Everything was perfect. The sun shone and all was going well in the little candy shop on the corner. Harry and his friends visit every day. That candy shop was always open, and always bright. Then came the year Harry turned twelve and everything changed. Beneath all the love and dependence Harry contained for his father there was a dependent man banging on the walls and screaming to get out. Life for the Mr. Tillian and his son changed and all was disturbed when growing up came into the picture. “Papa’s Parrot” by: Cynthia Rylant is a perfect example of the comedic mode of literature. Plot line structures, symbolism, and character behavior of the story are mainly in the comedic mode. Even though the plot line heads downhill, everything gets better, and makes you feel reassured and blissful again with its sense of resolution.
“Papa’s Parrot” entirely fits the comic literature. In the beginning, normalcy is set when the author portrays the common and ideal life at the candy shop: “For years, after school, Harry had always stopped in to see his father at work... (p.439). Among the first two paragraphs in the story portray how amazing life was when Harry was younger and loved being at the candy shop. Despite the love and cherished moments Harry and his father obtained they still managed to grow apart. Harry began to care less about his father and more about his friends and the normal everyday things became majorly infrequent. As a result, Harry’s father bought a parrot in which he talked to more frequently. However, the largest conflicts quickly come into the picture when Papa was working in the candy shop and has an unfortunate heart attack. While his father was sick, Harry then offered to run the candy shop and take care of his parrot while his father was sick. “Miss him! Miss him! Where’s Harry you stupid bird!... (p.441) In the end, Harry hears the bird mimicking what his father was saying before, and how much he loved him and missed him. You get that sense of relief when you hear “Then he went to go visit his papa. (p.442).
Alongside the plot line fitting the comedic mode of literature, so does the symbolism. Because the setting is so relatable to common life with activities such as visiting a candy shop, playing video games, or shopping for records the pieces all come together to set a setting of normalcy. Rocky, the parrot Harry’s father bought was one of the key traits of being one of which is the comedic mode of literature. Rocky was a tame, common house pet in the setting. These are all strong examples of everyday American life. Also, throughout the story, the time of day can easily be assumed to be during daylight or midday, which is also among the comedic mode.
Beyond the plot line and symbolism is that the main character, or in this case characters are in control. If Harry were to have kept a tighter bond with his father he may not have separated so much and could have communicated more. Harry kind of shut his father out and moved onto hanging out with friends and going to a burger joint instead of his father’s old candy shop. On the other hand, Harry’s father is also to blame. His was of coping by buying Rocky only pushed his son further away. Throughout the story, Harry’s father could’ve talked to his son more or try to attempt to take him somewhere else besides the candy shop. He needed to stop being so naive and just understand that his son grew up and that everyone will grow up.
The story “Papa’s Parrot” portrays a father and son bond that was beginning to break, but in which was restored in the end. Through the symbolism and character behavior the author shows how we must overcome that feeling of relentlessness against our parents, and should try to keep a strong bond because you never know what can happen. Toward the end, when the conflict is resolved, the reader feels a sense of relief and is in knowing that everything is okay, therefore completing the comedic cycle.
