Themes and message

In his short story “A Fable”, Robert Fox explores the themes of materialism and lack of identity in modern society.

The two themes of the story are closely connected. The characters in the story place much importance on material possessions, and their shallow personalities make them pursue success and social status. In this way, material possessions replace the spiritual values that they might have found if they had explored their own identities.

Lack of identity

The lack of identity theme is explored throughout the story in various ways.

First, we notice that the writer creates nameless, ageless characters, with no specific occupation. He gives little details about their lives because what is important in the story is their behavior and the values it reflects.

Several details in the story indicate that the main character, a young man, lacks an identity. For example, he is on his way to his first job, but he does not know what the job is. He is excited by meaningless details about the job – the fact that he will have his own desk and carry papers in a briefcase, and that he will earn good money and be promoted (p. 32, ll. 16-18). He is satisfied with a general, simplistic image of success, and he does not seem to care what he does with his life, as long as he is able to afford a car and a big house (p. 33, ll. 1-4). In the same manner, he does not care about the girl’s personality and proposes marriage simply because she is beautif...