Notes

 “Petronella”

Compare Petronella with other princesses in other fairytale.

Motif:  a motif is a main element, idea, or feature – sometimes a repeating one – in a story.  Certain motifs are typical of fairy tales.

Example:  princes and princesses, the wrinkled old wise man, and things occurring in threes.

Parody:  a parody imitates a literary work or an author’s writing style for a comic effect.  A parody often includes humorous twists on familiar plots, events, characters, and dialogue.

          Example:  Jay Williams creates his humorous parody of a traditional fairy tale by combining elements of this genre with modern characters, events and settings.

1)      A princess wants to save a prince instead of a prince saving the princess.

2)      A wicked enchanter lives in a pleasant looking ranch instead of living in a grim castle.

3)      The prince is more interested in getting a suntan than in acting like a heroic character.

Drawing Conclusions:  drawing conclusions involves forming decisions about characters, events, settings, or other elements of a story, based on information and reasoning.  Drawing conclusions is a useful skill to help strategic readers better understand a story.

          -What conclusions can one reach about Albion’s character, based on his response each time Petronella successfully completes one of the three tasks?

          -Ans: Albion praises Petronella for her bravery, kindness, and talents.  This enables readers to draw the conclusion that he is a fair person.