Strega Nona

Book: Strega Nona
Retold: Tomie de Paola
Illustrator: Tomie de Paola


Brief Introduction:

       Strega Nona means "Grandma Witch." She lives in a town in Calabria. She can cured many illness like headache, and she can help girl who want a husband, etc. She is old, so she hired a boy, named Big Anthony, to helps her to wash floor, dishes, clean the house, etc. One day, Strega Nona sang to a pasta pot, and the pot appeared lots of pasta, until she thought it is enough, she kissed the pot and the pot stop producing. The process was saw by Big Anthony, except the kiss part. Another day, Nona was going out for a few days, Big Anthony looked after the house, and she told Anthony do not touch the pot, then went away. Anthony did not listened to Nona, he told everyone that he can  make pasta by singing, so he did it. However, he did not know that he must to kiss the pot, or the pot will not stop producing pasta. Therefore, the pasta went all over the town, until Nona came back, she kissed the pot, and told Anthony to ate all of the pasta. Anthony would not make the mistake again. 

Setting:

- Narrative Point of View: Omniscient Narrator

- Plot: Dramatic Plot

(Setting: In a town in Calabria, there had old witch called Strega Nona, she can cured any kind of illness, even can helped people get what they want.

Conflict: She hired a boy called Big Anthony to helped her with house work.

Rising Action: One day she used a pasta pot to producing pasta by singing, and kissing. The process was watched by Big Anthony, except kissing to stop part.

Climax: Another day, Strega Nona went out for a few days, and told Anthony do not touch the pot. However, Anthony did not heard Nona's reminder, he told everyone to came and saw how he producing pasta by singing. He did not know how to stop, so the pasta went all over the town.

Denouement: Nona came back, and kissed the pot to stop producing, then called Anthony to ate up all of the pasta in town.

- Conflict: Protagonist against Another (Anthony did not know the whole process, and touching the pot without caring about Nona's notice, so get into trouble. )

- Theme: "Do not do something that do not understand  rashly, or it will make someone get into trouble."

- Style: Exposition and Dialogue

- Tone: Humor and Didacticism 

Reflection:

       This story is an old story, and I never heard of this story. I like the ending part, Nona told Anthony to eat all pasta up, however, the pasta is all over the town. The exaggeration make me smile. Anthony ate all pasta up finally, the Nona slept well in house, the contraction is funny.

The way Nona taught Anthony a lesson is great, it taught him the responsibility. Nowadays, there are many kids make troubles, and their parents came out to apologize, it is not a good way to treat children, it is a kind of spoil, when the day the kid grow up, they will becoming irresponsible.  I believe that Nona already knew Anthony will not heard her notice, but she still trust him to looked after house, it is an opportunity to teach a kid. I can see how wise Nona is from here.