Noun
cautionary tale (plural cautionary tales)
A story, originally told in folklore, to warn its audience of a certain danger.
It's a difficult undertaking. I've been married for four years and I see this movie as a cautionary tale about people who've gone deeply out of communication. Mark Ruffalo
The Miguel Syjuco character is not me. I wanted him to represent my own fears and frustrations and guilt, my own worst tendencies and my optimistic expectations. He's a cautionary tale for me. But he's also an examination of the darkest things that haunt me as a person. Miguel Syjuco