Once upon a time - Nadine Gordimer

Questions

100

it shows how the whites is afraid of the blacks, but

Sleeping Beauty

200

Who and why are they protect against?

Loafers and tsotsis, and because they would come and tie them up and shut them in a cupboard.

300

How does the fairytale features appear in “Once upon a Time”?

“live happily ever after” appears throughout the whole text. 2. The setting is not specified. 3. The characters are not named

400

What is the significance of the sign, "You have been warned?"

On on hand, the sign is meant to deter potential thieves. The family starts to insulate themselves from the world because of their fear of it. They have built this large gate meant to protect themselves from the "threats" in the outside world and, in the process, the placard on the gates reminds the outsider of the warning issued. Yet, I think that the repetition of the placard and the manner in which the story develops might have the warning issued to the family. At each step, the family escalates their own fear and it seems as if each time, they are being warned that eventually, the real fear is not the outside world. Rather, the real fear that has to be confronted is their own sense of fear which is unrestrained. In this, the sign operates not to warn the outside world, but rather to warn the family that eventually what is happening will not and cannot have a happy ending or something fortuitous. In this, the ending of the short story is a brutal one, concluding with the ending of "You Have Been Warned" in terms of how the ending was almost a self- fulfilling prophecy.

500

Describe the significance of the family's characterization in "Once Upon a Time."

Gordimer shows the family, specifically the parents, as loving and doting. Yet, she also depicts them as fundamentally scared beings, incapable of understanding how to deal with the reality of what lies outside their cloistered world of wealth and privilege. It is here where Gordimer's depiction has significance. At some level, there has to be a level of discourse and emotional appropriation that connects to the outside world. Gordimer's characterization of the family is one that seeks to avoid this reality in its entirety. It is for this reason that the family, aided by the "witch" mother in- law, seeks to further insulate itself from the outside world. There is little in way of seeking to understand this world, why there are the conditions that might perpetuate crime, or even how to become a productive part of this world. Rather, the characterization is inward, embracing fear and seclusion as opposed to productive participation. In this, the family is shown to be forces of negation, as opposed to creation, contributing the ending of the story when these forces choke the life out of the beloved child. In this, the family's characterization is significant in showing that little constructive results from the attitudes such as those embraced by the parents.

Characteristics

100

Which pets does the family have?

A dog and a cat

200

Who is the Witch?

Answer: The husband’s mom

300

What is the family ensured against?

Fire, flood damage and theft.

400

Give three characteristics for one main character in "Once Upon a Time."

First of all, he is a boy who is fascinated by technology. Note how he reacts to the new security measures that are put in place by his anxious parents: Secondly, as the first quote also demonstrates, he is a very imaginative and creative child. He uses the various security devices that his parents install as props for his childhood games with his other friends and by himself. Lastly, he fails to distinguish between reality and his own fantasy world, as his tragic entrance into the dragon's teeth demonstrates: It is this crucial inability to distinguish reality from fantasy that leads to the tragic ending of this story as he starts crawling into the wire and ends up probably dead or at least seriously maimed.

500

Discuss the significance of Nadine Gordimer's references to fairy tales in "Once Upon a Time."

one of Gordimer's motivations in bringing up the idea of fairy tales is to contrast their make- believe worlds to to that of modern reality. For Gordimer, the world of the "fairly tale" does not take into account what consciousness is in the modern setting. This is the condition of the family she depicts. They sincerely believe in their fairly tale-like life, sincerely believing that their happiness is something that can exist outside of the world. This external world is seen as "the other," something that is not properly integrated into their own schematic, but rather as an object to be overcome. This relationship between being and "the other" is a part of the fairy tale narrative that Gordimer feels denies reality and does not represent it. For example, in fairy tales, "the other," in the form of a monster or adversary, is not sought to be understood, but rather overcome or dominated. In fairy tales, "the other" is malevolent. The awkwardness and difficulty in trying to understand it is not part of the fairly tale narrative. This becomes one of the fatal flaws of the family. The mother and father, and the "horrible" mother in law, fail to understand "the other," which is in this case the outside world. Rather, they seek to overcome it. They do not understand nor do they seek to understand the outside world. The family sees it as most examples of "the other" are seen in fairy tales. Just like the boy sees the wall as an example of "the other" to overcome only to be killed by it in the end, the family's lack of understanding of "the other," a temperament best seen in fairy tales, ends up proving destructive in the real world.

Plot

100

what does the little boy get from his grandmother for Christmas? (2 things)

a fairytale book and a space man outfit

200

why do they call the grandmother a wise old witch?

she is the reason why they start barricading the house.

