Portfolio: Analyzing Literary Text
Write an Essay
The story The Swallow and the Pumpkinseed is a folktale and Don’t Count Your Chickens is written in the style of a folktale. In many folktales, some characters are rewarded for their positive qualities or values. Other characters are punished or do not have success due to their negative qualities or values. The characters and events teach the reader a lesson about life. What life lesson or important values do you think the younger brothers in the two stories help readers understand? Write a three-paragraph essay that tells your response.
Paragraph 1: Write an introductory paragraph that identifies the main characters in The Swallow and the Pumpkinseed and Don’t Count Your Chickens. Tell what life lesson or important values the younger brothers in the two stories help the readers understand.
Paragraph 2: Explain how the qualities or values of the younger brothers in the stories are different from those of their older brothers. Use details from the stories to contrast the character traits and points of view of the younger brothers with those of their older brothers.
Paragraph 3: Explain what you think the authors want readers to learn from the younger brothers in the stories. Tell how the plot events and the authors’ use of language and literary devices to support your ideas. End your paragraph with a sentence that restates the lesson or values that the characters in the stories convey to readers.
Use details from the stories to support your ideas in the essay.
In the folktale The Swallow and the Pumpkinseed, the main characters are two brothers, the younger of whom is named Pumpkinseed. In the story Don’t Count Your Chickens, the main characters are also two brothers, with the younger brother being the focus. The younger brothers in both stories teach readers the lesson of patience and perseverance. They show that good things come to those who wait and work hard, rather than those who are greedy or take shortcuts.
The qualities and values of the younger brothers in the stories are vastly different from those of their older brothers. Pumpkinseed shows patience and diligence in planting and caring for his crop, waiting for it to bear fruit. In contrast, his older brother is greedy and impatient, wanting immediate rewards without putting in the necessary effort. Similarly, in Don’t Count Your Chickens, the younger brother is kind and generous, while his older brother is selfish and quick to take advantage of situations for personal gain.
The authors of the stories likely want readers to learn that patience, perseverance, kindness, and honesty are important qualities that lead to success and happiness in life. The plot events in the stories demonstrate the consequences of the characters’ actions, with the younger brothers ultimately being rewarded for their positive qualities and values. Through the authors’ use of language and literary devices, such as symbolism and moral lessons, readers are encouraged to reflect on their own behavior and choices. In conclusion, the characters in The Swallow and the Pumpkinseed and Don’t Count Your Chickens convey the message that patience, hard work, kindness, and honesty are virtues that lead to positive outcomes and fulfillment in life.