Week 14 Reading Diary: Fairy Tales (Andersen)

This week, I chose to read the compilation of fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen.

The Princess and the Pea: I was surprised at how short this story was. I have certainly read versions of this story that were much longer and more detailed. I have always been confused as to why the prince only wanted a princess who was so delicate that she could detect a pea under twenty mattresses and that this would disturb her throughout the night. This never seemed feasible to me; the ruler of a land should be tougher than that, in my opinion.

The Emperor's New Suit: Another story of a leader of a nation who seems unfit to rule. This emperor does not seem useful in the affairs of his state (nor, as it turns out, do his "honest" advisors). This is one of those stories that I can hardly read out of embarrassment for everyone in the story due to the dramatic irony. It is wonderful that the one who calls everyone out on their foolishness is an innocent child--it just goes to show that those who are usually seen as the most naive perhaps embrace it better or are less ashamed of their naivety.

The Wicked Prince: The price to pay for pride as intense as this prince has is surely great humiliation. I didn't think he was so foolish in waging war with neighboring countries, but his attempt to conquer God certainly would lead to his downfall. It is ironic that the prince spends seven years to build up his army; this is a very biblical number. I'm not sure of its exact significance in this story--either way, I am glad that God chose something as small as a gnat to bring about the fall of the wicked prince, and I hope that the prince learned his lesson.

The Little Match-Seller: This was the first story in this unit that I had never read before. What a bittersweet story! It was heartbreaking to read about the little girl's home life, but I am glad that she spent her last day warm and happy and surrounded by (what she perceived as) beautiful things.

The Little Mermaid:
Part 1: This introduction gave the reader a wonderful description of the beauty that is the Sea King's domain. As someone living on land, I would love to see what life would be like under the sea--I guess this is how the youngest mermaid felt too: it is apparently in everyone's nature to not be content with knowing only what s/he already has, but to want to see how the other half lives.

Part 2: It is shocking sometimes how we forget to think of ourselves when someone or something else who is the object of our affection (or infatuation) is in danger. The little mermaid certainly displays this as she strives to save the prince from the storm, all the while forgetting that a piece of the ship could come crashing down on her at any moment and kill her. I did feel bad for her that the prince didn't realize that the mermaid was the one who had rescued him.

Part 3: The wisdom of the mermaid's grandmother is different from any advice that I have ever heard. Andersen certainly came up with an interesting comparison to humans' and merpeople's lives. It was heartbreaking to read at the end of this excerpt, however, the mermaid's decision. The risks that she takes and what she is willing to give up will not turn into fruitful gains in the end, especially not with the advice of the sea witch.

Part 4: Again, it is shocking sometimes the lengths that one would go to in order to find love. The description of the sea witch's lair is terrifying and it would certainly make me turn back and find another way. The little mermaid's perseverance is admirable but questionable--is there no other way to win the love of the prince? Even the witch says that the mermaid's wish is stupid and that it would bring her sorrow, but the mermaid still goes along with the witch's plan. To attempt to gain the favor of a prince who does not even acknowledge her existence by growing excruciating painful legs and losing her biggest asset--her ability not only to sing, but to communicate her thoughts and reason--the entire time I read this part, I questioned the mermaid's sanity. Finally, it should have been a warning sign that the evil polyps guarding the path to the witch's lair shrank away in fear of the potion: that alone should have deterred her from drinking the draught.

Part 5: The dramatic irony in this section was heartbreaking to read. I so wished that the little mermaid could just tell the prince that she was the one who had saved his life, whom he longed for, but due to her bargain with the sea witch, the maiden obviously couldn't. I felt frustrated for her, but I also felt frustrated at her because she did not seem to be bothered by this. The prince's reassurance that he would rather marry her than the daughter of the neighboring kingdom's ruler seems to satisfy her, but I didn't feel that she should have been content with that--if only she could tell him her story.

Week 13 Reading Diary: Grimm's Fairy Tales (Crane)

This week, I read Crane's translation of a collection of fairy tales. I chose this one based on its description and those of the other fairy tale units. After last week, I wanted to read a collection of fairy tales to compare to the versions of the stories in the English Fairy Tales unit.

