Joan Aiken Third Wish
Joan Aikens fantasy short story, “Third Wish” takes place by his house near the forest. A man named Mr. Peters one day saved a swan from garbage that could have killed him , the swan in return granted him 3 wishes that will change his life. Mr. Peters used his first wish for a wife as beautiful as the forest. As a result he gets a swan that was turned into a human as his “Beautiful Wife.” Soon he has to make a decision that will show how much he loves her and that he will do whats right for her and himself with his second wish.
From the very beginning, the details of this short story talks about how Mr. Peters loves his new wife with all his heart, but in the beginning befor he is granted his wishes he is lonely without a wife. Until he was granted the 3 wishes that will change his life. When Mr. Peters gets to use his first wish he thinks back to how lonely he is and how he wants company. Aiken uses a simile in the quote to show how lonely he was feeling and how he thought that company would make him happy. “I wish I had a wife as beautiful as the forest” (p.g 170). This simile can relate back to the theme because if you love someone you will do what's best for them and yourself. Aiken …show more content…
is referring to that when Mr. Peters thought that wishing for a wife would make everything better in his life. He didn't realize that he had turned her into a human. Later on in the story after Mr. Peter realizes that she is a swan he had to make the right decision about what he is going to do with his second wish. This is important because Mr. Peters loves Leita (the wife's name) to much to keep her in a human body because that is not how she was supposed to live.
A detail from a critical scene is, throughout the middle of the story Mr.
Peters shows that he loves his wife Lieta with all his heart by using his second wish on her. Aiken states that “‘One night when he had been late doing the account he came up to bed and found Letia weeping in her sleep. The he new it would be hopeless and she would never be happy living as a human. Using his second wish, ‘I wish to turn Letia back into a swan”’(p.g 172). The author shows that Mr. Peters loves her so much that that it was time to let her go and bring her back to where she belonged. This is significant because the people you love matter the most to you and if you don't make them happy you just have to do what's best for them to make them happy even if you have to give something up for
them.
Another detail from a critical scene in the short story is at the end when he already made both of his wishes. For example, at the end when the little king comes up to Mr. Peters and asks him why he hasn't used his last wish to turn Letia back into a swan or turn himself into a swant to go after her, or even wish for a whole new wife. Mr. Peters responds by saying, “Not likely, two wishes are enough for me, I've learned that even if your wishes are granted they don't alway better you. I will alway be faithful to Letia, even though she is not with me” (p.g 173). This scene can relate back to the theme because Mr. Peters is not going to use his last wish on another wife because he still loves letia and it would be wrong just to move on and want another wife that wouldn't show that he loves her but what he did you shows that he he cares for her.
While some people might argue that the theme in the beginning of the story is you should think before you wish for something that you really want, but when you think it's not what you really need. Also it only gives us one scene that talks about that theme and if you love someone with all of your heart then you will do what's best for them and yourself gives more evidence. For example they forget that in the text it says that,“I wish for a wife as beautiful as the forest” (p.g 170) Later after he makes his wish he learns out that he turned a swan into a human. Although he didn't think before he made his wish it tells us that when he learns Letia is a swan turned into a human he uses his second wish to change her back. So it is clear that the theme in the scene is if you love someone with all of your heart then you will do what's best for them and yourself.
With the two critical scenes, the author's craft and the counterclaim, they all relate back to the theme. If you do love someone you will make the right decision to do what's best for them and yourself. The authors craft has a simile to show the theme in the short story. In both critical scenes and the counterclaim there was direct quotes from the story. Will all of this said you should always do the right thing for someone that you love even if it is a hard decision.
From the very beginning, the details of this short story talks about how Mr. Peters loves his new wife with all his heart, but in the beginning befor he is granted his wishes he is lonely without a wife. Until he was granted the 3 wishes that will change his life. When Mr. Peters gets to use his first wish he thinks back to how lonely he is and how he wants company. Aiken uses a simile in the quote to show how lonely he was feeling and how he thought that company would make him happy. “I wish I had a wife as beautiful as the forest” (p.g 170). This simile can relate back to the theme because if you love someone you will do what's best for them and yourself. Aiken …show more content…
is referring to that when Mr. Peters thought that wishing for a wife would make everything better in his life. He didn't realize that he had turned her into a human. Later on in the story after Mr. Peter realizes that she is a swan he had to make the right decision about what he is going to do with his second wish. This is important because Mr. Peters loves Leita (the wife's name) to much to keep her in a human body because that is not how she was supposed to live.
A detail from a critical scene is, throughout the middle of the story Mr.
Peters shows that he loves his wife Lieta with all his heart by using his second wish on her. Aiken states that “‘One night when he had been late doing the account he came up to bed and found Letia weeping in her sleep. The he new it would be hopeless and she would never be happy living as a human. Using his second wish, ‘I wish to turn Letia back into a swan”’(p.g 172). The author shows that Mr. Peters loves her so much that that it was time to let her go and bring her back to where she belonged. This is significant because the people you love matter the most to you and if you don't make them happy you just have to do what's best for them to make them happy even if you have to give something up for
them.
Another detail from a critical scene in the short story is at the end when he already made both of his wishes. For example, at the end when the little king comes up to Mr. Peters and asks him why he hasn't used his last wish to turn Letia back into a swan or turn himself into a swant to go after her, or even wish for a whole new wife. Mr. Peters responds by saying, “Not likely, two wishes are enough for me, I've learned that even if your wishes are granted they don't alway better you. I will alway be faithful to Letia, even though she is not with me” (p.g 173). This scene can relate back to the theme because Mr. Peters is not going to use his last wish on another wife because he still loves letia and it would be wrong just to move on and want another wife that wouldn't show that he loves her but what he did you shows that he he cares for her.
While some people might argue that the theme in the beginning of the story is you should think before you wish for something that you really want, but when you think it's not what you really need. Also it only gives us one scene that talks about that theme and if you love someone with all of your heart then you will do what's best for them and yourself gives more evidence. For example they forget that in the text it says that,“I wish for a wife as beautiful as the forest” (p.g 170) Later after he makes his wish he learns out that he turned a swan into a human. Although he didn't think before he made his wish it tells us that when he learns Letia is a swan turned into a human he uses his second wish to change her back. So it is clear that the theme in the scene is if you love someone with all of your heart then you will do what's best for them and yourself.
With the two critical scenes, the author's craft and the counterclaim, they all relate back to the theme. If you do love someone you will make the right decision to do what's best for them and yourself. The authors craft has a simile to show the theme in the short story. In both critical scenes and the counterclaim there was direct quotes from the story. Will all of this said you should always do the right thing for someone that you love even if it is a hard decision.