Ted Talk Response (10)

The Ted Talk feature that we watched in class was a good supplement to what we have been learning all semester regarding folk tales and their retellings, in my opinion. Granted, it was difficult to make out what the speaker was saying at times, which in turn detracted a little from the presentation, but at the same time this proved to be a strong example of just how prevalent folk tales are in other countries and nations across the Globe. I especially liked when the speaker performed the mythical chant and had the audience repeat it back to him. I felt like this gave viewers a small taste of the folktales and legends present in this particular culture, almost making them feel as if they too are a member of this nation. As for the story itself, from what I was able to make out it features a lot of the same components found in folk tales here in America; namely that of animals/nature providing symbolic significance and a powerful lessons learned upon conclusion of the respective tale. All semester we have discussed the importance of legends and myths in everyday society, and I truly feel that this presentation proved that exact point: that folk tales are and will continue to be a significant part of not only our American culture, but a piece of various countries across the world.

"Sandman" Response (9)

While reading through Neil Gaiman's work "Sandman," I constantly found myself rereading each paper after I would get through it, which I think speaks volumes to the masterful way in which this graphic novel is designed. By taking a second look at each page, I was able to connect the character's dialogue with the various detailed pictures, therefore helping me to better understand the author's work in this case. One thing that I especially liked about this piece was the plot structure and storyline. Reading like a comic book but possessing the depth found in some novels, "Sandman" certainly had a strong story told in a simplistic and easy to grasp manner. Another aspect of this work that I especially enjoyed is that of the illustrations. This piece is really not complete without the vivid and descriptive images of the various characters present in the graphic novel, and the illustrator does a great job of coordinating with the author and using the pictures to enhance the story. Personally, I came out expecting a well written and composed piece considering its author, Neil Gaiman, is one of my favorite writers, with his work "Coraline," holding true as my favorite story of all time. I can safely say that after reading this excerpt, I definitely wasn't let down, and I look forward to reading the rest of the piece in the future.

"Latino USA," Response (8)

This excerpt from Ilan Stavans' graphic novel "Latino USA," could quite possibly be the best text that I've read in class this term. Beginning with the introduction, Stavans writes in such a manner that is both highly complex in nature yet simplistic and easily accessible to the reader. By using this method, he is able to garner the audiences attention before he even truly begins, a tactic that I would definitely like to have in my own papers. I found the fact that the majority of citizens in Mexico actively purchasing and reading comic books to be every interesting, as here in America it is a largely unpopular feat compared to that of novels and magazines. Also, I completely agree with Stavans' reaction to the vast majority of American people looking down on comics, as I also feel that it is a more accurate reflection of our culture and society than certain works of nonfiction/fiction currently on the market now. As for the actual graphic novel portion of the excerpt, I feel that Stavans again made a deep topic like countries' histories and transformed it into something easy to understand, this time by adding pictures to accompany his words. It was a very enjoyable read, and after reading this I found myself wanting to get my hands on the actual work and finish it.

"Graphic Memoirs Come of Age," Response (7)

I want to begin by saying that William Bradley's article "Graphic Memoirs Come of Age," was an example of a masterful work of writing, in my opinion. His technique seemed rather simple yet very powerful, and the references used throughout, such as the Batman instance found on page 164, help to explain concepts like comic "gutters," that otherwise would be much more difficult to grasp and understand. This is how I would want my essays to read, and I will certainly take note for my upcoming research paper. The content found in this piece was very interesting as well, as Bradley explores just what exactly these non fiction graphic novels should be classified as. As someone who has read quite a few comic books growing up, I definitely found a way to relate to the argument being brought forth here in the text, which made it all that much more interesting to me. Personally, I feel that these works should still be viewed as graphic novels regardless of their narrative/nonfiction nature, as when read that is what they are essentially are at heart. It seems that the author here s adamant about disproving this claim, but I have to disagree as I see no harm in viewing it as such.