The Fisherman and His Wife: Oh, the lessons one could learn about being greedy. As I read through this story, I got more and more frustrated with the wife's demands and increasingly sorry for the husband. In the end, I hope the wife learned her lesson--to be content with what she has and not to constantly want more. In a way, this is a good moral for everyone as it could apply to daily life: we should be happy with the season of life that we are in and live in the present, and not continually be anxious about the future, or the "next step" in life.

Aschenputtel: The familiar story of Cinderella (German translation: Aschenputtel). I kept thinking throughout this story that Aschenputtel is both really quick-witted and quick on her feet. To be able to escape through the pigeon house, change out of her dress, and return to the house to sit by the fire in such a short time must have taken a lot of effort. Minor details, though...
I have loved this story since childhood because it puts its characters in their proper place. Aschenputtel, with her piety and goodness, deserves what she received in the end after enduring such harsh torment from her stepmother and stepsisters. The latter, although their punishments were extreme and gruesome, certainly got their dues as well.

The Robber Bridegroom: This story was comparable to the one of Mr. Fox in the English Fairy Tales unit (and indeed, as I look back at said story, the introduction states that Dan Ashliman has made a compilation of Robber Bridegroom variations). Who knows how many of the terrible crimes the gang had committed, but I was certainly glad when the young bride-to-be unmasked them.

The Six Swans: What I found interesting about this story was that it said nothing about the stepmother being evil until she finds the clew of yarn (although the king must have been relying his instincts when he first meets her, but this is not explicitly stated). Therefore, for the first part of the story, I was confused as to why the children had to be locked up.
The rest of the story was empowering. For the young sister to have the willpower to remain completely silent for six years is inspiring and a true testament to her love for her brothers. It is sad to see evil try to tarnish such a pure love, but it is encouraging to see that this evil is not rewarded.

King Thrushbeard: In this story, the moral that one should not judge based on appearance pervades strongly throughout. The maiden at first loses opportunities to marry a worthy king like Thrushbeard because she scorns his appearance (and that of other suitors). Then, when she marries the beggar and is sent to work in the marketplace selling pots, people buy her wares at first because she is beautiful, but she finds that she cannot depend on this for very long. In the end, she ultimately learns her lesson and it is fortunate that King Thrushbeard maintains his love for her long enough for her to humble herself.

The Three Spinsters: This was the first story in this unit that I hadn't heard before (or a variation of it). The entire time, I was expecting the maiden to go back on her word and not invite the spinsters to the wedding, or act ashamed of them, but I am glad that she did not do so. It is interesting, though, that this story seems to reward laziness--overall, the girl did hardly anything and successfully escaped spinning in the end.

Snow White: Ah, the classic fairy tale. I grew up with this story and I have heard countless different versions of it, so I was curious to see how this played out overall. Whereas in the original Disney movie, the evil stepmother only tries one time to kill her (with the poisoned apple), in this story, she attempts three times. Even though Snow White is only seven years old (which is, admittedly, a very young, naive age), I get frustrated at her for falling for the queen's tricks over and over again. However, the rest of the story was as it is usually told, and I am glad that Snow White ends up happy and the stepmother is brought to justice.

Week 12 Reading Diary: English Fairy Tales

This week, I read the English Fairy Tales unit. It was a fine collection of classics retold, and I enjoyed reading the different versions of well-known fairy tales.

Tom Tit Tot: This was an interesting retelling of the classic Grimm fairy tale, Rumplestiltskin. Whereas in the well-known version of the story, the childhood of the girl is not always told, this story gave more background as to why the woman was married to the king and had to spin so many skeins of yarn each day. Every time I read this story, I wonder why the creature--Rumplestiltskin, Tom Tit Tot, or any other being--would be so silly as to absentmindedly sing his name.

The Rose Tree: This was one of the few stories in this first part of the unit that I hadn't heard before. It reminded me vaguely of the story of Cinderella in which Cinderella's mother is buried in a plot of land, and when the girl cries, her tears water the land and a tree eventually grows from it. In this story, the girl's brother does this. Overall, this story was very morbid--it is somewhat alarming to see how wicked the stepmother is, and how the little bird gets her revenge.

The Old Woman and Her Pig: Cumulative stories like this make me laugh, but mostly only because of their ridiculousness. I always love reading the odd series of events that must happen for a simple act to occur, and this story was no exception to the rule. This story is a strong contender for a storytelling post this week; it is based off of a nursery rhyme, which can be easily elaborated, and the themes are silly, so I can have fun with them.

