"Once Upon a Time"

"Once Upon a Time"
Nadine Gordimer

The author starts out talking about how people have told her she needs to write a children's book, but if she does not want to write a children's story, then she won't. However, she does (or I guess that is what you would call a children's story). The characteristics of a fairy tale or child's story are there, such as the simplistic language, repeated phrases, phrases such as "once upon a time" and "happily ever after", and a lesson is being taught. However, the lesson is a little extreme for a child under age nine or so. It as if I said, "Child, do not climb over a barbed wired fence you will bleed a lot, and it could potentially kill you!” it's a little bit drastic if you ask me.

"YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED" (Gordimer, 233) is repeated twice in the following paragraph, so if that does not imply something of importance, I would be surprised. The phrase obviously means that there is danger ahead in some form. In the story, the father and mother are so concerned about protecting their house from the outside world that they lose sight of their son who is the one they caught in the barbed wire fence. It is possible that the phrase, "you have been warned," relates to the fact that the parents are aware of the danger outside, but they must protect their family from within the household. There was a lot of danger going on outside of the household, but by protecting the house they harmed the family. Even though protection is a good thing, we cannot hide ourselves from struggles, hardships, or pain.