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Unit 5: Are the Rich Happy? by Stephen Leacock

The Stephen Leacock Associates is a foundation chartered to preserve the literary legacy of Notes
Stephen Leacock, and oversee the annual award of the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal
for Humour.
Predeceased by Trix (who had died of breast cancer in 1925), Leacock was survived by
Stevie, who died in his fifties. In accordance with his wishes, after his death from throat
cancer, Leacock was buried in the St George the Martyr Churchyard (St. George’s Church,
Sibbald Point), Sutton, Ontario
A number of buildings in Canada are named after Leacock, including the Stephen Leacock
Building at McGill University, Stephen Leacock Public School in Ottawa, a theatre
in Keswick, Ontario, and a school in Toronto.

Two Leacock short stories have been adapted as National Film Board of Canada animated
shorts by Gerald Potterton: My Financial Career and The Awful Fate of Melpomenus Jones.

Written by Stephen Leacock, this essay ”Are the Rich Happy?” originally appeared in the
collection Further Foolishness: Sketches and Satires on the Follies of the Day by Stephen
Leacock (John Lane Company, 1916).
This essay examines the rich and whether they are happy. Referring to personal experience
and things he´s perceived Leacock criticizes what the rich consider problems.

5.4 Keywords

Criticise: It means to indicate the faults of someone or something in a disapproving way.
Humorous: It is something that causes laughter and amusement.

Legacy: It can be defined as something left or handed down by a predecessor.
Magnificent: Something extremely beautiful, elaborate, or impressive.
Preserve: It means to maintain something in its original or existing state.

Prestigious: It means inspiring admiration and respect and having high status.
Satire: It can be defined as the use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and
criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and
other topical issues
Supplement: It is a thing added to something else in order to complete or enhance it.

Answers: Self Assessment

1. True 2. True
3. True 4. False
5. True

5.5 Review Questions

1. Write an introductory paragraph about Stephen Leacock?

2. Throw light on Stephen Leacock life.
3. Talk about Stephen Leacock’s later years and death.

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