Cap o' Rushes: Yet another story that reminds me of Cinderella. This, again, has slight changes to the classic--the girl is thrown out of her own home and finds shelter with another family in return for cleaning their pots and pans. She is not mistreated; she has the opportunity to go to the dance but she claims she is too tired (yet she goes anyway). The ending was the best part--one doesn't normally think about fresh meat and salt being a combination that defines love, but Cap o' Rushes is a clever one. In the end, I'm glad everyone was happy.

Henny-Penny: What a throwback to my childhood when I first heard the story of Chicken Little! I loved the names in this story; they were silly but effective in describing what the animals are like. Again, this is a cumulative story, which I find entertaining in their length and repetition.

Molly Whuppie: Yet another story that is similar to a classic fairy tale. In this case, this tale reminds me of Jack and the Beanstalk in that the main antagonist is a giant with a rhyming couplet for a chant and a taste for young children. It was heartening to see Molly as a caretaker who helps the children.

Mr. Fox: Another morbid story. This reminds me of a horror story that my friends and I used to tell around a campfire on summer evenings. I certainly am glad that Lady Mary discovered who Mr. Fox was before they got married and that she got out of what might have become a horrid situation!

Johnny-cake: I'm not sure exactly what a Johnny-cake is, but this Gingerbread Man-like story made me chuckle. This tale really goes to show that hubris and being too vocally prideful can be one's worst downfall--as the Johnny-cake discovers when the wolf snatches him up and eats him in one bite.

Week 11 Reading Diary: The Canterbury Tales

This week, I chose to read the Canterbury Tales unit. In high school, I had read excerpts of the poetry in a British literature class, and I liked the morals and themes that it contained, so I thought I would delve into it more! I might also look at the Middle English version of it and compare it to the modern English--different translations have always fascinated me.

The Wife of Bath's Tale ("The Unknown Bride"): One thing that I found interesting was that the story of King Midas was from as early as the time of Ovid--I had never realized that. I appreciated the commentary before this story on this matter. The rest of the tale was a roller coaster of emotions: at first, I didn't really care for the knight because of his crime, but as the story went on and he realized that his wife, the old woman, carried her beauty on the inside, I grew to respect him a little more. Overall, the Wife of Bath lays out the theme that husbands should follow the counsel of their wives.

The Friar's Tale ("The Story of the Summoner"): I really hope the Summoner learned his lesson in this story--even though it might be too late. He tries to swindle an old, poor woman out of twelve pence that she does not have, and she in turn curses him and says she would sooner let the demon who is traveling with the Summoner take him than give him the money. Sure enough, the demon takes his soul into the depths of Hell. This story, which portrays a corrupt Summoner, in conjunction with the story of the Summoner, which portrays a corrupt Friar, shows their strained relationship as well as the split in the church of Chaucer's time.

The Franklin's Tale ("The Promise of Dorigen"): This is a refreshing change from some of the stories that other travelers tell, which involve immoral deeds. In the Franklin's Tale, he emphasizes love and faithfulness as being key components to a marriage and truth and honesty as being important to one's character. Dorigen and her husband Arviragus understand how crucial these aspects are to any relationship--she refuses to be untrue while her husband is away, and he insists that she keep her promise to Aurelius. I am glad that everything worked out for everyone in the end.

The Pardoner's Tale ("The Revelers Who Went out to Meet Death"): The Pardoner hammers home the point that money is the root of all evil. When the three drunken revelers go into the next town to find Death, they find a pile of gold coins. They send the youngest into town to get food and wine and the others stay and guard their pile. These two plan to kill the youngest when he gets back and take his share, and the other reveler has similar plans, so he poisons the wine. At the end, all three of them indeed meet Death.

The Prioress's Tale ("Little Hugh of Lincoln"): This was a morbid tale and it truly made me sad for the intolerance of the Christians of Chaucer's time. The background information given at the beginning was helpful in understanding the story, and the Prioress's title also explains a lot of her opinion that is injected in this anti-Semitic tale. I am glad that we can trace archives back to the root of immorality such as is depicted in this story so that we can change our behaviors and mindsets.

The Nun's Priest's Tale ("The Cock, the Hen, and the Fox"): Ah, the famous story of Chanticleer, his wife, and the fox. In this story, Chaucer describes humans' weaknesses by portraying animals as human-like. At first, Chanticleer is vain and gives in to the temptation and flattery of the fox, but he is cunning and escapes, learning his lesson and not listening to the fox's false praise again.

