F2E The Art of Dissent: Satire in Literature and Cinema
Literature & Writing | Registration opens 9/2/2026 12:00 AM
Satire is a form of cultural and political criticism. This course will pair short essays and stories with feature films that mock authority, expose hypocrisy, and reveal the absurdity and lethality of power.
Examples of paired essays and feature films:
Mark Twain, “The War Prayer” (1904) and Wag the Dog (1997). Both expose how patriotic language and public spectacle can hide violence, manipulation, and political theater.
Jonathan Swift, “A Modest Proposal” (1729) and Dr. Strangelove (1964). Both use deadpan absurdity to attack systems that treat poverty and war as acceptable state policy.
NOTE: All films will be available for streaming at home, some at a nominal fee.
- Image courtesy of Shutterstock
Peter Scheckner
Presenter
Peter Scheckner, PhD, (LLI) retired professor of literature, Ramapo College of NJ, did his undergraduate work at Bard College. His publications include American War Cinema and Media Since Vietnam: Politics, Ideology, and Class (2013), co-author Patricia Keeton; The Way We Work: Contemporary Writings from the American Workplace (2008) co-editor, M.C. Boyes; An Anthology of Chartist Poetry: Poetry of the British Working Class, 1830s-1850s (1989); and Class, Politics, and the Individual: A Study of the Major Works of D. H. Lawrence (1985).