The Tale of Gianni Rodari "Journey of the Blue Arrow": summary, main characters, reviews

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The fairy tale "Journey of the Blue Arrow", a summary of which is the subject of this review, is one of the most famous works of the popular Italian writer G. Rodari. This work was written in 1964 and immediately won the love of not only children, but also an adult audience. Twenty years later, a puppet cartoon based on his motives appeared on Soviet screens. An animated film based on the story was released in Italy in 1996.

The plot of the story

Perhaps Rodari's most touching work is The Journey of the Blue Arrow. The summary of the work should begin with a small description of the main characters. Little boy Francesco lives in a poor family. His mother does not have money to buy toys for the child for the holiday, as she already owes the fairy - the owner of the store - for the spinning top and the horse, which she bought her son a few years ago. This fairy is an old woman, a bit grumpy, who charges high for her merchandise.

Francesco comes to the window every day to admiretoys that feel pity for him and decide to give him themselves. They make an escape just before the arrival of the hostess, who decides that her store was robbed by thieves. Together with her maid Teresa, a kind and sympathetic woman, she sets off in pursuit. However, Teresa is taken hostage by the toys, who, for her release, gives them a list of all the deprived children.

The Adventures of Francesco

The fairy tale "Journey of the Blue Arrow", a brief summary of which allows schoolchildren to get some idea of the work of Rodari, has several storylines. The second of them is dedicated to the events that happened to the main character. He is captured by criminals who force him to rob a toy store. However, the boy raises the alarm instead. However, he himself eventually falls under the suspicion of the police, who believe that the boy was trying to get himself a toy, and only the help of the night watchman, who witnessed the incident, saves the hero. In gratitude, the fairy takes the boy to the store as a clerk.

Button

In the work "Journey of the Blue Arrow", a brief summary of which must be continued with a description of the toys, reflected the features of the writer's work: the revival of inanimate objects, subtle, slightly sad humor, a plot that is interesting to both adults and children. In the work, one of the main characters is a rag dog named Button. This is one of the most likable characters in the story, because he stayed true to himself. Francesco and, perhaps, precisely because of his devotion, became a real living puppy. He finds the boy and becomes his best friend.

Roberto

One of the most popular children's writers in world literature is Gianni Rodari. The Voyage of the Blue Arrow is a fairy tale, which, despite its optimistic spirit, is still one of the saddest in the writer's work. The story of the second hero of the work, the boy Roberto, is touching and sad at the same time. He, like Francesco, lives in a poor family: his father is a simple railway worker, who also does not have the opportunity to give his child a toy for the holiday.

Train Rescue

Gianni Rodari became famous for touching and a bit sad tales. "Journey of the Blue Arrow" is a work that can be conditionally divided into two parts. The first is devoted to the history of Francesco, the second - to Rodrigo. On the night in which the action of the work takes place, there is a heavy snowfall, and a train passing by is threatened with a crash. However, Roberto saves him from disaster and passes out. When he wakes up, he finds a wonderful toy next to him and thinks that this is a gift from his father. However, he claims that he did not give his son a gift, and says that perhaps she got him from a rich lord whom he saved. Thus, the Blue Arrow toy car found its way to its new owner.

Toy characteristics

The fairy tale "Journey of the Blue Arrow", the main characters of which are mostly toys, is not quite a children's work, as it teaches adults a lot, calls them to sensitivity and attention towards their children. The author of the toys turned out to be especially colorful characters. Yellow Bear is a groovy dancer who first decides to separate from toys and stays with the boy in the basement. The captain is a comedic character: his beard is not glued on, he constantly grumbles, but in fact he is good-natured and sympathetic. The commander-in-chief of a military unit, who sees a potential enemy in every object he meets, has a very tragic fate: he dies under the snow while the toy train travels.

Opinions and ratings

The work "Journey of the Blue Arrow", reviews of which are positive, is still loved by readers today. Many users note that the author managed to write a completely non-childish fairy tale, which is interesting to absolutely everyone. First of all, readers pay attention to the fact that he made his characters so ambiguous. For example, the fairy at first seems to be a grumpy and stingy woman who does not give toys to poor children, but nevertheless, in the end, she turns out to be a kind and fair woman: she rewarded Francesco and arranged his fate.

So what does Journey of the Blue Arrow teach? This is a fairy tale about the victory of good over evil, about the fulfillment of desires and about the fact that every childdeserves happiness. This idea runs like a red line throughout the story and gives the whole content a deep meaning. That is why the product is suitable for both parents and adults. It is noteworthy that all the parents in this essay love their children and take care of them. The fairy tale "Journey of the Blue Arrow", whose main characters are distinguished by truthfulness and sincerity, is primarily a family work.

Many readers credit the author with the fact that he again skillfully showed in a fantastic form especially acute and burning problems of contemporary society: poverty, child mortality, difficult working conditions, inequality. Everyone loved the magical atmosphere in which the story takes place.

The revival of toys is not a very original move, but the author was able to give everything that happens such a deep meaning that even an already familiar idea sounded in a new way. Some readers rightly point out that this is the main feature of the entire work of the writer in general. And the fairy tale "Journey of the Blue Arrow" was no exception. On the contrary, these basic principles of writing style are most fully expressed in it, perhaps due to the fact that among the main characters there are children, through whose eyes the reader sees this amazing story.