Formalist Criticism on “The Ant and The Grasshopper” story

A Critique Paper

The fable “The Ants and the Grasshopper” is one of Aesop’s most famous stories. It was one of the well-
known fable stories and became one of the tale that many teachers and parents tell to their little
students/ kids. The plot centres on a grasshopper who is freely enjoying the summer when he notices an
ant carrying a grain of food on his back and encouraging him to also enjoy the weather as well, but the
ant refused the grasshopper's suggestion, claiming that he has to prepare for winter. When winter
arrived, the starving and freezing grasshopper noticed the warm and content ant in his nest and realized
why the ants work so hard during the summer season. The author of the fable, Aesop, shows how
realistic and relatable the story through the characters, theme, and setting.

The story takes place in a field during the summertime, where food was plentiful and time passed
slowly. Allowing the grasshopper which is one of the main protagonist of the story to experience the
fullness of summer. The contentment of this season is depicted by the fact that the grasshopper plays
around, enjoying leisure time like no other. However, the ant who is also one of the main protagonist of
the story saw this as opportunity to collect and save food, water and other resources for lean times.
Even if the food and other resources were abundant, the ant still gathered and saved it.

Furthermore, the two major protagonists of the story, the ant and the grasshopper, both have unique
features that make the story more intriguing to read. The ant is diligent, determined, and responsible,
but the grasshopper is lazy and apathetic. The behaviour of the grasshopper, which is simply lazing
around and relaxing in the summer, and the behaviour of the ant, which is hardworking by gathering
food and resources, provide a nice theme as the message of the work.

Finally, the theme of the story is about short-term thinking versus long-term thinking, and how short-
sightedness can be detrimental to one's goals. The industriousness of the ants and the laziness of the
grasshoppers are also emphasized in the story, this story encourages the reader to see that hard work
and planning for the future can lead to rewards. The theme of the story gives an important lesson to
individuals as the author effectively conveyed the moral of the story, which was aimed at readers of all
races and genders.

In the course of the story, in the case of "The Ant and the Grasshopper," a formalist criticism appears to
find how relatable and realistic the story can be, and also, by formalist approach, you can also find other
meanings of the story. The elements, such as setting, characters, and theme, can deeply influence your
perception of the work. Moreover, the moral of the story gives us a lesson in our lives that enjoying the
present moment while preparing for the future is a good way to live. If you only ever concern yourself
with fulfilling immediate wants, with no thought to future needs, you have no one to blame but yourself
when you are ill prepared for life’s challenges.