History YMMV / TheGrasshopperAndTheAnts

** Some people who take the grasshopper's side interpret the moral as LivingIsMoreThanSurviving; the ant survives at the cost of anything to actually live for, while the grasshopper lives a short but meaningful life.

** Even when the second ending is chosen, there is room for discussion aplenty on whether the moral is to be taken as "the grasshopper was lazy, irresponsible and got what was coming to him" or "poor grasshopper, the ants are Jerkasses". Jean de la Fontaine's version goes with the second ending. Given how his other fables tend to be critical of misers, chances are he meant the grasshopper as sympathetic.
** Some versions of the second ending (and more cynical takes on the first one) also interpret that [[ToughLove loaning wouldn't teach the grasshopper responsibilities anyway]], and had the ants taken pity he would simply [[IgnoredEpiphany act the same and take advantage of them the next winter]]. The weight of this in each interpretation often depends on whether the Grasshopper merely has an uncomfortable comeuppance or outright dies.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Weighting between the careless grasshopper/cicada and the empathy-starved ants has been a problem for authors across the centuries. By contrast, the retooled versions where the ants take pity on the humbled and thankful Grasshopper are often seen as a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}}.
* TakeThatScrappy: Villefranche's rendition is considered as this to the crueller depiction of the ants. After shooing away the grasshopper, their own stock is destroyed by fate and they are forced to plead to the nearby bees the same way the grasshopper had to them. The bees (who had already taken pity on the grasshopper) do let them in, but only after repeating their harsh words from before and letting them dwell in guilt.

* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: The variation where the grasshopper starves is a valid moral, but jarring to those who believe in compassion. Some interpretations of the same ending may also suggest that the grasshopper represents artists and that they have no contribution to society.

** Some versions of the second ending also interpret that [[ToughLove loaning wouldn't teach the grasshopper responsibilities anyway]], and had the ants taken pity he would simply [[IgnoredEpiphany act the same and take advantage of them the next winter]]. The weight of this in each interpretation often depends on whether the Grasshopper merely has an uncomfortable comeuppance or outright dies.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Weighting between the careless grasshopper/cicada and the empathy-starved ants has been a problem for authors across the centuries. By contrast, the retooled versions where the ants take pity on the humbled and thankful Grasshopper are often seen as a {{Heartwarming Moment|s}}.
* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: The variation where the grasshopper starves is a valid moral, but jarring to those who believe in compassion. Some interpretations of the same ending may also suggest that the grasshopper represents artists and that they have no contribution to society.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Weighting between the careless grasshopper/cicada and the empathy-starved ants has been a problem for authors across the centuries. By contrast, the retooled versions where the ants take pity on the humbled and thankful Grasshopper are often seen as a HeartwarmingMoment.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Weighting between the careless grasshopper/cicada and the empathy-starved ants has been a problem for authors across the centuries.

** Some versions of the second ending also interpret that [[ToughLove loaning wouldn't teach the grasshopper responsibilities anyway]], and had the ants taken pity he would simply [[IgnoredEpiphany act the same and take advantage of them the next winter]].

** Even when the second ending is chosen, there is room for discussion aplenty on whether the moral is to be taken as "the grasshopper was lazy, irresponsible and got what was coming to him" or "poor grasshopper, the ants are Jerkasses". Jean de la Fontaine`s version goes with the second ending. Given how his other fables tend to be critical of misers, chances are he meant the grasshopper as sympathetic.

* AlternateAesopInterpretation: Even when the second ending is chosen, there is room for discussion aplenty on whether the moral is to be taken as "the grasshopper was lazy, irresponsible and got what was coming to him" or "poor grasshopper, the ants are Jerkasses". Jean de la Fontaine`s version goes with the second ending. Given how his other fables tend to be critical of misers, chances are he meant the grasshopper as sympathetic.