The Canon's Yeoman's Tale ("The Priest who Learned to be a Philosopher"): It is interesting that both the Canon and the Yeoman were not listed in the prologue of the original Canterbury Tales. This story must have been added after the original stories were published.

Week 10 Reading Diary: Myths of the Cherokee

This week, I am reading the lore of the Cherokee tribe. I chose this because I have always been fascinated with Native American culture, and the Cherokees are one of the largest and most well-known tribes, and I was interested in seeing how their traditions were portrayed in their folklore.

Once again, this unit starts off with the tribe's take on how the world was created. As I mentioned in last week's essay, the different points of view of the early Earth and how living creatures came to be would be a vast area of study in itself. It is intriguing to compare and contrast the perspectives on the development of the world. The Cherokee point of view is not so different from that of the Chitimachas: the pre-formed world, according to both of them, was submerged in water. In the Chitimacha culture, they believed that a crawfish (a symbol of Louisiana, where they originated) dug up mud from the bottom of the ocean and it spread out to form dry land; the Cherokees believed that a water beetle did the same.

First Fire describes the origin of physical characteristics of certain birds that were there from the beginning of the Earth. I always love reading explanatory lore; it is interesting to see the creativity that early storytellers had when justifying how certain things came to be. In this story, the reasons for the raven's black feathers, the screech owl's red eyes, and the hooting and horned owls' white-ringed eyes are explained.

A similarly explanatory tale in this unit is Why the Possum's Tail is Bare. I felt so bad for the poor possum in this story! In it, the trickster Rabbit had had his tail pulled off by Bear (after he cheated Otter out of his coat) and is jealous of Possum's beautiful, bushy tail, so he hires Cricket, the local barber, to cut off every single hair from the tail. To this day, possums' tails are completely bare and in stark contrast to the rest of their bodies. Undoubtedly, someone took note of this and decided to write a story explaining why. This tale is a portrayal of the lengths some go to because of envy or jealousy.

A lot of the other myths of the Cherokee involve the trickster Rabbit as well. He is not so successful in his tricks as others in lore, however. When he goes duck hunting, he tries to convince Otter that he can do exactly what Otter does--dive, catch, and eat ducks. The plan that he devises does not seem fruitful: he almost drowns, and then when he does catch a duck, he is carried through the air and lands in a hollow sycamore stump from which he cannot escape and almost dies of starvation.

The story of the Terrapin and the Wolves also explains the texture of turtles' shells. It is also interesting to see the relationship between these Native American stories and those that originated in Africa. The part where the wolves were threatening the terrapin reminded me of the story of Brer Rabbit in which he was stuck to the tar baby and Brer Fox threatens to throw him into the briar patch. Mr. Rabbit begs fervently (and strategically) for him not to do so, when in fact he feels most at home in the briars. When Mr. Fox throws him in, Rabbit easily scampers away. Similarly, the terrapin is most comfortable in the river but tricks the wolves into thinking that this is his greatest weakness, and this is also how he escapes.

When the Huhu and the Owl get married, it is interesting to see the culture of the Cherokees really shine through. Honestly, I was very taken aback to find out that the first man turned into an owl and I didn't really understand if there was a moral to this story. The tale of the huhu (I also still don't know what this is) was very similar. Even through the slight confusion, however, I enjoyed reading these stories and getting a glimpse into the traditions. I have a friend who is learning the Cherokee language, and I will have to verify with her in the future.

Week 9 Reading Diary: Mississippi Valley/Great Lakes

This week, I am reading tales from the Native American tribes of the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes area. I chose this unit because I originally hail from the Great Lakes area and grew up with knowledge of the tribes that were there, but had never really read much of their stories and folklore. I am interested to see the themes present in this unit and how they relate to the cultures that I have learned about in the past.

The Earth Maker: This account of the creation of the Earth from the Winnebago tribe was intriguingly abstract. At times, I had to stop to re-read sentences because, though the language is simple, the ideas are hard to visualize. In a sense, the process of the creation of the Earth is similar to that detailed in the Bible: at first, there was nothing, then the land was created. After that, the creator made plants to grow upon the earth and creatures to roam the land. I was confused when the story said that the creator made a man and called him Tortoise, then later created the "two-legged walkers." Was this creature a man in the sense that we know the word, i.e., a human being, or was he actually a tortoise? If he were a human, I wouldn't think that he would be separated from the other two-legged walkers for any reason. I will look into Winnebago lore further to explore this.

