Literary Essay Example. Short Stories Analysis: Butterflies. Fairytale.

The first time I read the short stories, I thought that the authors main audiences include children at the elementary level. Additionally, I thought that they target individuals who use English as their second language. Both writers employ unconventional texts to express their messages. Normally, one would expect the stories to contain a certain code of writing to enhance the reality their works. For instance, in Fairlytale, Walwicz subverts the characters and plotlines to the extent that they appear irrelevant to the readers. For instance, the author marginalizes the prince, a character that one would expect to have presentable qualities. In particular, Princes would appear in tales as heroes to the community. However, Walwicz does not allocate any important function to the princes in the fairytale. At the same time, she undermines the conventional plot and characteristics of fairytales because she presents the women as individuals who have the right to choose life partners, education, and employment. In traditional patriarchal societies, women were not allowed to make such decision. Therefore, it appears that Walwicz elevates the feminine ideology through her work.

After reading a few lines, I realized that it was unconventional; thus, I employed a different reading approach. I started using critical analysis of the content by assessing the kind of audience that the author targets. Also, I was compelled to read both texts several times to comprehend the message because both authors used bad grammar to complete their works. Instead of focusing on the grammar and incorrect punctuation, I started studying the level at which the approach enabled the reader to subvert the ideologies in the text. In a similar fashion with Walwicz, Patricia writes a fast-paced story to express the main message. At first glance, I thought she intends to communicate to a younger audience. However, I believe that she targets multiple readers because the deeper meaning of the text is on the importance of understanding the perception of others in a multi-cultural society. Similarly, Patricia uses unconventional format, as she does not include proper grammar and punctuation. Additionally, the short story is organized in the form of a poem.

Patricia assumes that the readers know about the differences in the culture of the Whites and the Maori of New Zealand. Moreover, she assumes that readers have good knowledge of grammar and punctuation marks, as the deliberate use of wrong format is aimed at striking the critical thinking ability of the readers. Also, Walwicz assumes that readers are knowledgeable in punctuation rules; hence, the format may cause the audience to engage with the text more. Since majority of the lines have broken English, they compel the audience to read every line with curiosity to ensure that he/she does not miss on an important concept. Importantly, the constant change of narration from first, second, and third person motivates the reader to engage more critically with the task.

In fairytale the underlying message is the importance of understanding the difference between modern and traditional short stories. Clearly, the author uses a modern context to show the difference with the traditional one. For instance, in traditional fairytales, the female characters did not have the autonomy to perform certain activities in the society. Therefore, it seems that the writer attempts to illustrate the level at which women have been able to gain independence through education. In fact, it appears that the author emphasizes the importance of education over other aspects such as physical appearance and leadership. Through their knowledge in science, the ugly daughters create men who have the qualities that can suit them. At the same time, Walwicz appears to recognize the negative effects of education or technology on the society because the two clever girls kill the princes by dismantling their parts (Walwicz 1983). However, to a large extent, the author may be encouraging students to reconstruct the story by putting correct punctuation marks and using appropriate grammar.

Conversely, in butterflies, the main message is about the different perceptions of people from different backgrounds. As for the granddaughter, grandfather, and grandmother, killing a butterfly is a good thing. However, the teacher believes that it is not appropriate for the girl to kill the creature (Patricia 1987). Noteworthy, the butterflies destroy the cabbages planted by the Maori people where the granddaughter hails from. Therefore, killing the butterfly is an achievement since it reduces the risk of low yields due to butterflies invasion. Surprisingly, the teacher cannot understand it because she does not know where the cabbages at the supermarket come from. Apart from that, the author may be communicating the need to eliminate the social inequalities that exist between different racial groups. Additionally, Patricia may be seeking to engage the readers by allowing them to reconstruct the story by putting correct punctuation and grammar.

Both Patricia and Walwicz have a positive attitude towards the main characters. Although they do not justify their actions explicitly, they dedicate the largest section of their works on discussing them. For instance, Patricia focuses on the granddaughter because her action of killing the butterfly is justified. Although the ugly sisters kill the princes, Walwicz discusses more about their attempts and achievements.

Reference List

Patricia, G. 1987. Butterflies. Retrieved on 3rd October, 2017 from https://chipbruce.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/butterflies.pdf

Walwicz, A. 1983. Fairytale. Retrieved on 3rd October, 2017 from http://redmallee.tumblr.com/post/144701645898/fairytale-ania-walwicz