The Icelandic connection - 01.09.2010, Blaðsíða 26

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ICELANDIC CONNECTION
Vol. 63 #2
traits. We need to look a little closer at
the process of satire, at its role as a narra-
tive category, or mythos, to borrow a term
from Northrop Frye (1957). It becomes
clear that the creation of satire is one that
is like the translation of languages, the
mutation of one structure into another.
Canadian literary theorist Northrop
Frye’s chapter on irony and satire from
his Anatomy of Criticism (1957) is key to
our understanding of this translation that
occurs in and defines satire.
It is in the third essay of his four part
oeuvre: Anatomy of Criticism, where
Frye explores the narrative categories
which constitute literary expression:
Comedy, Romance, Tragedy, and finally,
Irony and Satire. It is no coincidence that
ironic and satiric literatures have been
paired together in Frye’s exploration of
their natures. In fact, he states it rather
frankly: “satire is militant irony” ( p.
223). In other words, as a literary catego-
ry, satire is the aggressive use of irony
typified by an intended emphatic effect.
Frye goes on to make the distinction
between satire and irony because it is
clear that both streams use language to
somehow signify an opposite. So how do
they differ? Content, says Northrop Frye.
“Irony is consistent both with com-
plete realism of content and with the sup-
pression of attitude on the part of the
author. Satire demands at least a token of
fantasy, a content which the reader recog-
nizes as grotesque, and at least an implic-
it moral standard” (p. 224).
Guttormur J. Guttormsson’s
“Rockefeller" naturally fits into Northrop
Frye’s categorical definition of satire.
Firstly, it is founded in fantasy: the
world’s most infamous oil tycoon in a
scene outside the pearly gates. Secondly,
it has an implicit moral standard: an
attack on human greed and the everlasting
pursuit of the almighty dollar. It is pre-
cisely the satiric nature of “Rockefeller”
that is the centre of the second seeming
translation occurring in the piece. One
must realize how structurally close satire
and irony actually are to one another.
This is because satire is built out of that
which is ironic, but as a rule leans
towards the comic as its mode of expres-
sion. Northrop Frye quotes John Milton
from his An Apology for Smectymnuus,
which may help us bring home the origin
of satire by an author who influenced our
Guttormur as a young poet: “a Satyr as it
was borne out of a Tragedy, so ought to
resemble his parentage, to strike high and
adventure dangerously at the most emi-
nent vices among the greatest persons”
(1957: p. 228).
Below is the final portion of
Guttormur’s piece where we can discern
the comedic satiric nature that has been
translated from a dire ironic outlook on
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