analysis of The Birds and the Foxes, by J.Thurber

Thurber's aim in this text is to satirize political language which is used to justify reprehensible actions, in this case the attack of one community by another, leading to the extermination of the weaker of the two. Using a mixture of elements from fairy tale and fable, Thurber draws a seemingly humorous moral from his story. His message is, however, quite serious : we must not let one community aggress another purely in its own interest. …

…their invasion of Afghanistan ? The US Administration about the activities of the CIA in South America and elsewhere ? Unfortunately, examples are legion. The advantage of Thurber's "fable", which in my opinion is beautifully efficient and economical, is that we can plainly see the gap between words and actions. Sadly enough, this gap remains unnoticed most of the time, and it often is too late when the public opinion reacts… Will brother always turn on brother ?