Allegory, And Themes In Briar Rose By Jane Yolen

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Register to read the introduction… Disturbing phrases are added into the pleasant fairytale. As the fairytale of Briar Rose progresses, Becca’s journey also progresses as she unravels the truth behind Gemma’s past. She learns about the events in Sleeping Beauty as it becomes more apparent to her. The two stories intertwine to give us a sense of suspense and climax as both develop a clearer picture for its readers. We can see that Yolen has used an allegory where a text is represented symbolically. Becca’s journey is only completed with the telling of more voices from various people such as Harvey, who she meets at Oswego. He gives first hand evidence about how Gemma carried herself like a princess with red hair and fair skin. Yolen uses satire to contrast between the comfort in America, to the suffering of the darker parts of the fairytale world and the …show more content…
Here he tells us how he has gone into the pits of hell to rescue her from the grave of dead bodies, where he breathes life into her. This imagery emphasises a part of Gemma’s fairytale where the prince kisses the sleeping awake. Joseph uses spare and heroic language in “we rescue one, the kill one thousand. Still one is enough”. The repetition of these key motifs reinforces the message of the novel. The themes of human resilience and remembrance is incorporated through Joseph. Joseph’s story creates the image of pain and suffering. While “Briar Rose” deals with the historical reality of World War 2, Joseph’s story accentuates his heroic efforts and suffering of pain. In his tale, the members of the Jewish partisans tell stories to each other. In doing so, the people can relive the story- Gemma has done this by repeatedly retelling the Sleeping Beauty story. This is so that their suffering and injustices aren’t forgotten. Joseph’s narrative voice exhibits images of truth and story within a story. He completes Becca’s chapter on her quest for her Grandmother’s past. The novel is divided in 4 sections. Home, castle, home again and the author’s note. They separate the steps that lead to Becca’s

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