Once Upon a Time Analyze the Text

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How is the structure of this story similar to a fairy tale? What elements do they share? Cite details from the text to support your analysis.

The structure of this story is very similar to a fairy tale. Lines 50-51 of this story state, "...there were a man and his wife who loved each other very much and were living happily ever after." The end of line 51 sounds incredibly similar to that of a closing statement in a fairy tale. An element that a fairy tale and this particular story share is

Nadine Gordimer wrote many stories about the injustices of apartheid. She was also active in bringing change to the political entities of South Africa. Even though her books were banned in South Africa for a time, she resolved to stay instead of living in exile. What do you learn about Gordimer's political point of view by reading this story? Explain your ideas using evidence from the story.

Nadine Gordimer believes that the riots and anger in Africa is causing a huge trouble, and that the nation has seen better days. She expresses this in her writing by showing how the once ethereal gardens became metal prison grounds, and multiple citizens were left on the street to rot.

Authors often leave things unstated in a story, leaving the reader with questions about the outcome. What can you infer about what Gordimer leaves unstated at the end of her story? How does it relate to her statements about the family living "happily ever after"?

I can infer that the couple's little boy died. He was bruised, bloody, and his skin was torn apart; he had to have died. It relates to her statement about the family living "happily ever after" by showing that no one actually lives happily ever after, since we will always be going through one hardship after the other.

In lines 58, 136, and 194, the phrase "wise old witch" is used to describe the husband's mother. Explain how the wise old witch can be interpreted to symbolize the government in South Africa.

The wise old witch is interpreted as the South African government. She keeps on urging the family to make their security system stronger, to protect what is most important, and to never let anyone in. This is how the South African government is oppressing their citizens--lying to them that they aren't safe, until it gets to the point where they really aren't safe.

How does the cat symbolize and support the theme of the story? Explain.

The cat that the family owns is supposed to represent how simple their worries are, while they think it's an burglar as it jumps constantly from wall to wall.

What is the theme of this story? Explain how Gordimer develops this theme through the story's elements, such as structure and symbols.

The theme of this story is that not everyone gets a happily ever after. We continue to go through trials and tribulations that test us and how grounded we are. There is no one moment which leads to peace afterwards. Well, unless you count death.