Keywords

genre conventions, reader expectations, unexpected endings

Abstract

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch is a charming children's picture book. Part of its charm lies in its ability to anticipate the conventions of the fairy tale genre, creating expectations for readers, then pushing the boundaries of the genre in novel ways. As the story moves outside traditional expectations with its unexpected reversals (the princess fights the dragon to save the prince, and the fight is more mental trickery than physical battle), the boundaries of the genre are muddied, making my secondary students smile when I read to them. But it is the ending that surprises them most. In fairy tales, the happily-ever-after ending is so strongly expected that it becomes a cliche. The students expect it, even as they don't want it, which is why they are so tickled at the nontraditional ending. The story not only doesn't end the way they expect, but the ending is so totally like their lives, tiptoeing as it does over the appearance-versus-reality conflict they see all around them, that they laugh out loud. "You look like a real prince, but you are a bum." The ending truly delights them.

Original Publication Citation

“Muddying Boundaries: Mixing Genres with Five Paragraphs.” English Journal, 90.1 (2000): 53-56. Reprinted in NCTE Inbox Newsletter 1.7 (2001) and 3.2 (2003) Reprinted in Online Course, PBS Television (2004) Annenberg : Maryland Public Television).