Jack Zipes’s Johnny Breadless: A Pacifist Fairy Tale, a translated version of Paul Vaillant-Couturier’s tale of the same name, is an excellent example of how the work of this French author should be re-examined in the light of contemporary social concerns. Set during World War I, this short story was written to challenge the exploitation of the poor for the benefit of the rich. The moral that is written at the end of the story, “Whoever does not work should not eat” (43), is a brilliant summary of the story, as it shows that people should earn their own living rather than exploit others. I must admit that, while the story and the lesson at the end are very enjoyable, I do wish there had been more analysis of the story being examined.
Containing only 104 pages, this book is organized into four short sections. The preface, which is only two pages long, offers an introduction to the historical context in which Vaillant-Couturier was writing. The next two sections, which take up most of the book, are, first, the translation of the story, and next, the original text as it appeared in French. While I think that it is beneficial to have the translation and the original in the same volume, I was unable to read the third section, the original text, due to a limited ability to read French. I think that it would have been better to put the English and the French versions side-by-side rather than to separate them, to allow for a better comparison across the two languages. With this book in its current form, the reader who does not have a firm grasp on the French language needs to be constantly flipping from one section to the other to compare the two versions.
In the final section of the book, Zipes makes some compelling arguments about the usefulness of this story, and his argument is beautifully woven into his biography of Vaillant-Couturier. However, this section is very short, leaving little room for an analysis of this story, or for an exploration of the purposes it could serve in contemporary society. But it is because of this brevity that I believe this book is a very good introduction into this story, and it does provide a very useful starting point for the study of the work of Vaillant-Couturier as a whole. There are also convincing arguments presented that Vaillant-Couturier was trying to teach children about the evils that exist in the world through his work so that they would be better equipped to change them. Along these lines, I believe that Zipes is right in arguing that this story deserves re-examination and revitalization in contemporary times.
I believe that the argument Zipes makes when he classifies “Johnny Breadless” as a pacifist fairy tale is an accurate and convincing one, which is only reinforced by the biographical information that is included in the beginning and ending sections of this book. As an extension of this, I can see how this story is an example of Vaillant-Couturier’s desire for peace, something that he believed should be taught to children. Through the translation and the contextual information that is included in this book, I came away feeling that I had a better understanding of this story and the importance of re-examining it, especially under current circumstances.
There are only two criticisms that I have for this book. The first is that Zipes mentions that there are two versions of “Johnny Breadless,” and that the second one, which is the version that he chose to translate, contains many more changes than the first version, a reflection of Vaillant-Couturier’s changing attitudes. I feel that this argument would be better supported had the first version of the story also been translated and included in this book. A second criticism is that there is not enough of the author’s opinion about the story he analyzes, something that I think could have added to his argument. I also would like to see more exploration of how this and other works by Vaillant-Couturier, especially those that were originally intended for children, might be used to challenge the status quos that exist in societies. Even with these criticisms, however, I feel that this book is a valuable tool for anyone who studies folktales, and especially for folklorists.
--------
[Review length: 721 words • Review posted on March 18, 2021]