A Fairy Tale Narrative

Laurie Frankel’s This Is How It Always Is, has a strong fairy tale association both within the story and in its narration. The concept of transformation is a popular theme in fairy tales—a girl becoming a princess, princes becoming animals—that is fit into Poppy’s story of her transformation. Penn compares it as such explaining, “virtue leads straight to transformation; transformation leads instantly to happily ever after” (page 159). His view of transformation is about bring to the outside what is already on the inside, not as an ideal self but as the true self. In the case with Poppy, it is about bring her self, Poppy, out from Claude. The novel follows a loose fairy tale structure as well, from the kind but childless husband and wife, conflict that requires advice from a knowledgeable, “magical,” individual, transformation, and happily ever after. Rosie and Penn are presented as the kind couple that want kids, Rosie asking for a daughter every pregnancy—in fairy tales it is a mother or queen that asks for a child, like in Snow White, or Rapunzel. Once they have their children they are unsure how to properly support Claude/Poppy and thus Mr. Tongo for advice—the wise friend that seems to hold the answers. He is even described as a “multi degree social-working therapist-magician” (page 66). Then there are the transformations, mainly with Claude becoming Poppy, reverting to Claude, and then reaching her true self and thus reaches the happy ending.

There are multiple times throughout the novel where the line, “once upon a time” come up. It is in the title of the first chapter that introduces Claude and the events that lead up to birth.  It comes up again during the creation of the Grumwald bedtime story, which serves as a mirror to the Walsh-Adams children. Frankel intentionally makes the parallel to fairy tales in order to add her own spin on it. When this line does appear in the first chapter it’s, “Once upon a time, Dr. Rosalind Walsh and her husband had had sex that started spontaneously and uncontrollably…” (page 4). Frankel includes Rosie’s name—and title as Doctor—and excludes Penn’s, referring to him as “her husband.” It contrasts against the typical fairy tale beginning where the King is mention and the Queen is usually “his wife.” These stories existing inside the family’s story at times take over the narrative. Aside from Grumwald’s, Claude’s recounting of Stephanie’s tale escapes Claude’s narrative by existing outside of Claude’s quotations. Similarly, Rosie’s Jane Doe story is also told outside of her mind and quotes. This small narrative takes up almost four pages, treating Jane Doe and Chad as their own characters with their own insights. Frankel’s narrative switching was interesting to read, bringing back to mind the quote from early in the novel, “That’s what all stories want. They want to get out, get told, get heard. Otherwise, what’s the point of stories?” (page 29). There are multiple stories in This Is How It Always Is as the perspective does not stick to one character

Frankel tells the story of Poppy and her family as a fairy tale while at the same time dissecting them and yet falling into the structure. The family read as the ideal family, described at one point by Mr. Tongo as too supportive. Claude/Poppy was the virtuous main character pulled into negative circumstances that, as a child, does not have a lot of control over. I expected a happy ending early on, just like a fairy tale. However, the magic is not the cure to all nor a painless and instant form of transformation. Poppy needed to overcome obstacles. I was also interested in the question Frankel raised in the Author’s Note. Because the novel was so intertwined with magic and storytelling, just how close—or not—is it to fiction? With the similarities to Frankel’s life, just how “fiction” is her fiction novel? Fairy tales, no matter how magical they are, have an aspect to them that relates to reality, thus allowing them continued existence. Maybe Frankel wanted to capture an experience or an emotion and keep it in the form of a story where the reality and the magical blend.