With close reference to the text, show how Stephen Leacock makes effective use of humour and exaggeration to describe his attempts to get back his ‘Lost…

Exaggeration

• the entire anecdote revolves around a SINGLE DOLLAR that the author Stephen Leacock had lent his friend.
• Leacock is sure he is never going to get it back.
• He will never forget this lost dollar – he would carry the recollection of it to his grave.

Humour

• Every time Leacock meets his friend Todd (the one who borrowed the dollar) he remembers the lost dollar, but the friend has forgotten all about it.
• Leacock expects the dollar to be returned at every encounter – growing frustration when this does not happen.
• When Todd writes to him from Berunda – all Leacock expects is to find the dollar in the envelope – disappointed to find that it is not.
• Leacock goes to meet Todd at the station on his return from Berunda (says the dollar was not on his mind but it was!)
• Leacock drops blatant hints – suggests they take a taxi to the club – later asks Todd if the American Dollar goes at par in Berunda (Stressing the words, hoping Todd would remember – this strategy fails)
• In another context Todd speaks of Poland not repaying her debts – Leacock comments on the irony on this – since Todd still had not returned his dollar.
• Leacock is then troubled by another thought – What if, he, like Todd had borrowed a dollar off someone and then forgotten all about it?!
• He plans to start a ‘Back to Honesty’ movement… more humour in how he plans to go about it.

The concluding lines urge the reader not to leave a copy of this piece of writing where Major Todd of the University Club, Montreal may come across it – It is all too evident that the narrator means exactly the opposite – why else would he supply all of Todd’s contact details?