LRB Close Readings Podcast: Episode 11 - Satire in the 20th Century

Hosts

• CLA Bucknell
• Colin Burrow
• Both are fellows of All Souls and contributors to the LRB.

Topic: "A Handful of Dust" by Evelyn Waugh

• Published in 1934.
• Title and epigraph taken from T.S. Eliot's poem "The Wasteland."
• Different kind of satire compared to earlier discussed works.

Satire in the 20th Century

• Waugh labeled the 20th century as "the century of the Common Man."
• Satire becomes difficult because society is seen as degenerate.
• Waugh's perspective from 1946:
  • Satire thrives in stable societies (e.g., early Roman Empire, 18th-century Europe).
  • Aims at inconsistency and hypocrisy, exposing folly.
  • In the 20th century, vice doesn't disguise itself as virtue.
  • The artist's role is to create independent systems of order within chaos.

Waugh's Evolution as a Writer

• Early work: "Decline and Fall," 1928.
• Post-WWII: "Brideshead Revisited," his major success.
• WWII experiences influenced his writing, leading to works like the "Sword of Honour" trilogy.

Waugh's Satirical Style

• Mix of serious and ridiculous tones, creating a complex satire.
• War experiences depicted as chaotic and absurd.
• Personal life mirrored in his novels, e.g., "The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold."

Themes in "A Handful of Dust"

• Nostalgia for pre-war aristocratic life.
• Critique of post-war culture and rise of socialism and taxation.
• Satire of traditional values, depicted through characters like Tony Last.
• Portrays English country houses as symbols of a bygone era.

Comparison to Oscar Wilde

• Waugh and Wilde shared similar backgrounds and aspirations.
• Both sought aristocratic decadence despite middle-class origins.
• Satire often from a perspective of outsider-insider, inhabiting a fragile social bubble.

Oxford Influence

• Waugh's Oxford days influenced his satirical writing.
• Moved in circles of wealthy and flamboyant undergraduates.
• His fiction reflects an outsider’s view of an elite world.
• Rebellion against his middle-class upbringing and his father's profession.

Conclusion

• Waugh’s work remains influential, blending humor with a critique of societal norms.
• Depicts the struggle of maintaining traditional values in a changing world.

Additional Notes

• The podcast episode is a part of a series on satire.
• Covers the evolution and impact of satire from historical to modern times.
• Encourages a nuanced understanding of satirical literature.