Perrault's Puss in Boots

Perrault's "Puss in Boots"

Perrault's "Puss in Boots" is the charming tale of a boy who is delivered into good fortune through the clever cunning of his cat, and this story carries with it a basic plot, structure and theme commonly found in works of this genre.

In fairy tales, one of the basic characteristics of a story line is its general involvement with some type of initial difficulty, usually made known to the reader in the introduction. As a result, the main character or characters of the story are compelled to seek a final resolution to the situation (Bruti). Perrault follows this formula, and begins his tale by presenting the dilemma of a young boy who must make his way in the world following the death of his father, his only inheritance being that of a cat. Having outlined the challenge facing the main character, the story proceeds to the next part of the story, the opening.

It is at this point in the story where the main character is often given something, such as an object, or advice from another character to assist him or her in the completion of their transformation (Morris). In most instances, the support given acts as a catalyst and spurs the hero or heroine into action. In "Puss in Boots", the cat plays the role of an assistant to the orphaned boy, but with one slight inversion to the traditional story line. In this case, the cat not only offers words of consolation and advice to the boy, he also initiates the action leading up to the final resolution and transformation of the hero. Normally, a more common version of this theme would have the Miller's son carry out the plan of action, not his advisor.

Traditionally in most fairy tales, the action occurring within the story moves along at a very quick pace, and it provides the basis for conflict and suspense. This is accomplished through the "use of repetition both in expressions and events" (Bruti). Generally the plot is based on a cycle of three recurrences, with each event acting as an episode or sub-story within the general story, and this pattern of three is often repeated one or more times throughout the story depending on the complexity of the tale (Morris). Following in the path of tradition, Perrault's tale also employs the use of repetition, with events occurring in patterns of three.