Question

Once upon a time, in a desert far away, there was a rose who was so proud of her beautiful looks. Her only complaint was growing next to an ugly cactus. Every day, the beautiful rose would insult and mock the cactus on his looks, all while the cactus remained quiet. All the other plants nearby tried to make the rose see sense, but she was too swayed by her own looks. One scorching summer, the desert became dry, and there was no water left for the plants. The rose quickly began to wilt. Her beautiful petals dried up, losing their lush color. Looking to the cactus, she saw a sparrow dip his beak into the cactus to drink some water. Though ashamed, the rose asked the cactus if she could have some water. The kind cactus readily agreed, helping them both through the tough summer, as friends. What is the theme of the story?

The theme of the story can be identified as:

a) Pride leads to downfall
b) Beauty is only skin deep
c) Friendship and humility
d) The importance of water in the desert

Answer 1

The story's main themes are the consequences of pride, the development of friendship, and the importance of humility. While the importance of water in a desert is a relevant topic, it serves more as a setting than as a primary theme of the story.

Step-by-step explanation:

The theme of the story where a proud rose insults a cactus and ultimately relies on it for survival during a drought is multifaceted, encompassing both character growth and moral lessons. On one hand, the theme could be interpreted as pride leading to downfall, which is evident when the rose, so prideful about her beauty, ends up wilting due to the lack of water. On the other hand, another strong theme is friendship and humility, demonstrated when the rose, despite her earlier behavior, humbly asks the cactus for help and they survive together as friends. Lastly, although more indirectly, the theme could also be about the importance of water in the desert and the survival adaptations of desert plants, which is a background element supportive of the plot but not its central message.