The Whale and the Grasshopper
Blanche Colton Williams’s study treats “The Whale and the Grasshopper” as a fable-like phantasy written, according to Mr. O’Brien, for its philosophy and humor. It directs readers to compare its mental attitude with Emerson’s “The Mountain and the Squirrel,” while considering how the title grew from Padna Dan’s phrase, “As the Whale said to the Grasshopper.” The analysis examines the June-morning setting near Castlegregory, the role of Irish dialect in realizing place, and the selective handling that keeps the speech intelligible yet distinctive. It also studies the credibility of Standish McNeill and Felix O’Dowd, Standish’s storytelling gift, and O’Brien’s statement that story or drama forms itself in his mind without conscious technical planning.
By Blanche Colton Williams · First published 1919 · Genre: Literary Analysis, Literary Criticism, Non-Fiction · 377 words
First lines
CLASSIFICATION. "You are right," says Mr. O'Brien, "about ‘The Whale and the Grasshopper. ' It is a sort of fable and like the other sketches in my book it was written for the sake of the philosophy and humor. The starting point of the narrative was the remark of Padna Dan ‘As the Whale said to the Grasshopper,' which I considered a good title, and accordingly wrote the phantasy."
Read as a sort of parallel, Emerson's "The Mountain and the Squirrel. " What is the difference in the mental attitude of the two authors?
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Genres
- Literary Analysis — The section guides close examination of setting, dialect, characters, comparison, and narrative method.
- Literary Criticism — It evaluates how details such as names, speech, and characterization create credibility and effect.
- Non-Fiction — This is an instructional study section supported by quoted comments on the writer’s creative practice.
Tags
Blanche Colton Williams · The Whale and the Grasshopper · Mr. O’Brien · fable · phantasy · Irish dialect · Castlegregory · June morning setting · Standish McNeill · Felix O’Dowd · characterization · Emerson comparison
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The Whale and the Grasshopper is listed on Textopian as an essay by Blanche Colton Williams, dated 1919 CE.
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- Work type: Essay
- Author: Blanche Colton Williams
- Date: 1919 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Analysis, Literary Criticism, Non-Fiction
- Length: 377 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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