Creation: It is interesting to compare stories about the same types of events and ideas between different tribes. This tale comes from the Chitimacha tribe from present-day Louisiana. The first paragraph describing the Creator of All Things certainly paints an odd picture: if its body were to become visible, one would probably see a headless body that could see and hear. The rest is fairly straightforward; this seems like a storytelling strategy that people have passed down through the ages: using folklore to explain certain events and behaviors, such as why the tribe hunts animals (to punish them for past transgressions) and why the Sun shines brighter than the Moon (because the Moon "forgot the sacred bathing").

Gifts of the Sky God: In the same didactic tone, the Chitimacha describe how humans received different gifts from above. What I don't fully comprehend is how these gifts correspond with the animals that brought them (or if there is even supposed to be a correlation). This is another aspect of culture I will have to investigate further.

Week 8 Reading Diary: Assessment

Looking back at my reading diary posts, I realize that I generally do not follow the advice that was given in the first week, which was not to give a mere plot summary of the stories. The majority of my reading diary notes are just that. This is something that my high school English teachers tried tirelessly to teach me, but I find it so easy to fall back on the trusty plot summary when I take notes.

The usual goal that I have with these posts is to be able to write my other posts for the week (essay, storytelling, etc.) by using just the diary without having to go back and look at the original story in the Un-Textbook. As I look at the progression of my diaries, I can tell that I was very diligent in the beginning, but the last couple of weeks have slacked a little in terms of length and content of the posts. I was still able to do the other assignments with the diary, but I found that it required a lot more contemplation later on, rather than just having my thoughts laid out from the start.

When I stray from the plot summary, this is where I find I make the most connections to other literature and media and where I can allude most successfully to themes in other novels, units I'd read previously, etc. Certainly, this is not easy to do, but the weeks where I have actively tried to analyze the text rather than just reading it for the surface details have been the ones where I have been most satisfied with my storytelling posts. It is definitely difficult to remember to do this every week; whenever life gets hectic, I tend to go back to my old habits of summary and paraphrasing.

Reflecting on this, I realize that I must be diligent in my analysis of the weekly reading so as to get the most out of the text. I truly am interested in the worldly literature offered in this course, and I would like to retain stories for future reference.

Week 7 Reading Diary: Brer Rabbit

This week, I read the Brer Rabbit unit from the African folklore section in the Un-Textbook.

The description of the unit in the Un-Textbook said the stories are "told in dialect." I did not understand what this meant until I actually started reading. It was certainly a very unique way to write out a story (although it makes sense that it is transcribed just like it would be told; oral communication was the most prevalent method of storytelling in that setting). It took me a little while to get used to the style, but I found that if I read out loud, it helped me to comprehend the reading a little better.

My favorite story in this unit was the Wonderful Tar Baby. In this, Brer Rabbit encounters a doll made of tar, constructed by Brer Fox as a trick. When Brer Rabbit attempts to make conversation with the figure, it doesn't respond. Brer Rabbit gets frustrated, thinking it rude, and tries to beat the tar baby but gets stuck. The ending is somewhat ambiguous as the reader doesn't know if Brer Rabbit ever gets out of his trap ("Some say Judge B'ar come 'long en loosed 'im—some say he didn't.").

In How Mr. Rabbit was too Sharp for Mr. Fox, Brer Rabbit gets back at Brer Fox for the tar baby trick. Here, the reader truly sees Mr. Rabbit's cunning. Whereas in previous stories, he didn't seem too bright (after all, he did try to beat an inanimate object), he now proves his wits by acting humble when Brer Fox reveals his trick, asking him not to throw him into the brier patch. In reality, this is where rabbits thrive (he was born and bred in a brier-patch), and Mr. Fox takes the bait. Once Mr. Rabbit is in the field, he easily disentangles himself and runs free.

It is interesting to me that pride is a common theme in this story. A character--usually Brer Fox or Brer Rabbit--gets prideful, becomes the butt of a joke played by another character, and meets embarrassment and humility, but only for a short time until the next trick. This is prevalent in stories like Old Mr. Rabbit, He's a Good Fisherman and Mr. Rabbit Meets His Match. This goes with one of my favorite quotes, "Modesty and unselfishness--these are traits which men praise--and pass by." Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Fox could certainly use some lessons in modesty.

