Student Question
What literary elements, such as satire and irony, are used in Mark Twain's "The Lowest Animal"?
Quick answer:
In "The Lowest Animal," Mark Twain employs satire and irony to critique human nature. Through satire, he highlights human faults like greed, vanity, and cruelty, contrasting them with more innocent animal behaviors. Irony is evident in how Twain points out that humans, unlike animals, invent indecency and are the only creatures that blush, reflecting shame. This work encourages readers to acknowledge these flaws and consider how to improve human behavior.
Absolutely! Satire was one of Twain's most successful weapons. Satire is poking fun of something, but the result is not always a "ha-ha!" effect. More often than not, the result is a "oh! he's right...now what do we do about it?" effect. Twain wanted people to notice the dark side of human nature and while laughing at our weaknesses, continually attempting to improve the world.
In this essay, Twain compares humans to all other animals. He focuses on our faults and traits that other animals don't have. For instance, greed, vanity, cruelty for the sake of being cruel, jealousy, etc.
One of the most famous quotes from this piece is:
Indecency, vulgarity, obscenity—these are strictly confined to man; he invented them. Among the higher animals there is no trace of them. They hide nothing; they are not ashamed. Man, with his soiled mind, covers himself. He will not even enter a drawing room with his breast and back naked, so alive are he and his mates to indecent suggestion. Man is “The Animal That Laughs.” But so does the monkey, as Mr. Darwin pointed out; and so does the Australian bird that is called the laughing jackass. No—Man is the Animal that Blushes. He is the only one that does it—or has occasion to.
At first glance, it seems harsh, but upon further examination, we realize Twain is right. We are all these things. How can we fix it?
Irony and satire are rampant in this piece. Go back and find your examples.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.
References