Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How does direct satire address its audience?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
satire
George Bernard Shaw speaking about the novelty of technology; excerpt from a Hearst Metrotone newsreel (c. 1930). (29 sec; 2.6 MB)
In the context of satire as an artistic form, direct satire is characterized by a narrator who addresses the audience explicitly. Unlike indirect satire, where the author’s intent is embedded within the narrative and its story, direct satire involves a more overt communication style where the speaker engages the reader or viewer directly to censure human vices, follies, or abuses.1