300

why do they start barricading the house?

they are afraid of the riots.

400

What can the short story, Once Upon a Time by Nadine Gordimer tell us about living in South Africa?

Nadine Gordimer's descriptions of the raising of the walls, the spikes, the increasing levels of security do indicate how isolated families can become in an environment like that. How will South Africans ever learn to respect each other when they live this way. There can be no overlapping of cultures, no understanding of each other if there is no attempt to expose oneself to others. The tragedy of the son who died from his injuries as he tried to climb the wall thinking he was simulating the fairy story, is something for every South African to consider. The "happily ever after" required of every fairy story lies in the recognition of what true happiness is or true perfection is and not a scared, limited and narrow view which recommends isolation and separation to save oneself. For some South Africans, it brings the saying "safety first" to a whole new level. Once Upon a Time exposes the paranoia that has festered in the minds of SOME South Africans. The recent Oscar Pistorius tragedy is just one example of how South Africans can overreact to situations where they perceive their lives to be in danger. Even Rapunzel broke our from her tower, leapt into the unknown and never looked back. Her "happily ever after" was in embracing the future and searching for happiness.

500

What is symbolic about the narrator's house resting on an insecure foundation in "Once Upon a Time"?

The thematic concern of "Once Upon a Time" is security. At the mother-in-law's behest, ever-growing security measures are put in place. These security measures begin with medical benefits and insurance policies and escalate from a "You Have Been Warned" sign on the front gate to iron bars on the windows to more bricks (a Christmas, no less) for a higher fence. The final security measure is jagged metal and coiled wire atop the high brick wall. All these security measures result in the son, who has just been read Sleeping Beauty, envisions the metal and wire as his own obstacle to his sleeping princess. In this make-believe world, he scales the wall intending to make it victoriously to the other side. Instead, he is ensnared and impaled by the metal and wire and loses his life. The thematic concerns are brought to a close with the knowledge that the security measures were based on an insecure foundation, that being one of unbridled fear, mostly fear of those who "the other."

Connections

100

comment on the relationship between blacks and whites?

the gartner, the housemaids and all the riots are black. The sign - the person is masked, so he isn't black or white.

200

how is the story connected to apartheid?

it shows how the whites is afraid of the blacks, but....

300

comment on the use of irony?

they lived happily ever after, the boy dies because he hears a fairytale, the witch.

400

In Once Upon a Time by Nadine Gordimer, what is the next increase in security, after the installation of a burglar alarm and how does the husband's mother contribute?

The family in this story are presented as a fairly average family, trying to do the right thing, trying to be neighborly, trying to be fair to " people of another color," within the context of Once Upon a Time. In an effort to protect themselves, they take certain security measures beginning with very sensible insurance policies and such things. Having installed a security wall, electronic gates, burglar bars on the windows and an alarm system which appears to cause it's own fair share of insecurity, in fact - thus foreshadowing the tragic events that will conclude this story - the family decide to higher the wall. There is an increased presence on the streets of unemployed persons and those who work shorter hours than before and the family's ever increasing paranoia leads the husband to discuss raising the wall. His mother, a“wise old witch,” who made the original observations about taking steps to maintain their lifestyle, buys some bricks. The significance of them being a Christmas present, together with the storybook she buys her grandson, adds irony to the story and makes the outcome even more unfortunate and tragic.

500

What Are the main Themes in the short story "Once Upon A Time" By Nadine Gordimer

there are two dominant themes that arise from Gordimer's work. The first would be the fear of "the other." The family's drive to protect themselves and essentially shield themselves from the outside world represents an inherent fear of that which is unknown. This fear is the driving force behind inwardly drawn communities and also represents a large and underlying rationale of apartheid in Gordimer's own native South Africa. The attitudes of the family help to develop this theme of a fear of that which is unknown or misunderstood. The tragic condition of the family at the end, resulting the death of their child, is a result of this fear. Another theme in the work is the idea of the dualistic and reciprocal nature of creation and destruction. This holds the idea that each act of creation is an inevitable step towards destruction. The family seeks to create a "perfect" solution to their fear of the outside world. In barricading themselves off, they feel they have "the answer." However, with each advancing step in this vein, they actually move a step closer to destruction and terror, as they move farther away from rationality and understanding and closer to a domain where destruction is the only logical end.

