Satire in the Fiction of George Saunders

In this essay, you will write a literary analysis of the fictional short story collection Pastoralia by George Saunders. Specifically, you need to analyze how Saunders uses satire to mock, ridicule, and expose the inhumane workplaces and tragic lives of his characters.

Who and what is the target of Saunders’ satire? Connect the stories to the real world by researching relevant issues like income and wealth inequality, working class movements like the Fight for $15, and any other relevant economic, political, historical, and cultural context.

How are workplaces depicted in these stories? Think of the settings, occupations of the characters, the relationships between coworkers and management, the language of the workplace. All of these elements shape the humor and satire of each story.

Why are the fictional worlds in these stories so nightmarish? Explore the sad lives, depressing circumstances, and near constant humiliations of the characters in these stories. How is this part of the satire? Does Saunders want his readers to laugh at these poor characters, or do they illustrate the larger problems that he is trying to satirize?

What do critics and Saunders himself have to say about satire and the role of humor in his writing? Research George Saunders and the criticism of his work in both popular and scholarly sources.

Your essay must have a thesis that clearly states the subject and main points of your essay. Organize body paragraphs around a main topic, stated in a topic sentence. Develop your main points with specific examples and direct quotations from the stories. You need to cite your sources both in-text and in a Works Cited page according to MLA style and format.

In addition to the short stories, you must use at least three secondary sources such as scholarly journal articles, reviews of Saunders’ writing, interviews with Saunders, and any resource on the real world context satirized in the stories.

Your essay must be a minimum of 1,500 words.

Here are some helpful resources for this essay:
MLA Formatting and Style Guide
MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics
MLA Formatting Quotations
MLA Sample Paper