Response to Vegetational Fatherhood

When I first read the Vegetational Fatherhood by Mynona, I was surprised it was considered fairy tale because it is not like the other tales I have read. It is one of the most bizarre and random stories I have read yet. However, upon further consideration, I found many of the fairy tale elements in the story, and characteristics of other fairy tales we have read.

One of my first reactions to the story was that it reminded my of the Virgin Mary, because of the way the woman became pregnant. My second reaction was that some elements of this story reminded me of Snow White. First, the woman has a daughter who is more beautiful than she is, and she becomes more and more beautiful with each day. Second, the daughter's looks are compared to a flower. She has soft, pink skin, green eyes, a rose petal shaped birthmark, and silver glistening hair. In Snow White, the daughter's looks are described in a similar way, as she is said to be white as snow, red as blood, and black as ebony wood. Finally, both Snow White and the daughter in this story attract many suitors as a result of their beauty.

Based on the content of this tale, I thought about its intended audience. I cannot imagine this being read to a child. Perhaps it was written as entertainment and amusement for adults, according to Shavit's concept of childhood.

Vegetational Fatherhood

I think this story is a cautionary tale about lying to a partner in marriage. At first glance, I initially felt that this was another story like Blackbeard, which casts a bad light on falling for somebody "different" (with the racist overtones of the time), but attempted to bury it with the appearance and sweetness of flowers.
However, I thought about it further and realized that the murder is brought about because the husband does not know about the nightly metamorphosis. Had she or her mother been honest with the husband, the murder would have been prevented.
Also, I noticed the reference to a reverse "Lucia di Lammermoor". I looked this up, and found out that it is an opera about forbidden love that ends with Lucia going hysterical after her wedding and killing her husband. The opera itself seems to be about marrying people for the wrong reasons and the consequences that it brings about, so I think this reference strengthens the idea.

Vegetational Fatherhood and Science 4/7

It is interesting what the role of science plays in the tale Vegetational Fatherhood. While the beginning of the tale is decidedly unscientific with a personified rose and the girl who turns into a rosebush each night after reaching puberty, the end of the story relies heavily on the idea of scientific evidence. Dr. Rosenberger and the girl's mother are deemed insane because they claim an event that is beyond the realm of scientific understanding. Dr. Rosenberger is described as a 'learned man of science' and astonishes all by supporting the mother's claims that the girl transformed into a rosebush each night. It is only after an autopsy, a scientific procedure, is performed that something strange is considered. However, it is not magic but horrific experiments by Dr. Rosenberger, the anatomist, that are thought possible by the general public.

Science both conceals and explains the events of the story. Science hides the actual event of animal-plant transformation that occurred from the public by making it seem impossible. Science, in turn, reveals that something strange was going on but too late to help Dr. Rosenberger or the girl's mother, and the evidence is misinterpreted anyway. Science in the story seems to become a hindrance to the truth not the enlightening quest for knowledge that it is usually thought to be.

Assignment: 7 April 2009

Please write an interpretation of/response to “The Vegetational Fatherhood.” Don't forget to post comments by Wednesday.