The Rat vs. the Rabbit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Rat vs. the Rabbit - Essay Example Helen’s story in â€Å"The Tale of One Bad Rat† parallels the crises that erupt in the rabbit Peter’s life although they are of a much more serious nature, and Helen also succeeds in finding a safe sanctuary at the end of the story. In the first part of Talbot’s story, Helen’s pet rat is her only source of comfort, together with her Beatrix Potter books. It is apparent that the Potter books are very precious to Beatrice because despite running away from home with nothing but the clothes on her back, she has managed to bring her books along. In a similar way, it appears likely that the rat may be dear to her because of its species similarity to Peter the rabbit. Even after the rat is killed during the first part of the story, it still remains a part of Helen’s life, because it now assumes the fictional role of a giant imaginary rat that is similar to the fictional character of Peter the bunny of the Potter books. In â€Å"The Tale of Peter Rabbit†, the rabbit also ran away from home at the beginning of the story in order to invade the neighbor’s garden. Helen’s journey away from home is one that fills her with fear and places her in an unsafe situation. Yet perhaps the thought that her favorite fictional character also ventured into unsafe places is a source of comfort to her, since it encourages her to believe that she will also find safety. At the end of the story, Helen is indeed able to find a safe place to stay – a country pub where she collapses and is taken in to work as a waitress. In Beatrix Potter’s story of Peter Rabbit, the bunny finally manages to return home after going through a series of crises that almost get him killed. In a similar manner, in â€Å"The Tale of One Bad Rat† Helen goes through several crises; for instance when a man who is a Tory MP tries to inflict his unwanted attentions on her, when she has to run away from the po lice and when a driver who takes her deep into the countryside, tries to make