"White Tigers," Response (6)

I will start off by saying that this text is perhaps the best one I've read this year. The first part of the story is set up like a first-person warrior epic, and features the masterful use of literary devices such as imagery and symbolism to help drive the tale along. Also, I felt that the transitioning was brilliant in this piece, as it starts off with Kingston reminiscing of childhood stories regarding Fa Mu Lan warriors, and then jumping right into the folktale itself with her as the protagonist. Once the tale is told, the text transitions back into real life, with Kingston confessing that the story is essentially just that; a story. With this fluid transitioning throughout, it's pretty simple to keep up and stay with the author, unlike several of the other texts we've read in class this term. I also loved the end of the writing, in which the author contradicts the entire story of female Chinese warriors that she had been telling. According to Kingston, Chinese emigrants still view women as nothing more than wives and slaves, and they ultimately will have no power to fight for themselves. I felt that this was a twist to the reader, as after reading the tale of the White Tigers we would be expecting the author to have reached some epitomic point, but that is not the case. Overall, I enjoyed reading this piece, I felt that it was well-written and very interesting, with the use of several powerful literary devices.

"A Rhetorical and Sociolanguistic Model for the Anaysis of Narrative," Response (5)

My initial reaction upon conclusion of this essay was that is was a very complex, overly long account of a highly relevant tactic. While I do agree that learning how to properly analyze the narrative aspect of folklore is definitely important, I feel that Watson could have easily slimmed down her writing, both in length and language, and that it still would convey the same message. One point that fascinated me here was the section regarding French structuralism and how they feel narratives are influenced. Watson states that the French link narrative directly to brain structure, and that the words produced whilst telling a story mirror that of what is actually being thought in the mind. This made me question the concept myself, as this particular theory, along with many others brought forth in this essay, could very well be the true cause. Even though I felt that the essay was written just a tad to complex, I have to respect the massive amount of research evident in this paper. Referencing everything from hard science to Fischer, Watson manages to incorporate several different opinions to a highly controversial topic and back up each one with a relevant source, something I intend to do when it comes time to write my own essay. ALl in all, I felt that the author did a solid job of breaking down a very deep concept, but my main qualm with the work is that it could have been trimmed down a bit.

"American Indian Myths and Legends," Response (4)

After completing this particular reading, I found myself nothing short of both pleased and enlightened. One aspect of this excerpt that justifies my reaction lies in the introduction. From just a few smooth- written pages on the history of Native Americans, I was able to gather a lot of new information regarding the culture of the group, and how it tied in to the myths that were told. For instance, I was surprised to learn that the Indians view the Earth in a much different lens then that of our modern American society. In their eyes, elements that we take for granted such as pebbles are equally alive, and play both a crucial role in the world as in their folklore. As for the myths presented here, the concepts mentioned in the Introduction certainly play a key role in the stories themselves. Take "When Grizzlies Walked Upright," for example. It is described in detail how the Sky God creates nature, what with stepping on snow to create rivers or blowing on leaves to create birds. Nature plays a poignant role, not only in this story but in all Native American Folklore, which definitely adds a unique layer to otherwise common legends. In my opinion, Native American folklore could be the most interesting of all the ones we've touched upon, and this probably has a lot to do with the rich culture surrounding the earliest Americans. The excerpt was an enjoyable read, and I would be interested I reading more.

