Once Upon A Time

"They were warned, by that wise old witch, the husband's mother, not to take on anyone off the street." -pg. 232

One of the literary devices commonly used throughout this story is irony. First, I chuckled at the description of a mother-in-law as a witch, which I assume is how many men describe their situations. Anyways, the main irony I found was that the "wise old witch" seemed wise and helpful when advising the family to be more secure. That led to their sheltered lifestyle and the amplified division between the paradise and the worse-off minorities. Then, the witch gives the son a fairy tale book at Christmas, a seemingly harmless act on the surface. However, this book led to the son's naive idea of being a prince who saves the princess by slashing through thorns, which in this case is a barbed-wire fence. Although the story never reveals that the son dies, it is implied that the boy is at least greatly wounded by the wire (which I'm pretty sure represents the harsh reality that fairy tales trivialize). So, while the "witch" seemed to be a harmless character, I believe she was a leading role that turned out to be the villain.