how does saki use satire and humor in descrbing certain adult attitudes

Lying at the heart of the dramatic conflict of the story is something far more universal than the vagaries of British imperialism. At its essence, the war between Nicholas and his aunt is an example of the dynamics of good, old-fashioned generation gap relations. Nicholas views the concept of older being inherent equitable with “wiser and better” with smirking contempt. His aunt is so convinced of the predictable lack of imagination in the younger generation that she is willing to waste two hours much better spent elsewhere pretending to be gardening simply for the purpose of proving herself right in suspecting the single most important thing in the world to Nicholas is going somewhere he’s been banned from entering. Meanwhile, of course, both are so committed to outwitting the other and confirming their own prejudicial views toward generational failures that neither makes any effort toward trying to understand one another and defuse the pervasive tension by trying to find common ground making their relationship more loving and less antagonistic.