Analysis of Ferdinand Essay Example

thing that is evident in drawings, is that they support the emphasis on the feelings that are talked about. Throughout the book, the feelings of Ferdinand, his mother, the bullfighting scouts, the matador, the picadors, and the bandoleers are mentioned in detail.

The reader is not simply told in basic terms but with specific terms. When Munroe says that Ferdinand's mom was afraid of her sun's isolation from the other young bulls that played, we see that in her expression. Lawson draws Ferdinand's mom with her head lowered, and her mouth and nose pointing down. Her eyes convey sadness, fear, and trepidation in their dull, sunken appearance. In the multiple references of Ferdinand being near the cork tree, sitting and smelling the flowers, Munroe tells how happy this makes Ferdinand.

Lawson reiterates this with Ferdinand always looking peaceful and content with his facial expression as he sat and smelled the flowers. When Ferdinand is taken away to the town to fight the matador, you see his sadness to be leaving due to how small he is drawn on the page, and with his head hung low compared to the happy bull scouts, whose heads are held high and triumphant. Ferdinand facial expression remains unchanged until he is in the ring, once again smelling the lovely flowers of the female spectators and reminded of Ewing back under his favorite cork tree.

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The fear that was mentioned and depicted of the matador, the picadors, and the bandoleers soon changes to anger; they begin to try and lore Ferdinand into fighting. In the corresponding drawing, we see this show by

them circling him, and they all try to use their tools to instigate an altercation, there is very little action in this book. This serves the narrative purpose to support one of Leaf's themes: pacifism is always superior to aggression. The big action scene of the book is when Ferdinand sits on the bumblebee, and begins to north and run around due to the pain.

Lawson shows this sequence in the book quite simply. We see Ferdinand's rear end as he is about to sit on the bee, and the bee has an expected look of fear in its eyes. After the bee stings him, Ferdinand has a look of surprised pain shown through large drawn eyes, and lines of exclamation drawn around his head. The action of Ferdinand running around is not done with multiple pages, but rather in one. It shows Ferdinand Jumping with the same large eyes and exclamation lines, but it also shows clumps of sod and flowers in the air that he has kicked up in his mania.

The other main actors in the story, is the action that doesn't happen. In the ring, the angry matador, the picadors, and the bandoleers try in vain to make Ferdinand angry so that he will strike back at them. However, in Lagoon's illustration, young readers see that no matter what they do to try and incite him, Ferdinand sits there happily smelling the scents of the ladies' flowers. This scene seems understated, but its simplicity is powerful and helps highlight Leaf's theme about pacifism being stronger than aggression.

It would be easy to act out of anger, but Ferdinand is restrained he

decides to be happy about smelling the flowers even if he isn't under his beloved cork tree. Due to this, ability to remain calm and nonviolent, Ferdinand ultimately gets what he originally wanted, to be able to go back and sit under his favorite cork tree, and continue to smell the flowers. About life through fanciful prose and whimsical illustrations. Authors have used the pictures to now only entertain the children, but to also supplement their words. This is the case of Robert Lagoon's drawings in Munroe Leaf's story of Ferdinand the bull.

Ferdinand is different from the other young, aggressive bulls, and even when others try to change him, he remains peaceful and true to himself. Later, we learn through both the words and drawings, that this ability to stay true to himself and value the beauty and peace over the aggression was what saved Ferdinand and helped him get everything he desired. This message is a strong one for the children of the past four generations that have seen two world wars, a cold war, terrorism, and countless genocides throughout their childhoods.

Works Cited

1. Leaf, Munroe.
2. The Story of Ferdinand.
3. New York City: Penguin Groups, 1936. Print.