Page 4 Satire

Page 4 Satire

In satire, the author uses humour as a sort of weapon. Satire makes a character seem foolish or pathetic.

When you have finished laughing, you think about what the message might be; if enough people stop to think about the message, society changes.

Example: Many Canadians have enjoyed satirical television programs such as This Hour Has 22 Minutes and The Royal Canadian Air Farce. The show satirized Canadian culture and politics.

In parody, the style of an author or a literary or musical work is imitated closely for comic effect.

Examples:

• Imitating your sister's voice, by mimicking what she says, is a parody if your purpose is to make fun of her.
• Walking behind your brother, copying his movements and gestures, is a parody if you make fun of him.
• The songs of Weird Al Yankovic are familiar parodies.
• The "Hockey Sweater" clip above closely mirrors the style of the original story for humourous effect.

With "The Moth and The Star", Thurber may have intended to parody Aesop's fables in which those who ignore warnings usually come to bad ends.