Summer Fables

Erasing the parent’s presence is a common motif in children’s literature that allows a child protagonist to be at the forefront of the story. The traditional mother-daughter relationship exhibits an unbalanced distribution of power, where parents demonstrate responsibility and authority over a child. The standard adult figure that regulates the behavior of children is absent in the children’s book  Eloise - written by Kay Thompson and illustrated by Hilary Knight. Eloise’s mother is described as wealthy, renowned, and perpetually absent. The absent parent is also apparent in multiple children-directed narratives such as Harry Potter (Harry’s parents die making Harry an orphan) and The Cat in the Hat (The mother leaves her children at home alone). Eliminating the constraints of parental domination catalyzes the story and encourages agency in the young characters. In the book Eloise, we witness the rebellious and free-spirited nature of Eloise’s character created by the lack of maternal presence in her life.  The mischievous side of Eloise is exemplified when she fools her mother’s lawyer into eating rubber chocolate (Thompson & Knight 47). Another instance is when she mocks and mimics her tutor Phillip. Her antic caused so much emotional turmoil and prompted Phillip to flee the tutoring session (Thompson & Knight 52-53). But no matter how badly Eloise behaves, she is never punished. In the examples provided, it is evident that the absent parent facilitates the child’s storyline. The child protagonist is free to create mischief and embark on wild adventures, and protective parental figures would get in the way of this. The absent parent allows the main characters to do things that are otherwise impossible.

In 2020 a few great things occurred in my life. I graduated from college, I celebrated my 22nd birthday, and I was introduced to the Netflix series She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. The striking show explored themes of friendship and female empowerment. But more importantly, She-Ra altered my outlook on the future by promoting hope and autonomy. The characters in She-Ra maintain control over their lives and break the cycle of trauma. The storyline of the series supports a powerful message about overcoming external pressures and  expectations. 

We witness the action of breaking the cycle in Adora’s character as she struggle to comprehend herself and her identity. On a quest to learn more about her ancestral background, Adora discovers she is a First One (a race of intergalactic explorers) and she is destined to restore the Heart of Etheria. Although she continuously receives recognition surrounding her powers, Adora somewhat resents her gift as she struggles with having a lack of choice and free will. This is evident in the dialogue between Adora and Light Hope in season three episode one:

Adora: “Don’t I get a say in what happens to me? Don’t I get a choice?”

Light Hope: “No. This is your destiny. You do not choose. You were chosen.”

 Despite being manipulated by Light Hope who concealed the true horrors of the Heart of Etheria Project, Adora is able to regain control and change her destiny. She concludes season four with the memorable line - “I won’t be controlled.” Adora destroys the Sword of Protection and subsequently destroys the cycle of She-Ra and the cycle of destruction. Ending the cycle of trauma is also apparent in other characters, including Lord Hordak. As a defective clone of Hordak Prime, Lord Hordak’s initial objective  was to please his superior brother.  Rejection from his brother generated a villainous and distant demeanor in Lord Hordak’s character. However, we witness a change in his behavior when he develops his own friendships and individuality. He is no longer impacted by the neglect of his brother which is demonstrated in the trust and vulnerability he has with his lab partner Entrapa. 

Although the series highlight moments of self-autonomy, they also expose the difficulty combating the cycle of trauma. This is evident in Catra’s character who experienced continuous emotional abuse from Shadow Weaver. Lacking any affection or encouragement, Catra’s childhood traumas persist into her current life. The impact of trauma is apparent in Catra’s overwhelming burst of anger and her inability to sustain healthy relationships. Catra becomes an abuser herself as she disregards the safety of Horde Soldiers by placing them in imminent danger. Additionally, she blames victims for her own actions. This occurs when Catra opens the portal and blames all the repercussions on Adora by stating -“You broke the world, and it is all your fault.” 

Despite the recurring themes of fate, the protagonists in The Lightning Thief are primarily motivated by their own desires. The protagonist’s personal goals overpower the value of their destiny. By prioritizing the main characters’ goals, the novel is instilling agency and individualism in child readers.

The tension between fate and desire is evident in Percy Jackson’s mission to retrieve Zeus’ lightning bolt. After asking Oracle Delphi about his predestined future, Percy was told: “You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.” While retrieving the lightning bolt is part of the mission, Percy’s also possess an ulterior motive to find his mother in the underworld. Percy is indifferent about his task to return the lightning bolt, and we can see this when he says, “Poseidon had ignored me for twelve years. Now suddenly he needed me” (81). His quest is mainly driven by a longing for his mother. He does not prioritize his fate to return the lightning bolt and restore peace to Olympus.

Another example of this occurs in Annabeth’s story. Annabeth’s prophecy stated that she is destined to go on a quest, but only when someone special arrives at Camp Half-Blood. Despite her fate, Annabelle cares more about entering the real/mortal world. Unable to leave to the Camp Half-Blood since the age of seven, Annabeth wants to experience more of the world and encounter monsters. We can see her personal objectives when she states “It would mean the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world” (97).

Overall, the characters in The Lightning Thief demonstrate how desire plays a major role in our lives. Even with a predestined fate, Percy and Annabeth continued to be motivated by their own dreams and desires. I think this encourages child readers to think for themselves and take charge of their lives.

The repeated mention of Samson and Delilah in the film Shape of Water is used by Strickland to support his ideology of vengeance. In the biblical story Samson is betrayed by Delilah, the women he loved. Delilah reveals the source of Samson's strength to his enemies, and they destroy his power. The part of the story that Strickland focuses on is when Samson strength is restored by God, and he takes revenge on his enemies (killing himself in the process). Strickland views Samson as victorious even though he died at the end of the story. This exposes Strickland’s belief that vengeance is necessary to people who are disloyal at all cost. But Strickland does not realize he is the enemy in this story.

The first mention of Samson and Delilah occurred when Strickland discovers Zelda's middle name is Delilah. He starts to refer to Zelda as Delilah, which is significant because he is stripping away Zelda’s identity. Zelda is equated to a villainous character by Strickland, who hardly knows her at this point.

The relationship between Samson and Delilah also parallels to Strickland and Elissa. Elissa betrays Strickland when she rescues the gill man. The gill man represents Samson’s power, since Strickland’s discovery of the gill man gave him power/authority in the science lab. Throughout Strickland’s journey to retrieve the gill man he repeats the line “I do not fail. I deliver.” Strickland views himself as Samson but he is not the victor in this story, Elissa is. Samson’s power was revived because he was a good person, a quality that Strickland does not possess. I think Shape of Water also attempts to revise Strickland’s interpretation of Samson and Delilah. Strickland views Samson’s death as honorable because Samson still defeated his enemies; however, Samson’s vengeance is the reason for his demise. There is not hero in Samson and Delilah. All the characters in the biblical story have a moral flaw ( The enemies’ betrayal and Samson’s vengeance).

Elissa survival is a result of her good morals and love for the gill man. Although she betrayed Strickland, she did so for the right reasons. She saved the gill man from the scientists’ torture.