The Old Woman Rhetorical Analysis

Please answer EACH of the following questions in paragraph form (at least 4-5 sentences), using well supported quotes from the short story to support your responses and please read your answers carefully for grammatical errors. 1) Summarize the plot line of this folktale. Were you surprised by the climax of the story or were the events foreshadowed?
Once upon a time, a kind-hearted old man saved a young sparrow and nurtured it back to life. One day the old man's impatient wife cut off the sparrow's tongue for pecking on her starching-paste and then let it fly away. After some period of time, the old man encountered the lost sparrow in a forest. The sparrow invited him to his house and offered him two baskets as a parting gift. The fragile old man who was unable to carry both loads only accepted the lighter one and brought …show more content…
The author employs the plot's ironic ending to highlight the story's message about greed and humbleness. As I mentioned in question number one, the author has given us many hints throughout the story that foreshadows some sort of unfortunate ending for the old woman. For example, the characterization of the two main characters sharply contrasts each other; the old man is visibly genuine and sincere whereas his wife is heinous and cruel. By the time the old man received the rewards, I was already able to predict that she was about to obtain a completely different gift, possibly death. The irony of the story is that the one who did not expect anything in return was rewarded with everything one can possibly wish for, such as prosperous family and wealth. On the other hand, the one that expected the most (despite perpetrating a heinous act ironically), was cruelly killed. The irony employed by this story was able to deliver the moral of the story effectively, however, I personally felt that the ending was too obvious. Foreshadowing plays an important role in producing the outcome of the