The tale “The Journey of the Blue Arrow”, the summary of which is the subject of this review, is one of the most famous works of the popular Italian writer J. 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 motifs appeared on Soviet screens. In 1996, an animated film based on the plot of a fairy tale was released in Italy.
The plot of history
Perhaps Rodari's most moving essay is The Journey of the Blue Arrow. A 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 a child a toy for the holiday, as she already owed the fairy - the shopkeeper - for a spinning top and a horse that her son bought several years ago. This fairy is an elderly woman, a little grumpy, who takes a high fee for her goods.
Every day, Francesco comes to the window to admire toys that penetrate him with pity and decide to give themselves to him. They make an escape just before the arrival of the mistress, who decides that her shop was robbed by thieves. Together with her maid Teresa, a kind and helpful woman, she sets off in pursuit. However, the toys were taken hostage by Teresa, who, for her release, gives them a list of all deprived children.
The Adventures of Francesco
The tale “The Journey of the Blue Arrow”, the brief content of which allows students to get some idea of Rodari’s work, has several storylines. The second of them is devoted to events that occurred with the main character. He is captured by criminals who force him to rob a toy store. However, instead, the boy raises the alarm. However, he himself eventually comes under the suspicion of the police, who believe that the boy was trying to get 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
The work “The Journey of the Blue Arrow”, the brief content of which must be continued with a description of the toys, reflected the peculiarities of the writer's work: the revitalization 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 prettiest characters in the fairy tale, because he remained faithful to Francesco and, perhaps, thanks to his devotion, he became a real living puppy. He finds a boy and becomes his most faithful friend.
Roberto
One of the most popular children's writers in world literature is Gianni Rodari. “The Journey of the Blue Arrow” is a fairy tale, which, despite its optimistic spirit, is nevertheless 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
Touching and slightly sad tales became famous for Gianni Rodari. The Journey of the Blue Arrow is a work that can be conditionally divided into two parts. The first is dedicated to the history of Francesco, the second to Rodrigo. That night, on which the action of the work unfolds, heavy snowfall occurs, and a train passing by is in danger of collapse. However, Roberto saves him from disaster and faints. When he comes to, 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 it from the rich lord, whom he saved. Thus, the toy car "Blue Arrow" came to its new owner.
Toy feature
The tale “The Journey of the Blue Arrow”, the main characters of which are mostly toys, is not exactly a child’s work, as it teaches a lot of adults as well, encourages them to be sensitive and attentive towards their children. Especially colorful characters turned out from the author of the toy. The Yellow Bear is a groovy dancer who first decides to separate from the toys and stays with the boy in the basement. The captain is a comedic character: his beard is not glued up, he constantly grumbles, but he is actually good-natured and sympathetic. The commander general of the military unit, who sees a potential adversary in every object they meet, has a very tragic fate: he dies under the snow during a toy train journey.
Opinions and ratings
The work “The Journey of the Blue Arrow”, reviews of which are positive, is still enjoyed by readers today. Many users note that the author was able to write a completely non-children's tale, which is interesting to absolutely everyone. First of all, readers pay attention to the fact that he made his heroes so ambiguous. For example, the fairy at first seems like a grumpy and mean woman who does not give poor children toys, but nevertheless, in the end, she turns out to be a kind and fair woman: she awarded Francesco and arranged his fate.
So what does the Blue Arrow Journey teach? This is a fairy tale about the victory of good over evil, about the fulfillment of desires and that every child deserves happiness. This idea runs through the whole story through the red line and gives the whole content a deep meaning. That is why the work is suitable for both parents and adults. It is noteworthy that all parents in this essay love their children and take care of them. The tale "The Journey of the Blue Arrow", the main characters of which are distinguished by truthfulness and sincerity, is primarily a family work.
Many readers credit the author with the fact that he again masterfully in a fantastic form showed the especially acute and burning problems of his modern society: poverty, child mortality, difficult working conditions, and inequality. Everyone liked the magical atmosphere in which the plot takes place.
Revitalizing toys is not a very original move, but the author was able to give such a deep meaning to everything that even an idea already familiar to everyone sounded in a new way. Some readers correctly draw attention to the fact that this is the main feature of the writer's work in general. And the tale "The Journey of the Blue Arrow" was no exception. On the contrary, in it, these basic principles of the writing style were most fully expressed, possibly due to the fact that among the main characters there are children, through whose eyes the reader sees this amazing story.