Fat is not a fairy tale
Jane Yolen
I am thinking of a fairy tale
Cinder Elephant,
Sleeping Tubby,
Snow Weight,
where the princess is not
anorexic, wasp-waisted,
flinging herself down the stairs.
I am thinking of a fairy tale,
Hansel and Great,
Repoundsel,
Bounty and the Beast,
where the beauty
has a pillowed breast,
and fingers plump as sausage.
I am thinking of a fairy tale
that is not yet written,
for a teller not yet born,
for a listener not yet conceived,
for a world not yet won,
where everything round is good:
the sun, wheels, cookies, and the princess.
Title: Fat doesn’t exist in a fairy tale and no princesses in a fairy tale is fat. Every princess is pretty, have unrealistic bodies, and are everyone’s expectation of a perfect body.
Paraphrase: The author believes that there should be a fairy tale that includes a princess who doesn’t have a perfectly slim figure and should be round. No fairy tale created characters that expressed different body types.
Connotations:
- Diction: Italic words these words that are highlighted tell the reader that the author is connecting the fairytales to “fat”. She uses words that relate to “fat” and adds them to the title of the fairytale
- Imagery + details:
“has a pillowed breast,” This line is a metaphor and showing the reader a physical feature of what a princess should have.
“and fingers plump as sausage.” This line is a simile and shows the reader a physical feature of what a princess should have.
- Motifs:”I’m thinking of a fairy tale” the author is always thinking of a fairy tale that is not created. The same words don’t repeat, but there are many words used in this poem that all relate to “fat”, “round”, and “heavy”. Such as the words underlined
- Structure: In the first stanza, the first line is about what the author thinks. The second, third, and fourth line have examples of fairy tales changed to titles that are “fat” related. The last three lines is a phrase. The second stanza is the same as the first stanza, but the fairy tale examples are new and different and so as the last three lines. The last stanza is a message from the author and what she thinks should happen in the future.
Attitude: By reading the poem, you can tell that the author is trying to spread a message to the world. She’s saying it in a proud, comical voice. she uses sarcasm. It makes you agree with what she’s proving and changing the way you think of these fairy tale princesses.
Shifts: The poem only has one shift. All three stanza have seven lines. The first two stanzas are similar, but with different titles of fairy tales and different phrases for the last three lines. The last stanza is about what the author’s opinion. She thinks that people should make a fairy tale that concentrates on natural beauty and not people’s expectation of a perfect body.
Tensions: The conflict in this poem is reality and fairy tales. The character’s body and figure in fairy tales are people’s expectations and goals. This isn’t a good example because it doesn’t matter what size you are. You should also appreciate the type of body you have. However, fairy tales don’t give us that message. They create characters with anorexic and wasp-waisted body as said in the poem in the first stanza, 6th line. The Author’s message of this poem is to tell people to make a fairy tale that relates to reality and the real world.
Title: The word “fat” is never ever in fairly tales. It never exists, no one is fat and everyone has the perfect body. Skinny legs, flat stomach, and other expectations of a perfect body. The author called this poem “Fat Is Not a Fairy Tale” because fat is real. It exists in the real world. No one has the perfect body, everyone has different body types. Fairy tales never focus on natural beauty or plus size. Fairy tales only have characters that are skinny and have the perfect body.
Theme: The theme for this poem is: There should be more fairy tales about natural beauty and princesses with different body types. A fairy tale with a round princess. The author, Jane Yolen, gives you examples of fairy tales changed into a story relating to “fat”. She thinks that they should be a fairy tale where princesses are not skinny and has natural beauty. A princess with pillowed breast and fingers round like sausage. Beauty should be considered with different features that everyone has. A new fairy tale that doesn’t exist, not told, no one has ever listened to, and one that is unknown to the world. A fairy tale that is about a princess who is different from all the other princesses and her body is round. If a princess is fat, it’s not bad, it’s better for all the other girls in the world that look up to princesses.
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