Week 6 Reading Diary: The Monkey King

This week, I am reading the Monkey King. This is a Chinese fairy tale of sorts; my parents would tell me different stories of the adventures of the great Sun Wu Kong when I was a child, so I am familiar with the mischief and and heroism of the Monkey King. I have not been reminded of these stories since then, however, so it has been many years since I have read any part of the account of his adventures. This was definitely a trip down memory lane.

Handsome King of the Apes: It is uncanny that, even after all these years, as I read this story, I can picture the cartoon version that I watched as a child in my head and see the events unfold. The King sprung from an enchanted rock and spent his days running and leaping in the glade. When he was old enough, he was crowned king of the forest after passing through a huge waterfall. If I recall correctly, this is very symbolic: countless times the reader/viewer will see him go under waterfalls throughout the unit.

Sun Wu Kong Gets His Name: I also remember this part of the Monkey King's history. He approaches a saint in his search for the truth, and when asked for his name, he replies that he has none. He tells the religious leader that he was born from a stone, and in return the saint gives him the name Wu Kong, meaning "empty," referring to his origins but certainly not reflecting the magnitude of his future actions.

The Master: In this chapter, the King demonstrates both his stubbornness and cleverness. When trying to learn from the Buddhist master, he certainly is not the most cooperative student, but he quickly understands the symbolism of many things. It is this wit that the reader sees throughout; while he can be very rambunctious, he usually sees through the lies of tricksters with ease and logically deduces many things that others may miss.

The Devil-King: Here, Sun Wu Kong has learned some of the tricks of the trade (but unfortunately has been kicked out of the temple by the Master), and is now in the world beginning to fight evils. Here, the reader sees that his training paid off: although there is not much detail about it in the previous chapters, the King can definitely fend for himself in a fight when defending his hometown and the people he loves.

Week 5 Reading Diary: Arabian Nights

This week, I read Arabian Nights, which is a frametale, or a collection of stories that Scheherazade tells to her husband, Sultan Schahriar. These are not just any stories, however: it is a matter of life or death that the Sultana keeps her husband entertained, as the reader sees in the introduction, Scheherazade.

As I read the first story in the unit, The Merchant and the Genius, I was struck by how similar the merchant's and Scheherazade's fates were. They both are facing the threat of death, and they both use the guise of telling stories to put off death a little longer--indeed, Scheherazade frames the stories so that she may continue to do this.

The interesting thing about the frametale is how detailed Scheherazade makes it. In the Hind, the narrator of the story within the story, the first old man, addresses the genie (and this is a running theme throughout, between both the old men and the genie and Scheherazade and the Sultan). It is interesting to see the genie's reaction to the tales and I imagine it is comparable to the Sultan's reaction to the stories.

In the Story of the Fisherman, Scheherazade continues this "story-within-a-story" way of telling her tales, and invents a wily fisherman. No doubt the Sultana is very clever and can dream up a cunning fisherman, as she herself is very witty. At the end of the story, she weaves another level into the storytelling: the fisherman explains to the genie that he cannot trust him and release him from the vase in which he has sealed him once again because he might meet the same fate as a Greek physician--then continues to tell that tale, effectively adding more depth to this frametale. It is interesting to me that Scheherazade is telling these stories to save her life, and previous protagonists in her stories have told their tales to save either their own lives or someone else's, but now the fisherman is simply giving the genie this account to teach him a lesson.

In the story about the Greek King and the Physician Douban, the frametale gets even deeper. As always, Scheherazade is telling the outermost story to the Sultan about the fisherman, who is in turn telling the genie the story about the king and the physician. In this story, the king's vizir becomes jealous of the physician and approaches the king, where the king tells him another story. As I read, I found it a little difficult to keep track of what level the stories were at, but it was like a fun puzzle to backtrack and figure it out.

