Jack and the Beanstalk
My wife was reading Jack and the Beanstalk to my kids last night. It seems to me that Jack did some pretty terrible things and should not be the hero of the story.
It is true that he was living in dire poverty and I can certainly empathize with his plight. His family was pushed to the point that they had to sell the family cow and Jack made a pretty bad business decision trading it in for a handful of beans.
But then things get very sketchy. The beans become a huge stalk extending way in to the clouds. Jack, his curiosity piqued, climbs to the top and ends up in a pretty dangerous place - the home of a man eating giant. The wife of the giant feeds Jack and hides him from her husband. How does Jack return the favor? He steals their money! What a punk! Where is his gratitude?
There are those who will justify Jack's actions on the basis of his poverty. To them I point to the fact that after Jack stole the bag of gold, he then went back up and stole the hen that lays the golden eggs. He then went back again to steal the golden harp that plays music on its own.
And then, and this is the clincher, after he gets busted and the giants chase after him, he murders them to save his hide!
The story ends "and everyone lived happily ever after." -- What kind of sick twisted logic is that? Jack is a murderous pathological criminal, he should spend his life behind bars! Instead, the poor giants are dead and Jack is living the highlife on the stolen booty.
It is true that he was living in dire poverty and I can certainly empathize with his plight. His family was pushed to the point that they had to sell the family cow and Jack made a pretty bad business decision trading it in for a handful of beans.
But then things get very sketchy. The beans become a huge stalk extending way in to the clouds. Jack, his curiosity piqued, climbs to the top and ends up in a pretty dangerous place - the home of a man eating giant. The wife of the giant feeds Jack and hides him from her husband. How does Jack return the favor? He steals their money! What a punk! Where is his gratitude?
There are those who will justify Jack's actions on the basis of his poverty. To them I point to the fact that after Jack stole the bag of gold, he then went back up and stole the hen that lays the golden eggs. He then went back again to steal the golden harp that plays music on its own.
And then, and this is the clincher, after he gets busted and the giants chase after him, he murders them to save his hide!
The story ends "and everyone lived happily ever after." -- What kind of sick twisted logic is that? Jack is a murderous pathological criminal, he should spend his life behind bars! Instead, the poor giants are dead and Jack is living the highlife on the stolen booty.
posted by The Big Elephant at 4:22 PM
4 Comments:
I completely agree! Who does Jack think he is? On the other hand, had the Giant been terrorizing and eating the villagers, then perhaps Jack's actions are justifiable. Even if that is the case, Jack should have thought of Mrs. Giant, a woman who clearly cared for Jack and protected him in his time of need. Now she must fend for herself as Jack has killed the breadwinner of the Giant household.
One can draw many analogies from Jack and the Beanstalk; from politics to the corporate world.
I think you're right....I am not so happy either with the message that it sends the kids. I think from now on I will get you to choose the library books!
Tzvi, you are joking, right?
yeah but zvi man think about the other ones they are just as bad , goldilocks and the three bears for example depicts breaking and entering, destruction of property , theft , vandilism and she gets away with it too!!
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