Question

Which three excerpts from Nadine Gordimer's “Once Upon a Time” are reminiscent of those elements found in traditional fairy tales? Select all that apply. In a house
- … there were a man and his wife who loved each other very much and were living happily ever after. …
they were warned, by that wise old witch …
not to take on anyone off the street.
- I was waiting for it; waiting to hear if it indicated that feet were moving from room to room, coming up the passage—to my door
-. So I began to tell myself a story, a bedtime story The little boy was fascinated by the device and used it as a walkie-talkie in cops and robbers play with his small friends
-. … as her Christmas present to her son and his wife—the little boy got a Space Man outfit and a book of fairy tales.
-the Prince who braves the terrible thicket of thorns to enter the palace and kiss the Sleeping Beauty back to life.

Answer 1

Answer:

The three excerpts from Nadine Gordimer's “Once Upon a Time” that are reminiscent of those elements found in traditional fairy tales are:

- In a house… there were a man and his wife who loved each other very much and were living happily ever after. …

they were warned, by that wise old witch …

not to take on anyone off the street.

-. … as her Christmas present to her son and his wife—the little boy got a Space Man outfit and a book of fairy tales.

-the Prince who braves the terrible thicket of thorns to enter the palace and kiss the Sleeping Beauty back to life.

Explanation:

This three paragraphs show common elements that are present in fairy tales, first we have a witch that is one of the classic villains in this kind of stories, then we have a Christmas present which is given to a boy, that might remind the fairy godmothers in those stories, and at the end we have the prince who is the hero in all the princesses stories.

Answer 2

The correct answers are:

• … there were a man and his wife who loved each other very much and were living happily ever after. … they were warned, by that wise old witch … not to take on anyone off the street.
• … as her Christmas present to her son and his wife—the little boy got a Space Man outfit and a book of fairy tales.
• The Prince who braves the terrible thicket of thorns to enter the palace and kiss the Sleeping Beauty back to life.

The first excerpt presents the typical kid-friendly ending to fairy tales: "living happily ever after". Moreover, witches are commonly used entities to serve as the villians of the story.

The second excerpt refers to the son as a "little boy", which is common in fairy tales.

The third excerpt follows a prince in his quest to rescue a damsel in distress, which is very popular in fairy tales involving royal families.