What is the plot of Jack and the Beanstalk?

Answer 1

It's a little messed up. Jack and his mother are stricken by poverty. He takes the cow to the market and trades her for five magic beans. His angry mother throws the beans out the window. The next morning there is a huge beanstalk. He climbs the beanstalk and steals belongings from the giant that lives at the top. After a few times of stealing from the giant, the giant catches on and chases Jack. Jack cuts down the stalk and kills the giant.

Answer 2

Courage- He defeats the giant who, upon entering finds out by the giantess (according to The Red Fairy Book, or "a plain looking woman" according to what we may call the "standard story of Kack and the Beanstalk" which I found in The Children's Book: A Collections of the Best and Most Famous Stories and Poems in the English Language, chosen by Horace E. Scudden, published 1883) that the giant who Jack is meant to defeat likes eating human flesh. Even though he is risking his life, courage, his promise to the fairy, and the prospect of winning his riches back; will push him to enter the house on three different occasions and come out in the end victorious.

The Red Fairy Book: "... he remembered that fear disgraces a man; so he struggled to be brave and make the best of things."

Good vs. Evil or Right vs. Wrong- The giant has stolen his fathers possessions (whether he was a "noble knight" or just a "good man" differs) making him bad vs. Jack who has lost his potential wealth due to the giant; making him good (The Read Fairy Book: Jack:"I fear nothing when I'm doing right")

Vengeance- As was mentioned before, Jack is getting revenge on the horrible giant who has taken his wealth and his father away from him.

Karma- Jacks father was what we may call a philanthropist: "Your father was a rich man, his disposition remarkable benevolent; he was very good to the poor" (The Children's Book: A Collections of the Best and Most Famous Stories and Poems in the English Language). In wanting to help out the giant who mislead Jack's father into thinking he was a gentleman who had lost everything in an earthquake (the giants story differs although he did make up a story of some sort). Jack's father took him under his wing and helped him out only to be kiloled by the giants in the end, steal all his possessions, burn down the house and only spared Jack's and his mothers life because his mother begged and pleaded (this also differs but the concept still remains the same). Jack gets his revenge by regaining all that was stolen from his father and killing the giant.

The Children's Book: A Collections of the Best and Most Famous Stories and Poems in the English Language(p.164-174)

The Red Fairy Book (p.133-145)

Answer 3

Jack sells the family cow for some beans and his mother throws him out of the house. The beans turn out to be magical, and grow into a huge beanstalk that Jack climbs. He kills a giant and takes all his money and becomes rich.

Answer 4

Jack is poor and sells the family cow for magic beans. The beans grow into a giant beanstalk. Jack climbs up the beanstalk and sees a giant who has a goose that lays golden eggs and has a magic harp that plays itself. Jack steals these items and climbs down the beanstalk. The giant chases him but Jack cuts the beanstalk down and kills the giant.

Answer 5

"Jack and the Beanstalk" is a fairy tale about a poor boy named Jack who trades his family's cow for some magic beans. The beans grow into a giant beanstalk that Jack climbs to find a world in the clouds, where he encounters a giant and steals from him. The story culminates in Jack defeating the giant and returning home with treasures.

Answer 6

There is not a specific message in the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. There are many ideas such as a bad investment can be good and while others think it is a coming of age story.

Answer 7

That it's okay to break into someone's house, steal his stuff, and murder him if he's different.

Answer 8

farm, the giants land (clouds)