Plot Summary

An author points out that story is told in English Fairy Tales edited by Joseph Jacob in 1889. The story tells of a boy named Jack who was sent to market one day by his mother to sell their last possession, the cow. As Jack was on his way he met a stranger who offered to trade five "magic" beans for the cow. Jack accepted the trade and returned back home with the beans in his pocket. Jack's mother was angered that he had not obeyed her instructions to sell the cow and threw the beans out of the window.

As Jack slept, the beans germinated in the soil, and a gigantic beanstalk grew in their place by morning. When Jack saw the huge beanstalk, he immediately decided to climb it. He arrived in a land high up in the clouds that happened to be the home of a giant. When he broke into the giant's castle, the giant quickly sensed a human was near:

 Fee-fi-fo-fum!

I smell a visitor, yum, yum, yum.

Fish or fowl, cold or hot

We’ll cook him up inside my pot

However, Jack was saved by the giant's wife and as he escaped from the palace, he took a goose which laid golden eggs. Jack desired to seek out more treasures from the castle in the clouds and climbed once more up the beanstalk. This time he stole a sack which makes gold coins when one said “roll out, roll out, roll out.”

Again he was saved from harm by the giant's wife. Jack disregarded being nearly discovered by the giant twice and decided to go up the beanstalk a third time. This time, he stole a magical harp that played by itself. The instrument seemed like did not appreciate being stolen and called out to the giant for help. The giant chased Jack down the beanstalk, but Jack managed to get to the ground before the giant did. Jack, seeing an axe on the ground beside him, immediately chopped the beanstalk down. Giant couldn’t make his way to the ground, because he was scared of height. To this day, people hear booming up in the clouds. They say it’s giant, still upset about all the things Jack brought down the beanstalk and about the dry cracker that he’s been eating ever since his wife left with Jack.

Artistic Elements 

Robert Mackenzie have created the illustration of the book in gouache and watercolor. One of the most traditional fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk was brought by the atmosphere of classic. He tried to bring back the old fashioned fairy tale which creates perfect marriage between the illustration and the text. Illustrations are impressive, with lots of color, and details. Gives a impression of watching a piece of animation(page.5). The illustrations are bright and dark by the situation(page1, 9). For example, When Jack is at ground (home) illustrator mostly uses the white and bright colors but when in castle, mostly dark colors and shadows. The different tones actually creates more aesthetic and old fairy tale type of illustration(page.11). The image of Jack is well drawn as if Mackenzie was trying to portray Jack as a clumsy rat and giant as a dull bear which reminded me of "Tome and Jerry." The story is easily read without the use of much text. However, the text doesn't separates from the art but it melts in with the art(page.12). And everytime reader finishes reading text and look at the art, reader can easily bond or match the description in their mind. Just like "Three Pigs," another old traditional picture book created into renegade modern type of art. Personally I think It has been also proved by Mackenzie as well that one pictures tells 100 words.

Analysis and Critique

Can a theif be a hero? This story tells the tale of an indolent boy who tries to escape his socioeconomic circumstance by betraying his family and give lessons of anything could happen in this world, growth and change of one boy and it's okay to steal from the powerful person. One thing we should point out is that there are no morals in the story of Jack and the Bean Stock. Jack and the Beanstalk is a theme of indolence, larceny and murder, and Jack is always "good guy" whatever he does. First, he's an indolent lout. When his mother sent Jack with the family's last bit of sellable property, the cow, our hero sells it to a man for beans! Mother is understandably angry and throws the beans out. Indolent Jack doesn't even pick them up and suggest soup. From that point Jack's career in crime tendency grows.  Jack of course climbs, and the first thing he does is break into someone's house and our hero proceeds to steal anything. The climax of it all is that when the homeowner, the giant, discovers Jack and goes after him, Jack takes the axe to the magic beanstock, and stops the irate homeowner. If the gentleman hadn't been a giant, would Jack have taken the axe to him directly?

And they all live happily ever after. Except of course for the victim. We have an interesting 20th century re-telling of this tale. The "good guys" are a totally larcenous who steal anything and also stab beat and shoot anyone and anything that gets in their way. I wonder at Jacks author's intent in telling the story. Was it a cautionary tale warning of the dangers of an indolent life, or was it a celebration of larceny? A child who would read have to knowand warned that the book is made up story and certain parts are not real in order to avoid being criminal in a real life.

Citation

Picture Book Citation

Cech, John. Jack and the Beanstalk. Mackenzie Robert. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., 2008.

References

http://robert-mackenzie.blogspot.com/ --- Illusrator Robert Mackenzie Blogspot

http://www.authorama.com/english-fairy-tales-15.html --- English Fairy Tale Site