"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.