Menagerie, a Child's Fable
What are the motifs in Menagerie, a Child's Fable by Charles Johnson?
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"Menagerie, a Child's Fable" is also a parable about war and peace. Through the animals, Johnson suggests that the power to wield physical violence is ultimately the determining factor in who runs a society. After the animals are released, Berkeley worries about keeping the peace among the different species. But what he observes of the animals' behavior toward one another is "no sight for a peace-loving watchdog." Nevertheless, Berkeley tries to maintain the peace by promising to protect the more vulnerable animals against attacks by the more predatory animals.