Jane Yolen's use of structure in the novel Briar Rose is very clever. Her use of allegory and the parallel narrative technique is very effective in conveying her story which she delivers superbly. Elements of the story are revealed at specific moments to tie in with the theme of growth and development both personal and historical. The use of allegory moves the story forward. It is a constant reminder of the Holocaust to ensure that the reader does not become too captivated by the fairy tale element of the novel. The use of allegory grounds the novel, giving it a feeling of realism. Although the story Yolen tells is fictional, the setting in which they exist is not. By using real elements in the construction and development of the characters, they become believable. The characters in this story are not perfect and have many flaws and imperfections, an example of this is the fact that the character Josef is homosexual. We are far from the stereotype of the prince who is perfect in every way. Through Josef's homosexuality, he demonstrates an important fact about the Holocaust that is rarely discussed, the common misconception that only Jews were targeted when in reality several other minorities were. , such as homosexuals, Gypsies and the disabled (mental and physical). The courage and strength expressed in the side tales help develop the characters and different themes simultaneously. These tales evoke the struggle of the human spirit to overcome adversity, but at the same time humble the characters and portray them not as heroes but as ordinary people, surviving almost certain death, people simply trying to live. By making the characters so real, Yolen is able to never let the story spiral into pure fantasy. The story of Sleeping Beauty that is told throughout Briar Rose is initially an innocent story told by a grandmother to her grandchildren. We quickly realize that this is not the case and that it is actually the events of Gemma's character's life compressed into a single story. Gemma did this because the true story, in all its glory, was far too brutal to tell anyone, especially her family. Yolen primarily uses allegory in Gemma's interpretation of Sleeping Beauty. This quote from Gemma's Sleeping Beauty "without further warning, a mist covered the entire kingdom" is an obvious reference to the poison gas used to massacre millions of innocents in Nazi Germany's ethnic cleansing regime..