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NalaFrank
Prompt3
Dec1,2013
TheVigilantRabbit
DavidSedarisTheVigilantRabbitisafictionalcontemporaryfable.Itincludesveryfew
characteristicsofpremodernfablesaswellasmanynewcharacteristicsthatseparatethisfablefrom
traditionalones.Fablesaregenerallytersefictionalpiecesthatuseanthropomorphismtogiveanimals
humanlikepersonasinordertoembodythem.Theirsolepurposeistoteachanethicallessonandmay
evensometimescontainamoralafteritsconclusion.HoweverSedarismoderndayfablediffersin
severalaspectssuchaslanguage,length,andchildfriendlinesstonameafew.Sincefablesare
generallyshortandcanevenbeaslittleasfivesentenceswhichwasdoneinAesopsTheFoxandthe
Mask,SedarislengthyfablebeatsthatofMariedeFrancewhosefablessometimesconsistedofalittle
morethanthirtylines.
Theuseoflanguageinthiscontemporaryfablealsodiffersintermsofthestyleitiswrittenas
wellasindialectthatmaynotbeappropriateforyoungchildren.Thoughbothpremodernfablessuch
asTheLittleRedRidingHoodandmoderndayTheVigilantRabbitwereallegoricallywritten,The
LittleRedRidingHoodwaswrittenwithfundamentalmeaningsandappealedtotheinnocentdespite
thefactthatthewolfservedasapredatorwhopreyedonanavegirl.HowevertheVigilantRabbit
usedamoreupfrontapproachandincludedviolentsceneswithbloodandmurders.
Whatstartedoffasapotentiallygoodideatobuildagateandstandguardtoanyoneattempting
toenterfromtheouterworld,turnedintoafairlybadonedisplayingmanygruesomeevents.The
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rabbitthatservestoprotectthelandandpeopleinitfromoutsidedangersdidsoatanycostevenifit
meantharmingothers.Ifanyonelaughed,questioned,orevenusedprofanitytowardshimorinregards
tohisNOTRESPASSINGsigntheywerekilled.Andinsteadofjustdisappearingfromthefable,
Sedarismadesurethatreadersknewwhathappenedduringtheirhorrificdeath.
Afterbashingthesnakeandmagpieheadsinwithastickformakinginquiriesofhowsecurethe
gatewas,therabbitdidnotstop.Insteadhecontinuedbyusinghisstickasaweapononthefrogthat
utteredwordsofprofanityandchewedoffthehornofaunicornthatcametospreadhappiness
throughouttheland.Notonlydidtherabbitkillanddestroythefeaturesoftheseanimalsoutofspite,
buthealsoglorifiedhiswrongdoingsbyhangingthedeadcarcassesonthegatetoexemplifyhis
power.Andfollowingaconversationwiththeunicornthattestedtherabbitsauthority,Sedarisnotes
thattherabbitspatonthebloodsoakedground.
Theseviciousscenesandsettingsnevertookplaceinpremodernfables.Thoughthewolfin
LittleRedRidingHoodmayhaveeatenLittleReduporthelambthatwasalsoeatenbyawolfin
AesopsAlwaysInTheWrongmayhavedisplayeddeathtoconcludethefable,theredeathswerenever
surroundedbygore.NeverthelessderogatorytermssuchasBSandstupidwereneverusedinorderto
getapointacross.OtherthanthefableofTheVigilantRabbitusinganimalstotellSedarisstory,I
cannotcomparethisfabletoapremodernonebecauseithasveryfewsimilarities.Thefactthatitis
fictionalcancomparetopremodernfables.Howeverbecausethisfablehasatwistedideaofjustice
wherethewolvespossiblygivetherabbitwhathedeservesdoesnotcorrelatewiththemoralsofpre
modernones.
ForexampleoneofthemoralsofLittleRedRidingHoodwasafairwarningthatyoushould
notspeaktostrangersandhadahiddenmessageofsexualitybetweenyounggirlswhocanbetaken
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advantageofbyoldermen.YettheVigilantRabbit,didnotgiveoffageneralmoralthatcouldbe
easilyinterpretedoravaluablelessonfromreadingthefable.Insteaditseemedtobesurroundedby
nothingbutviolenceandgaveoffamessageofifyoudisobeyorquestiontherulesofauthorityfigures
youwouldbekilled.Itevendisplayedvehemenceinitsillustrationwithameanlookingrabbitholding
abigsticklikeheisntafraidtouseit.Notonlydoesthisgoagainstpremodernfableswhogenerally
didnthaveanyillustrationsbutfortheonesthatdidsuchasLittleRedRidingHoodwasappropriate
forallages.Itdisplayedayounggirlwithacloakandawolfdressedashergrandmother.However
Sedarischangedtherabbitthatistypicallyknowntobeafurrycuteanimalintoascaryonethat
wouldmakeyourethinkgoingtoseeoneatthepettingzoo.
OverallSedarisfablecannotbecomparedtopremodernonesandarealsonotappropriatefor
children.Sincehisfablewasconcludedwiththefaithoftherabbitslivesinthewolveshands,Ican
onlyguessthatkarmawasapartofSedarissmoralandplayedaroleinwhatmayormaynothave
happenedtotherabbit.