Writing that seeks to arouse a reader's disapproval of an object by ridicule. Usually comedy that exposes errors with an eye to correcting vice and folly.

Writing that seeks to arouse a reader's disapproval of an object by ridicule. Usually comedy that exposes errors with an eye to correcting vice and folly.

• A. Parody
• B. Simile
• C. Plot
• D. Satire

Answer: (D)

Satire uses humor, irony, and often exaggeration to criticize folly or vice with the aim of prompting reform. The description—writing that arouses a reader’s disapproval of an object by ridiculing it and exposing errors to correct them—fits satire best because its purpose is to critique and urge improvement through ridicule. Parody imitates another work to poke fun, which can ridicule but centers on imitation rather than a moral correction. A simile is just a figure of speech comparing two things, and plot is the sequence of events in a story; neither conveys the intent to critique society or behavior through ridicule.

Satire uses humor, irony, and often exaggeration to criticize folly or vice with the aim of prompting reform. The description—writing that arouses a reader’s disapproval of an object by ridiculing it and exposing errors to correct them—fits satire best because its purpose is to critique and urge improvement through ridicule. Parody imitates another work to poke fun, which can ridicule but centers on imitation rather than a moral correction. A simile is just a figure of speech comparing two things, and plot is the sequence of events in a story; neither conveys the intent to critique society or behavior through ridicule.