Critical Thinking

100

In "Once Upon a Time," what led the parents to consult the security company?

fear is the major factor behind the family consulting the security company. In the end, the family is so afraid of the threats from the outside world that they genuinely believe they can escape it from becoming more insular and examining the world with more mistrust. The family's attempts to install a security system has not created the desired effect, and so the belief in building a wall to protect the family is what is embraced. Yet, in observing the ease with which a cat can crawl up the wall and climb over it, the family recognizes that something more drastic is needed. Jagged shards are place on the top of the wall and the building of the coil commences. The family is motivated by the desire to be safe, which is fed by the fear of the outside world. This combination convinces them that they can keep the outside world from the inside realm of heaven, or pure bliss within their own familial unit. The security company works with them to create a thicket of barbed wire, something that the boy sees as a remnant from a fairy tale where the fair prince must rescue a maiden in distress. In the end, the parents' fear is what causes them to embrace such radical measures, ones that end up choking the life of their child, bringing the family to emotional ruin as opposed to eliminating the threat posed by the outside world.

200

What is the point of view of the story "Once Upon a Time" by Nadine Gordimer?

The beginning of "Once Upon a Time" is told in first person point of view. The beginning constitutes a frame in which Nadine Gordimer, speaking for herself, protests the notion that an artist/author can be required to write a specific work by anyone (she forgets, of course, that historically most art work was commissioned...). That night, Gordimer hears a noise in her house that alarms her. To put herself to sleep, she tells herself a "bedtime story," which introduces the real substance of "Once Upon a Time." The horror story she tells herself about a happy family whose search for security in an insecure world is laid upon the wrong foundation, that of fear of "the other," is told in third person point of view. Third person point of view comprises a narrator of the action and events who is outside the story and has access to character's thoughts, motives and feelings.

300

What Are the main Themes in the short story "Once Upon A Time" By Nadine Gordimer

there are two dominant themes that arise from Gordimer's work. The first would be the fear of "the other." The family's drive to protect themselves and essentially shield themselves from the outside world represents an inherent fear of that which is unknown. This fear is the driving force behind inwardly drawn communities and also represents a large and underlying rationale of apartheid in Gordimer's own native South Africa. The attitudes of the family help to develop this theme of a fear of that which is unknown or misunderstood. The tragic condition of the family at the end, resulting the death of their child, is a result of this fear. Another theme in the work is the idea of the dualistic and reciprocal nature of creation and destruction. This holds the idea that each act of creation is an inevitable step towards destruction. The family seeks to create a "perfect" solution to their fear of the outside world. In barricading themselves off, they feel they have "the answer." However, with each advancing step in this vein, they actually move a step closer to destruction and terror, as they move farther away from rationality and understanding and closer to a domain where destruction is the only logical end.

400

Does the story have a hero or a villain?

the family would be the hero and the criminal element against which they fight would be villain. Yet, I think that where Gordimer's genius is evident is that the villain is more in the minds of the heroes. The heroic family is actually their worst enemy. It is the construction of a fear of the outside world that causes them to fundamentally question their world to a point where they become victim to their own fears. I think that this is where there is an inversion of the traditional fairy tale. In this parody of self and the genre itself, Gordimer is able to develop reality as one in which the complex nature of individuals compels them to be both hero and villain. The family's own insecurity and fear is what drives them to a point where they become their own enemy, culminating in the death of their beloved child. From this, one can see that there is no clear and distinct hero or villain. Rather, human beings possess the capacity to be both simultaneously and sometimes at different moments.

500

What is the importance of the setting in "Once Upon a Time"?

In Gordimer's grim parody of a fairy tale, the setting is a crucial element in presenting the theme of her story. Her description of South African society and the rumours of crimes and burglaries are the reason why the family in her short story go to even further lengths in order to try and protect themselves, but in the end only end up hurting themselves in the most horrific way imaginable. What is key to realise is how Gordimer builds up the setting through a strategy of reporting the crimes that others have experienced in their neighbourhood, which impel them to go to even greater lengths to try and protect themselves, but also the way that other houses are described: When the man and wife and little boy took the pet dog for its walk round the neighborhood streets they no longer paused to admire this show of roses or that perfect lawn; these were hidden behind an array of different varieties of security fences, walls, and devices. Note how Gordimer's implied criticism of these security measures is presented. Formerly, taking a walk in their neighbourhood involved admiring the gardens of their neighbours. Now, such pleasant perusal is impossible, and the only things that can be admired are the security features that each house has built around them. The description supplied with the setting supports the overall message of the story, which is how these people, with the apparent motive of protecting themselves, are actually turning themselves into prisoners within a prison of their own making. Setting is therefore something that is crucial to developing the message that Gordimer wishes to convey in this tragic fairy tale.