Once Upon a Time

This frame story was created because of Nadine's combined thoughts of someone in her house and her hatred of writing a children's story that she didn't want to. It is apparent that she thinks that children's "once upon a time" and "happily ever after" stories aren't even worth writing because real life doesn't happen that way. She tells herself a story to go to bed. This story is what would really happen if a realistic family truly tried to live "happily ever after." I think the theme of this story is that if one tried to live a perfect life with no wrong in it, ironically, much wrong would come from it. To live "happily ever after is to have no worries. This family tries to accomplish this by pretty much incarcerating themselves from the world. The family even resorted to "concentration-camp style" barbed wire to put around their house. I think that is pushing it. This story if full of irony. Just when the family feels secure from all people with no worries, the mother reads a "once upon a time" story with a prince in it to their child. When the child tries to imitate this courageous prince and climb their security wall, he is mauled by the barbed-wire that was supposed to protect their family so well.