The themes of the realistic fiction story, Boy’s Life and the fable, Emancipation: A Life Fable are very similar. Both develop ideas about freedom, however, the exact way the theme develops is slightly different. The overall theme in each text is that freedom comes with patience. In Boy’s Life, the main character desperately wants freedom. It is the last school day of the year, and he wants nothing more than to begin summer vacation. In Emancipation: A Life Fable, the animal is afraid of freedom, hesitant to leave its cage. The theme that freedom comes with patience is developed similarly in both texts. Both feature a main character who is trapped, either literally or metaphorically. The boy in Boy’s Life is “trapped” in school. In contrast, the animal in Emancipation: A Life Fable, is actually kept in a cage. Similarly, both have to be patient, to wait for their freedom. For example, at the end of Boy’s Life, Mrs. Neville, the main character’s teacher, keeps the main character after the bell rings, prolonging his wait for summer vacation. In Emancipation: A Life Fable, the animal was born in a cage, and had to wait for most of its life for the day its cage was left open by accident. Finally, both characters appreciate their freedom at the end. Paragraph 28-31 of Boy’s Life says, “My heart was a frog leaping out of murky water into clear sunlight. I said, “Thanks!” and I ran for the door. Before I got out, though, I looked back at Mrs. Neville. She sat at a desk with no