Use of Parody, Foreshadowing and Figurative Language in Jane Yolen's Fat is Not a Fairy Tale

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People are born with different facial structures, heights, and shapes. But in our current society, most people imagine the ideal woman to be tall and slender. In the poem “Fat Is Not a Fairy Tale” by Jane Yolen, the speaker expresses her view through parody, foreshadowing, and figurative language that a more full-figured image of a woman’s beauty will someday prevail. Yolen makes use of parody to effectively state her view that fairy tale princesses shouldn’t have to be skinny to be considered beautiful. The first stanza lists Disney princesses by the names of “Cinder Elephant,/Sleeping Tubby,/[and] Snow Weight”. This suggests that if these well-known princesses were created more realistically, people would not be so harsh on appearance. Because these princesses have an audience range of all ages, even young children are exposed to extremely skinny characters who they idolize and strive to be like. In the second stanza, she continues the parody by changing the titles “Hansel and Great/Repoundsel/[and] Bounty and the Beast”. By continuing to substitute other names reflecting...

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