Leacock's Sunny Sketches of a Small Town It takes a certain type of character to see the humor in everyday life. It takes an even greater character to express humor in a way that others can appreciate and then find joy in it. Stephen Leacock is such a character, and his short story compilation Sunshine Sketchesof a Little Town recognizes and helps the reader recognize the need to laugh at one's surroundings, one's culture, and the people who interact in one's life. Leacock is known for his deep ironic and satirical wit, but, in the case of Sunshine Sketches, he also offers aspects of tragic irony and a sagacious view of daily small-town life, which serves to further enhance the value of his humor. Just as Leacock was interested in the techniques of humor, he was interested in the language of humor. In addition to the careful choice of language, Leacock said, humor required a "great naturalness" of language, the use of phrases and forms so simple that writers who strived for effect would never succeed in understanding them. . [Critics] felt that one of the main reasons for Leacock's success was that his style was that of a "talker rather than a writer". Another said: "He spoke to the world. And the conversation was good." (Curry. p.242-243) Satire is defined as a genre in which the author attacks an object, using his means of wit or humor which is either fantastic or absurd. In the case of Sunshine Sketches, Leacock's target is a fictional small town in southern Ontario, which could be, and often is, compared to every other small town in the country. Leacock immerses the reader in the midst of a collection of ordinary characters who become extraordinary because of Leacock's understanding of the comedy in human nature and the breadth of small-town culture and tradition. Using elements of both comic and tragic irony, which by definition suggest various divisions between words or events. and their contexts, Leacock not only creates a humorous environment for his characters, but also one in which the reader can laugh at situations and idiosyncrasies that are strikingly similar to their own. Events such as the sinking of the Mariposa Belle in six feet of water and the subsequent rescue attempts of the Mariposans, the comical court rituals of the very shy Peter Pupkin, and the foolish attempts to raise funds in the name of the church are as many examples of these ironic and acute situations. To understand the irony of any work, one must first appreciate the context of such a work. Regarding Sunshine Sketches, the city of