Question

In "Top of the Food Chain," T.C. Boyle uses satire to develop the theme that logic can be disastrous. Explain how the author's use of satire contributes to this theme. Be sure to use specific details from the text in your response and introduce your topic, develop your topic, use transitions, and provide a concluding statement

Answer 1

The use of satire can help a writer create a comic way to tell a fatal event so the audience can process the errors that were committed and accept the outcome and the decisions that were made during the process.

Top of the Food Chain was written by T.C. Boyle uses a satire method to tell how his decisions affected the environment minimizing the damage that was made and how it is on the human nature to try to solve everything.

He starts his argument using a sarcastic tone to express why he decided to use a spray that was not environmentally safe since the one he was supposed to use didn't serve and "we might as well have been spraying with Chanel Number 5" . He justifies his actions saying that Borneo is part of the "developing world" and for that reason they were able to overlook the fact that the product was not approved.

Afterwards, he talks about how the roofs collapsed because the chemical killed the little wasps, therefore the caterpillars started to eat the roofs so they replaced those roofs with tin. Even though the rain drummed on the panels and people couldn't sleep the author says they were happier.

Moreover he introduced the reader (in this case the Senator) to the fly problem using the satirical phrase: "There's nothing like it here to compare it with, except maybe a garbage strike in New York". With this phrase he intended to minimize Borneo's fly problem adding a hint of humor. "Borneo wouldn't be Borneo without some insect blackening the air."  Then he explained that they used the same solution to solve this problem and defend his decision saying that "at least they were trying".

"Mosquitoes, lizards, scorpions, leeches - you name it, they've got it". The author explains that the geckos died because they ate the flies, consequently the cats followed and people were unhappy because they really cared about the cats. When the cats died, the rats came along so they brought more cats to end the rats problem and people were pleased.

"So what I'm saying is, it could be worse and to every cloud a silver lining, would you agree gentlemen?" He closes his argument with this argument searching for a positive answer towards his story, the satire method helped him minimize the impact of his mistakes making it easier for the reader to digest the fatal events.