Our Lady's Child Figurative Language

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In current society, almost each and every person has been told folktales from different cultures around the world. Though the stories may intrigue the reader; the main purpose is to get some type of point across. With each story, the reader can see the cultural differences, whether it be social classes, or their beliefs in religion to teach a certain norm or lesson that connects to their life. The story Our Lady’s Child better known as Mary’s Child, is a german folktale that incorporates the catholic church into the tale. It focuses on the idea of dishonesty and how the repercussions can hurt someone if they chose to continue the path of it. The story of Mary’s Child illustrates how stories are told as moral lessons, the integration of religion …show more content…

The girl is made an example of, symbolizing the consequences that can occur if the reader or listener chooses to be untruthful. Though not to the extent of her punishment in the story, it is a reminder put into the minds of children and adults to encourage them to tell the truth. Another example of figurative language is the idea of heaven in the myth. It is impossible for a girl to actually fly up to heaven with a fictional character. It can be seen as a metonymy of sorts, since the word heaven may lead the reader to believe that the girl had passed away. The Virgin Mary can be seen as a symbol and idiom for the truth. She is a moral compass that directs the girl into doing the right thing eventually. But, following a different path, the Virgin Mary could be seen as the main contributor to the present day idea and term of virginity. If someone has not yet participated in intimacy, they are labeled a virgin, after the catholic figure. In an article titled, What if we used the word ‘virgin’ in accordance with its original meaning?, by -----, they use an excerpt written by Marilyn Frye stating that the word virgin did not always hold the connotation it

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