Introducing 

Prezi AI.

Your new presentation assistant.

Refine, enhance, and tailor your content, source relevant images, and edit visuals quicker than ever before.

Loading…
Transcript

"Once Upon a Time" Analysis

Caroline Reeser

English 2 Honors

Mr. Cline

15 May 2015

Mood

The overall mood of "Once Upon a Time" is very solemn because of the gloomy setting. In the story, Gordimer describes how "buses were being burned, cars stoned, and schoolchildren shot by the police in those quarters out of sight and hearing of the suburb" (Gordimer 2). This type of setting throughout the story gives off a negative mood and shows how people really felt during this period of time.

Setting

The short story, "Once Upon a Time" takes place in a segregated society where people are so paranoid of robbers and thieves that they purchase ugly homes with extremely high protection security systems. The houses have poor foundations and the floors are always shaking due to the gold miners under ground. Many people, mainly native South Africans, are homeless and living on the streets because of white supremacy at the time of the apartheid.

Summary

Nadine Gordimer

Nadine Gordimer's short story, “Once Upon a Time” illustrates the lives of a man, his wife, and their little boy, who live in a house with an extreme security system meant to protect them from burglaries and people from off the streets. After seeing their cat jump over their seven-foot wall that protects their home, they decide to move into an ugly house with a higher protection security. It resembled the “pure concentration-camp style, no frills, all evident efficacy” home (Gordimer 4). Razor blades, broken glass in the cement along the walls, and spikes are all around the exterior and interior of the house. The little boy received a book of fairytales and a SpaceMan suit for Christmas. His mother read him the story before his bedtime and on the next day, he pretended to be the Prince who climbs through the thicket of thorns to save the Sleeping Beauty. The young boy dragged a ladder to the wall and attempted to squeeze his body into the “shining coiled tunnel”. His body immediately set off the alarm and was cut to death by the razor teeth.

Nadine Gordimer grew up in Springs, South Africa during the time of apartheid. She grew to love writing as a teenager after her mother withdrew her from school and dance. Her parents raised her to oppose the cruel acts of segregation and to treat everyone equally. As a writer, Gordimer used this state of mind as a topic for many of her novels and short stories. Gordimer was very influential through her writing in the fight to end apartheid.

Learn more about creating dynamic, engaging presentations with Prezi