are very specific rules about what us girls can and cannot wear. “Skirts, dresses and shorts cannot be more than 2 inches above the knee.” So we can only wear long shorts? Is it just me or does that sound like an oxymoron? Wouldn’t long shorts be pants? “All pants and shorts must be worn on the waist.” Would I be punished for wearing my pants above my waist? What if I want to wear my pants around my chest? That’s a nerd style. Nerds are usually pretty smart. Are the schools now frowning upon smart people doing well in school? What about Steve Erkel? Would he be punished for wearing his pants too high? “All tops should cover the top of shoulders and cover the entire body.” It’s a good thing they don’t allow us to show our shoulders. Shoulder showing could really get crazy. I mean, us kids get so turned on my shoulders, who knows what would happen if we all walked around with bare shoulders all day. Also, since when does a shirt cover your entire body? I have never seen a head to toe shirt unless you include burkas and those ghost Halloween costumes made from cheat sheets. I’ve been violating the dress code for two years, wearing shirts that only cover my torso, without even knowing it. How silly of me! I should have realized our public schools run by the United States government that believes in the Separation of Church and State would want us to wear burkas to school. This is the sample essay if you want more or get more content about this essay visit
Satires should make a point. It should be about something that evokes strong emotions in you, such as things that bother or annoy you. So to apply that knowledge to an essay on dress code (I'm assuming school dress codes), try writing as if in praise of them, but your points should be obviously ludicrous, so that the reader knows you mean the opposite. For example...
"School dress codes are mainly put into place because it eliminates the distraction of what others are wearing. By facilitating the conformity of all students, the school is rid of some asinine notions, such as individuality and character. It's the perfect way to reject personal expression.”
For more ideas, just think about ALL of the dress code rules, and different ways that you could sort of mock them. Does your school have the "your skirt or shorts have to be arm length" rule? You could talk about how shorter girls can get away with this easier than taller girls. Or, you could say something like just because you have long arms, doesn't mean you should have to wear shorts down to your knees. I hope this helps! Satires can actually be kind of fun writing, as long as you can get into it.
You could write a story showing, fictionally, what it would be like if teachers couldn't tell students apart because they all look exactly alike (Danielle's example), until one student - or a small, rebellious group - figure out how they can dress outrageously while still technically complying with the details of the dress code.
So satire is a genre where vices and stupidity is ridiculed. Its not necessarily comedic, but it often is. So maybe you could try something where you take dress code to extremes, and everyone looks exactly the same, and individuality is frowned upon in a very ridiculous way. Not sure if thats any help!
I would say that a satire is kind of like a sophisticated way of wrighting down humor. I can't really come up with an example, but you got the definition? Hopefully it's helpfull.
I didn't understand this at first but then it later started to make sense as I thought about it during the day! Thanks so much for the help!!
Make everyone look like nuns or wh**es. Just go above and beyond.
Very sarcastically with a nice dollop of irony :D