2 thoughts on “#2 Understanding Conflict in Briar Rose”
Three main conflicts:
1) Becca vs. self – towards the beginning of the book Becca is not sure if she truly wants to go to Poland and discovery her Grandmothers past. Personally, I think it’s because she was afraid of what she might find. This conflict gets resolved when she finally decides to go and see the Jewish camps.
2) Becca vs. her sisters – Shana and Sylvia are constantly fighting Becca on her decisions, even from childhood. They purposely try to be difficult and always think they are right, such as when Becca is trying to convince them that Gemma’s story could have some truth to it and Sylvia says, “If she’s not crazy believing it – you are. Grow up, Becca. Shana and I have.” (13)
3) Briar rose vs. bad fairy aka Gemma vs. Natzi – In Gemma’s story of Briar Rose, the bad fairy shows up and curses Briar Rose and her family plus anyone who bears her name. When Briar Rose turned 17 a mist came over the village and everyone slept. I am relating the bad fairy to Hitler, Briar Rose to Gemma and the mist to all the nazi German soldiers. This means that when the mist comes and everyone sleeps, it’s the nazis taking the Jewish people and killing them.
I completely agree with your points but I would also like to add that another important point to the Becca’s list of conflicts with herself. Becca struggles to find the truth behinds Gemma’s connection to Sleeping Beauty. She had so many unanswered questions, like was actually Gemma a princess? Did she live in a castle? Who was her prince? All she had to work with was the box that Gemma left behind.
A quote in the book that i think really helps us understand the conflict is by P.L. Travers, who says, “Once we have accepted the story we cannot escape the story’s fate”(161). This quote refers to Becca’s acceptance to Gemma’s Briar Rose story and that she had to accept the ending of the story whether it is good or bad. In the books case it is both good and bad because Gemma had to leave her country with a child and no husband but at the same time she had a chance to escape and start over. As for the quote it shows the truth behind fairy tales like Briar Rose’s which is all the evil behind it something which cannot be escaped.
Grant & Tressel Book Clubs 2013 
Three main conflicts:
1) Becca vs. self – towards the beginning of the book Becca is not sure if she truly wants to go to Poland and discovery her Grandmothers past. Personally, I think it’s because she was afraid of what she might find. This conflict gets resolved when she finally decides to go and see the Jewish camps.
2) Becca vs. her sisters – Shana and Sylvia are constantly fighting Becca on her decisions, even from childhood. They purposely try to be difficult and always think they are right, such as when Becca is trying to convince them that Gemma’s story could have some truth to it and Sylvia says, “If she’s not crazy believing it – you are. Grow up, Becca. Shana and I have.” (13)
3) Briar rose vs. bad fairy aka Gemma vs. Natzi – In Gemma’s story of Briar Rose, the bad fairy shows up and curses Briar Rose and her family plus anyone who bears her name. When Briar Rose turned 17 a mist came over the village and everyone slept. I am relating the bad fairy to Hitler, Briar Rose to Gemma and the mist to all the nazi German soldiers. This means that when the mist comes and everyone sleeps, it’s the nazis taking the Jewish people and killing them.
I completely agree with your points but I would also like to add that another important point to the Becca’s list of conflicts with herself. Becca struggles to find the truth behinds Gemma’s connection to Sleeping Beauty. She had so many unanswered questions, like was actually Gemma a princess? Did she live in a castle? Who was her prince? All she had to work with was the box that Gemma left behind.
A quote in the book that i think really helps us understand the conflict is by P.L. Travers, who says, “Once we have accepted the story we cannot escape the story’s fate”(161). This quote refers to Becca’s acceptance to Gemma’s Briar Rose story and that she had to accept the ending of the story whether it is good or bad. In the books case it is both good and bad because Gemma had to leave her country with a child and no husband but at the same time she had a chance to escape and start over. As for the quote it shows the truth behind fairy tales like Briar Rose’s which is all the evil behind it something which cannot be escaped.