Once Upon A Time
In the short story, “Once Upon A Time” by Nadine Gordimer, the successful use of symbolism potently gives the reader a deeper literary connection to the true meaning of apartheid and how it affected not only the people of Soweto, but the faulty government of Johannesburg as well. Gordimer relays symbolic understanding to the reader by cleverly using certain aspects and objects in the story to vividly connect the struggle of the two ethnic groups with expectations and reality. Along with Gordimer: Froelic, Halle, and Shurgot, are critics who have also written literary articles that illustrate symbolism as it relates to “Once Upon A Time” and the reality which is the oppressed people of Soweto and the trapped citizens of Johannesburg. …show more content…
Gordimer does not limit her use of fear to the theme in this short story, yet she connects symbolism and irony to the overall morale of how this South African society loiters in the essence of fear and apartheid. Throughout the story fear takes on various forms and in terms it is used to sets a mood for the reader to relate to. In the beginning of the story Gordimer uses herself as a form of symbolism as it relates to the essence of fear in South Africa. Vera Froelich and Jennifer Halle, authors of an article entitled “Gordimer’s ‘Once Upon a Time’”, makes a vivid connection to the to the concept of fear in society by analyzing the initial story that takes place in the beginning of the short story. These critics agree and support the idea that clarity is made as Gordimer connects to fear in her own society, where she is subjected to violence and unequal rights. Considering the validity of this point, Gordimer states, “I have no burglar bars, no gun under the pillow, but I have the same fears as people who do take these precautions, and my windowpanes are thin as rime, could shatter like a wineglass.” Also to relate similar concepts with Froelich and Halle, the author also uses her own personal experience of fear to connect the …show more content…
Notwithstanding these limitations, she paints a colorful picture of a wealthy family living effortlessly in a beautiful home with various amenities that would set the reader in a blissful mood. Ironically the author writes about a family living happily, yet secluded in fear to contrast how she perceived her own society being an entity that attempted to ignore the damage that fear caused in South Africa. Micheal Shurgot, literary critic and author of an article entitled “Imagery and Structure in Gordimer’s ‘Once Upon a Time’”, argues that “there is a self-defeating element in this contradiction.” “They had a housemaid who was absolutely trustworthy and an itinerant gardener who was highly recommended by the neighbors” (Gordimer 25). Analytically speaking, “this black workforce, with its determined consciousness, is precisely what the boy’s parents attempt to exclude from their property even as they rely on black workers to perform domestic chores”
In the short story, “Once Upon A Time” by Nadine Gordimer, the successful use of symbolism potently gives the reader a deeper literary connection to the true meaning of apartheid and how it affected not only the people of Soweto, but the faulty government of Johannesburg as well. Gordimer relays symbolic understanding to the reader by cleverly using certain aspects and objects in the story to vividly connect the struggle of the two ethnic groups with expectations and reality. Along with Gordimer: Froelic, Halle, and Shurgot, are critics who have also written literary articles that illustrate symbolism as it relates to “Once Upon A Time” and the reality which is the oppressed people of Soweto and the trapped citizens of Johannesburg. …show more content…
Gordimer does not limit her use of fear to the theme in this short story, yet she connects symbolism and irony to the overall morale of how this South African society loiters in the essence of fear and apartheid. Throughout the story fear takes on various forms and in terms it is used to sets a mood for the reader to relate to. In the beginning of the story Gordimer uses herself as a form of symbolism as it relates to the essence of fear in South Africa. Vera Froelich and Jennifer Halle, authors of an article entitled “Gordimer’s ‘Once Upon a Time’”, makes a vivid connection to the to the concept of fear in society by analyzing the initial story that takes place in the beginning of the short story. These critics agree and support the idea that clarity is made as Gordimer connects to fear in her own society, where she is subjected to violence and unequal rights. Considering the validity of this point, Gordimer states, “I have no burglar bars, no gun under the pillow, but I have the same fears as people who do take these precautions, and my windowpanes are thin as rime, could shatter like a wineglass.” Also to relate similar concepts with Froelich and Halle, the author also uses her own personal experience of fear to connect the …show more content…
Notwithstanding these limitations, she paints a colorful picture of a wealthy family living effortlessly in a beautiful home with various amenities that would set the reader in a blissful mood. Ironically the author writes about a family living happily, yet secluded in fear to contrast how she perceived her own society being an entity that attempted to ignore the damage that fear caused in South Africa. Micheal Shurgot, literary critic and author of an article entitled “Imagery and Structure in Gordimer’s ‘Once Upon a Time’”, argues that “there is a self-defeating element in this contradiction.” “They had a housemaid who was absolutely trustworthy and an itinerant gardener who was highly recommended by the neighbors” (Gordimer 25). Analytically speaking, “this black workforce, with its determined consciousness, is precisely what the boy’s parents attempt to exclude from their property even as they rely on black workers to perform domestic chores”