Parody
A literary technique imitating the style or form of another work, author, or genre for humorous or critical effect. Parody involves recognition of the original and appreciation of the imitation.
Real World
'Bored of the Rings' (1969) by the Harvard Lampoon parodies Tolkien by inflating the epic's grandeur with absurd commercialism — 'Minas Tirith Shopping Mall' — working only because readers recognise exactly what conventions are being mocked.
Exam Focus
Identify the specific conventions being imitated, then explain whether the parody's purpose is comic, critical, or both, with textual evidence.
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