The Satire of Ishmael Reed: From Non-standard Sexuality to Argumentation
The Satire of Ishmael Reed: From Non-standard Sexuality to Argumentation

Author(s): Jiří Šalamoun
Contributor(s): Jana Horáková (Editor), Katarina Petrovićová (Editor), Vendula Hromádková (Editor)
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Language and Literature Studies, Applied Linguistics, Studies of Literature, Sociology, Stylistics
Published by: Masarykova univerzita nakladatelství
Keywords: Ishmael Reed; satire; non-standard sexuality; society critique;
Summary/Abstract: This book addresses a gap in Ishmael Reed scholarship by contextualizing his use of satire and by establishing which satirical techniques are most frequently used and when. It demonstrates that Reed’s satire has evolved from a stage which frequently criticizes society through non-standard sexuality (as can be seen in his early novels) to a stage which frequently criticizes through logical argumentation (as can be seen in novels published after 1990). The book connects these two modes of satire to two types of American racism: overt (present in the public discourse until the Civil Rights Movement) and covert (present in the public discourse after the Civil Rights Movement). It concludes by illustrating that as overt racism became unacceptable in American public discourse, Ishmael Reed updated his satire so that it would remain an effective type of social critique. The book is intended for those interested in the novels of Ishmael Reed, African American literature, and satire.

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