Use the paragraphs to answer the question.

Question

The general chuckled. "They indicate a channel," he said, "where there's none: giant rocks with razor edges crouch like a sea monster with wide-open jaws. They can crush a ship as easily as I crush this nut." He dropped a walnut on the hardwood floor and brought his heel grinding down on it. "Oh, yes," he said, casually, as if in answer to a question. "I have electricity. We try to be civilized here."
"Civilized? And you shoot down men?"
A trace of anger was in the general's black eyes, but it was there for but a second, and he said, in his most pleasant manner: "Dear me, what a righteous young man you are!
I assure you I do not do the thing you suggest. That would be barbarous. I treat these visitors with every consideration. They get plenty of good food and exercise. They get into splendid physical condition. You shall see for vourself tomorrow."
"What do you mean?"
"We'll visit my training school," smiled the general. "It's in the cellar. I have about a dozen pupils down there now. They're from the Spanish bark Sanlûcar that had the bad luck to go on the rocks cut there. A very inferior lot, regret to say. Poor specimens and more accustomed to the deck than to the jungle."
How does the author use satire to develop meaning in these paragraphs?

Answer 1

The author employs satire to highlight the absurdity and brutality of the general’s character and his actions, contrasting his claims of civilization with his treatment of others. The general’s casual demeanor while discussing the danger posed by the jagged rocks, likening them to a sea monster that can easily crush a ship, serves to underscore his detached and almost gleeful outlook on violence and destruction. This metaphor reveals his disregard for human life, implying that he views hunting men as sport rather than a moral failing.

Furthermore, when confronted about his violent actions, the general's response—mocking the young man's righteous indignation—illustrates a hypocrisy in his idea of civilization. He insists on treating his captives "with every consideration," offering them "good food and exercise," which he presents as a form of civilized treatment. This ironic juxtaposition of barbarity and so-called civility emphasizes the farcical nature of his rationale, suggesting that he equates his own brutal actions with a refinement that he fundamentally lacks.

The mention of the “training school” for his captives, described almost like a benign educational institution, manifests another layer of satire. It trivializes the very real suffering of the prisoners and frames their predicament in a manner that strips it of gravity. The general’s characterization of his pupils as "poor specimens" and "inferior lot" further underscores the inhumanity of his mindset, showcasing a colonialistic, elitist attitude that dismisses the value of life based on arbitrary standards.

Overall, through the use of irony and exaggerated characterization, the author critiques the delusions of grandeur and moral superiority that can accompany individuals in power, ultimately revealing the underlying savagery that exists beneath a veneer of civility.