"Three Wishes" and "Porto Rican Folklore" Response (3)

Upon completion of these two pieces of writing, I can definitely say that I have learned a great deal about the folklore scene present in Porto Rico. Beginning with the Three Wishes compilation, it becomes glaringly obvious after readng the three enclosed folktales that Porto Rican Folklore is nothing short of straight forward. Take the tale of nearly comedic Juan Bobo, for instance. The story quickly yet effectively establishes its protagonist, lays the groundwork for the plot, and then simply drives right on through, ultimately culminating in the mural at the end of the road. This setup provides the reader with easy access to the tale, which in my opinion is great for its society, as nearly all citizens then can enjoy it. Another key quality to these fables lies in the lesson learned, a prime example being Juan Bobo's story once again. After doing what he felt was right, Bobo was not presented with a reward but instead a whipping at the hands of his mother. This proves that while we may feel that we have the best intentions, perhaps at times it is better to stick to the norm and to what others tell us, as our action(s) could very well cause more harm than good. Moving on to the essay regarding Porto Rican folklore, I felt that the author did a solid job of breaking the paper up into categories such as language and children's games to help in clearly presenting the history of Myths in the region to the reader. Additionally, I found the section describing animals in relation to the culture to be very interesting. I was actually surprised to learn that nature is a huge part in society, and as a result is almost as prevalent in their respective folklore as that of the Greek (Aesop's Fables). All in all, I enjoyed the two pieces, particullarly the fables, and I certainly learned more about Porto Rican Folklore.

"The Sociopsychological Analysis of Folktales" Response (2)

The one element that struck me the most upon completion of J. L. Fischer's essay "The Sociopsycological Analysis of Folktales," was his effective use of both sides of the argument throughout. Every aspect that he touches upon, be it Folktale history, innovation, symbolism, or even something as simple as the definition of said work, features a strong opinion backed up by multiple sources, followed up by the opponents' argument along with several more relevant sources included to support those claims. By doing this, Fischer is able to present multiple views on his topic while keeping the bias at bay. As for the content of the piece, I really enjoyed the muliple facets of Folktale explored by Fischer, and it certainly opened my eyes to just how many components crucial to the Social and Psychological value exist in such a small tale. I especially like how the author chose to break up Folktales for analysis: The tale itself, the model personality of the intended audience and narrator as well as the social system currently in place. In my opinion, this makes it that much easier to prove the thesis of the paper, which is determining the Social and Psychologcal importance of these various myths and tales in existance. Finally, I found Fischer's contrast between fables written and spoken to be very interesting. In my own personal experiemce, I have witnessed people alter their recount or story one too many times in an attempt to appeal to those listening, killing off a sigificant amount of validity in the process. Written tales, as Fischer states, are done largely in a private setting, where it can remain free from alterations and changes, which I agree is the more effective way of truly getting the value of a story. All in all, I enjoyed both the style and content of this essay, I look to model my future pieces in a similar fashion as well.

Aesop. Aristotle. and Animals: The Role of Fables in Human Life Response (1)

After reading Professor Edward Clayton's thesis paper arguing a largely unpopular view of fables and their interpretations, I am inclined to admit that my eyes have definitely been opened to the subject. Clayton downplays the common, widespread stance that Fables exist to promote strength over all other qualities, and that those who don't possess it must obey and spare themselves the shame or else suffer immensely. Instead, Clayton contends that fables actually exist to promote democracy and equality amongst both people and cities, as opposed to the highly cynical aforementioned stance.
This theory surprised me at first, considering that on the surface view these fables follow a recurring theme of the strong always prevailing over the weak, but as I digested the thought more and used Clayton's various points to fill in the spaces, I couldn't help feeling like I should have known this all along, that just past the outer edge of these seemingly basic animal tales rested the huge underlying theme of social equality amongst the peoples. I relate it to now, the very fact that we still read and study these same fables that were written over 2,000 years ago, I see for myself that these fables must have emanated equality or they would cease to exist.
I also enjoyed the utilization of Greek philosopher Aristotle's numerous ideas and beliefs regarding animals in relation to human beings, and I felt like he was a great choice for supporting details in the sense that Aristotle was a key leader to his people at the time, the very ones who initially created the fables. Just as Clayton states in his essay, Aristotle then becomes a near accurate representation of ancient Greece, and therefore sufficient proof to support the thesis.
All in all, this was an enlightening, well-written piece that certainly changed my views on Fables.