Once Upon A Time
...ty in reducing societal misunderstandings. The story illustrates the irony in thinking that building fences provides security and solves societal problems “Once Upon a Time” by Nadine Gordimer is a modern fairy tale. It tells the story of a once happy family living in an affluent suburb of South Africa who move emotionally from contentment to fear as they protect and isolate themselves from the rest of the population who are the disadvantaged and poor “people of another color.” Gradually they add more protection to their home as their fear grows. Ultimately and ironically, the protection they install boomerangs back and injures, perhaps kills their son. Although the story has several obvious fairy tale elements, a “once upon a time” beginning, a happy family of good law-abiding people, who license their dog, insur...