As a child, I became familiar of The Shepherd's Boy— previously known to me as The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Jacobs sets the mysterious and foreshadows danger when describing the "dark forest" near where he worked. Biblically and in many other fables, a shepherd's duties typically are to protect and take care of his herd of sheep. The young boy is described as lonely and nomadic. I found it sad how his trouble stemmed from being desperate for socialization for other little boys.
This concept provides a segway to conversation in the psychological theme of child socialization during development. In the desire to achieve this attention from people, he became a trickster; invoking this fear upon the village people gave him, as I would describe it, an adrenaline rush. Many villagers were alarmed and seemed eager to assist the boy in saving the flock of sheep at first. I feel most people would blame the boy immediately for his silly games. However when reflecting more, I was more angry how the townspeople neglected the boy, yet they were selfish in making sure nothing happened to the village's prized sheep.
The Peacock and Juno shows the importance of individuality. Most of us know the common phrase, "We all want what we can't have." This is a common theme among humans in today's society and entertainment culture— the constant state of changing for others and not being content. Juno is the Roman goddess of marriage and childbirth, and she is often represented by the peacock. The Hindu symbolism of this bird is patience, which I found eventually fitting for this short fable. It was ironic how the peacock, an extremely visually stimulating creature, desired to become the nightingale, a plain, ordinarily-looking brown bird. Despite gaining something attractive, the bird would ultimately lose the inborn signature it once possessed, something far more beautiful. This explains Juno's symbolism and her purpose as the wise protagonist. She represents the wisdom and patience it requires to be proud and confident of the traits we inherit.
Bibliography: Joseph Jacobs, The Shepherd's Boy (link); Joseph Jacobs, The Peacock and Juno (link)
This concept provides a segway to conversation in the psychological theme of child socialization during development. In the desire to achieve this attention from people, he became a trickster; invoking this fear upon the village people gave him, as I would describe it, an adrenaline rush. Many villagers were alarmed and seemed eager to assist the boy in saving the flock of sheep at first. I feel most people would blame the boy immediately for his silly games. However when reflecting more, I was more angry how the townspeople neglected the boy, yet they were selfish in making sure nothing happened to the village's prized sheep.
The shepherd's boy, Wikimedia
The Peacock and Juno shows the importance of individuality. Most of us know the common phrase, "We all want what we can't have." This is a common theme among humans in today's society and entertainment culture— the constant state of changing for others and not being content. Juno is the Roman goddess of marriage and childbirth, and she is often represented by the peacock. The Hindu symbolism of this bird is patience, which I found eventually fitting for this short fable. It was ironic how the peacock, an extremely visually stimulating creature, desired to become the nightingale, a plain, ordinarily-looking brown bird. Despite gaining something attractive, the bird would ultimately lose the inborn signature it once possessed, something far more beautiful. This explains Juno's symbolism and her purpose as the wise protagonist. She represents the wisdom and patience it requires to be proud and confident of the traits we inherit.
Bibliography: Joseph Jacobs, The Shepherd's Boy (link); Joseph Jacobs, The Peacock and Juno (link)
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