The Terrible Things Rhetorical Analysis

“Terrible Things” is a powerful allegory that tells a tale to warn the readers about the Holocaust. Eve Bunting writes this story using forest animals to not only convey the horrors of the Holocaust but also to depict the consequences of inaction in the face of oppression. Throughout the story, the events that occur and the animals’ reactions reflect and symbolize what happened during the Holocaust. Firstly, the birds were taken, and “now there were no birds to sing in the clearing. But life went on almost as before. Until the day the Terrible Things came back” (Bunting 16) After some time had passed since the birds were forcibly taken, the Terrible Things returned. However, the remaining animals did not look at one another, and rather glanced

This allegory uses the story of the animals being targeted and grouped by the Terrible Things to symbolize what happened during the Holocaust. The animals symbolize the minorities and the Jewish people that were targeted by the Nazis. The Terrible Things are the persecutors and symbolize how the Nazis tormented and tyrannized over the groups they selected. The idea that “life went on almost as before" reflects the number of people during World War II that were able to ignore or deny the severity of what the persecuted experienced. People could not fathom such brutality, so they rationalized the cruel actions of the Nazis, instead of speaking out when necessary. Soon after, more animals disappeared from the clearing in the woods. The Little Rabbit, curious, finally asks the Big Rabbit, ‘“What did the frogs and fish do to them?’ ‘Probably nothing,’ Big Rabbit said. ‘But the Terrible Things don’t need a reason. Many creatures dislike frogs. Lumpy slimy things. And fish are so cold and unfriendly. They never talk to any of us”’(Bunting 17). Life goes on as usual, however now, there are no birds to sing, no squirrels to chatter, no frogs to croak, or any fish to