Theme for The Tortoise and the Hare - Post University Assignment

The story I am picking to show theme is for The Tortoise and the Hare. 

"There once was a speedy hare who bragged about how fast he could run. Tired of hearing him boast, Slow and Steady, the tortoise, challenged him to a race. All the animals in the forest gathered to watch.

Hare ran down the road for a while and then paused to rest. He looked back at Slow and Steady and cried out, "How do you expect to win this race when you are walking along at your slow, slow pace?"

Hare stretched himself out alongside the road and fell asleep, thinking, "There is plenty of time to relax."

Slow and Steady walked and walked. He never, ever stopped until he came to the finish line.

The animals who were watching cheered so loudly for Tortoise, they woke up Hare.

Hare stretched and yawned and began to run again, but it was too late. Tortoise was over the line.

After that, Hare always reminded himself, "Don't brag about your lightning pace, for Slow and Steady won the race!""

(Aesop, 2000)

I consider these points to be main themes in the story of the Tortoise and the Hare:

1. Don't give up.

No matter what obtacles may appear to be in front of you, keep trying until you achieve your goals. 

2. Intelligence is more important than speed.

The ability to think and analyze and put together a plan is more important than randomly acting out without a plan. 

3. Plan your actions, rather than acting haphazardly.

Set your goals and plan your steps and set them into action and how you want to achieve them. Be prepared to make changes along the way when necessary. Nothing is set in stone and can be changed. 

4. Friends and people you can learn from come in all types of packages

New friends and neighbors come in all shapes and sizes and packages. Don't focus only on a single type of person to engage with and learn from. Be open and aware and pay attention to what is happening around you and learning opportunities will show up. Be prepared and open to receive them when the arrive.

Here is another author who also points out the themes she sees in this story, which are similar to mine. 

"Perseverance: The tortoise never gave up, even though he was competing against a faster opponent and was almost certain to lose.

Overconfidence: The hare was not only faster than the tortoise but also complacent. He took his win for granted, and this ended up costing him the victory.

Strategy: The tortoise had a well-thought-out plan, even though he knew he was at a disadvantage. He focused on his strengths, one step at a time, and eventually won.

Importance of hard work: The hare relied on his natural ability and speed and did not put in as much effort as the tortoise.

Persistence pays off: The tortoise’s tenacity and willpower paid off, proving that never giving up can lead to success."

(Slater, Tammy; 2022)

References

Slater, Tammy; 2022, AREW, https://arew.org/what-is-the-theme-of-the-tortoise-and-the-hare-quizlet/

Aesop, 2000, Story Arts, https://www.storyarts.org/library/aesops/stories/tortoise.html

Post University, English 130, English Literature and Composition

Descriptive Poem for “The Migrant Mother” photograph

Post University, English 130, English Literature and Composition

Descriptive Poem for “The Migrant Mother” photograph

“I am taking care of my family 

Like a Proud American 

 

I am a great wife and mother 

Like a great woman should be proud to be 

 

I am a strong Cherokee 

Like a proud tribal member who cares for their family 

 

I am proud of my family who is fixing our car 

Like a great family who sticks together and cares for each other.  

 

I am in warm clothes that I give to my family 

Like a person who takes care of their family 

 

I am supposed to be here in California 

Like a family who came here to work 

 

I am a person with dignity 

Like a person who works hard and is happy! 

 

I am Florence Owens Thompson 

Like a proud American and living in California with my family.” 

(Twinkl Teaches, 2022)

Twinkl Teaches, 2022, How to Write a Descriptive Poem, https://youtu.be/Vz978By5viI 

The Fable of the Tortoise and the Hare: Lessons that Can Apply to All of our Lives!

The Fable of the Tortoise and the Hare 

Lessons that Can Apply to All of our Lives! 

 

 

Jackie Phillips 

English Department, Post University  

ENG130: Literature and Composition 

 Unit 1 Assignment: Plot Literary Response 

Dr. Rebecca Taverner-Coleman 

July 2, 2023

 

The Fable of the Tortoise and the Hare 

Lessons that Can Apply to All of our Lives! 

 

This assignment focuses on your ability to: learn how to identify the plot devices of a piece of literature. The purpose of completing this assignment is: as a student and a career professional, you will need to read and analyze many different forms of literature. Very often, you will need to report on those pieces of literature. This is good practice for developing those skills!  

After reading the stories in the unit, select one story to write an analysis of the plot on. Please answer the following questions about that short story or fairy tale in three paragraphs. 

Introduction:  

My choice is the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. As a child I have always been attracted to stories about animals of all types, so this was one of my favorites. As I got older, I was able to understand the adult morals and lessons in the story.  

Why I am picking this story? 

I am picking this story not only because it is about animals, but because I love stories about “underdogs” and about animals or people that are initially thought to not be the winner due to many things like size or intelligence.  

As a small person at 5 feet tall, I have always been looked at as the person who can’t compete in sports and can’t be smart enough to win a race against someone who appears to be more intelligent. Specifically as a child, I was always compared to my older sister who was always more athletic, smarter, and was popular with all the friends. She was a cheerleader, in the church band and participated in all the sports.  

What is the plot of the story and how clear is that plot?  

“The fable: Once there lived a tortoise and a hare. They were good friends and often played together with their other friends, the fox, the deer and other animals. However, one day the hare teased the tortoise that he was always so slow. He challenged the tortoise to run a race with him. The other animals were delighted. They marked out the starting and finishing lines and acted as referees, cheer leaders etc. And so the race started. The hare ran very fast and soon he was near the finishing line. He looked back and saw that the tortoise was a long way behind and decided to take a nap. When he woke up, he saw that the tortoise had overtaken him. He dashed to the finishing line but alas the tortoise crossed the line before him. #1 (Siew, Yuen Kit, December 20, 2021) 

 

What would you consider to be the main message of the story based on the plot? 

“1. Slow and Steady Wins the Race 

2. Overconfidence Can Lead to Failure 

3. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Perseverance 

4. Consistency and Discipline Can Lead to Success 

5. Winning Isn’t Everything, and Losing Doesn’t Mean You’re a Failure”  

#2 (Fahim, Ali Ekram, May 22, 2023) 

Conclusion: Why did I pick this story? 

I firmly believe in all of the above points in the main message. They are excellent and proven ways to run and manage your life, and all of them are obvious in the fable that on the outside just appears to be a friendly interaction between two friends, but deep down has a lot more going on underneath the surface.   

 

 

References  

#1, Siew, Yuen Kit, December 20, 2021, “Life Lessons From Aesop’s Fable ‘The Tortoise and the Hare,” BeyondBroadcast.com, https://www.beyondbroadcast.com/post/tortoise-and-the-hare/ 

 

#2, Fahim, Ali Ekram, May 22, 2023, “The Complete Tortoise and the Hare Story Summary and Moral,” Reptilehere.com, https://reptilehere.com/tortoises/story-of-the-tortoise-and-the-hare-summary/