The last story in this unit was a long one, Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp. This tale was an interesting change to the normal story of Aladdin that Disney told. It eliminated (or rather, the Disney version added) the animal sidekicks, and it the original also involved two genies instead of one and a different story line in terms of Aladdin's relationship with the princess. In this tale, there is no forbidden love between street urchin and princess; Aladdin easily wins over the woman's (and her father's) heart with jewels and gold. However, the conflict arises with the evil magician, just as in the Disney movie. Here is where the plots converge: the magician wants control of the genie in the lamp, and Aladdin takes ownership instead, so the villain gets envious. He cunningly tricks the sultana out of Aladdin's old lamp and unfortunately, she innocently gives it to him. However, Aladdin and his wife are wily as well, and devise a way to kill the magician and take the lamp back.
It is here where the story diverges again. It turns out that the magician has an equally evil brother, and he causes the couple grief when he hears about the death of his brother. Luckily, the genie in the ring sees through his tricks and warns Aladdin, and he is able to get rid of the evil for good. Aladdin and the sultana take over the kingdom after her father dies and they live happily ever after.

Week 4 Reading Diary: Twenty-Two Goblins

This week, I chose to read Twenty-Two Goblins, excerpts taken from Arthur Ryder's translation of the Sanskrit manuscript Vetālapañcaviṃśati. I made this decision because I had never read anything from this culture before. Based on the description, it sounded like something that I would enjoy reading (and I certainly did): I love riddles and trying to solve them, and some of the ones featured in this unit definitely challenged me. Overall, it was thoroughly entertaining.

First of all, the premise of the frametale caught my attention immediately. The goblin inhabits a human corpse and the hero of the story, a wise king, must solve its riddles lest his head explodes from the goblin's magic. I had never heard this version of the legend before, and it was an interesting (and morbid) way to introduce the series of riddles that followed.

The Three Lovers: This first tale was one of which I had heard many variations in the past. Somehow, I had never known the proper solution to this riddle despite the countless times I'd heard it before. The king was very wise to consider different relationships to the princess and determine which suitor was the right one to marry his daughter.

With each of these riddles, it was tricky to determine the correct answer because the way the goblin told the tales was sometimes so paradoxical. However, in each case, there is one answer that stands out and, after the king verbalizes it, it seems almost obvious. This seems somewhat unnecessary to say--this is the point of riddles, after all--but each time I read a new chapter in the unit, I would be stumped as to the answer, but when the king answered, it would make sense and I wondered why I didn't come up with the solution myself.

The Four Scientific Suitors: I guessed the answer to this riddle correctly, but I wasn't sure if it was just because I was biased towards the art of battle. Part of the king's answer reminded me of another tale where a peasant makes a deal with a king that if he can stack one hundred gold pieces, then the king should give the gold to him. The king agrees and keeps his word, but when the peasant shows off his talent, the king also gives him lashings for wasting his time with such a useless talent. The king in this tale points out a similar situation with one of the four scientific suitors.

The Three Delicate Wives: I also managed to determine the solution to this riddle, as it seemed appropriate that the wife who was not affected by any of her senses yet still was injured would be the most delicate. However, I did not really understand the point of this--why would she want to be the most delicate? I thought that it would be a major inconvenience to be as frail as these wives.

Reading Diary B

The Snake's Poison: This story stood out from the previous ones because out of the choices that the goblin gives the king for the solution, he thinks outside the box and chooses one that the goblin does not offer. Throughout this unit, I have been very impressed by the king's wit and wisdom, and this story solidifies that feeling.

The General's Wife: I thought the introduction was very interesting when it mentioned the story of King David and Bathsheba in the Bible. As I read, I realized the validity of the great contrast between the two stories. King David's downfall in the eyes of his people was due to his temptation and his not staying in community with his troops. The king in this story is endlessly virtuous and would rather die than betray one of his servants, even though it might have been expected of him.

The Four Brothers: This reminded me of the story of the three brothers who brought a woman back to life, found earlier in this unit. This riddle has a twist, however--it is about four brothers who give life to a lion, and the goblin asks the king who is to blame when the lion kills them all after its revival. Again, the king impresses me with his critical thinking skills.

Father and Son, Daughter and Mother: I was very excited to read this story simply from reading the introduction--apparently, it is known as the goblin's "Great Puzzle." It certainly was a challenging riddle, and even the king thought so as well. However, the goblin was previously so impressed with the king that he allows the king to take him back to the palace where the monk is.

Week 3 Reading Diary: The Gospel of Mark

The Gospel of Mark

Reading Diary A:

Mark 1
In this chapter, John the Baptist encounters Jesus, the son of God. Throughout this first chapter, the reader immediately sees Jesus perform many miracles, such as releasing an evil spirit from a man's body, healing the "sick and demon-possessed" (Mark 1:32 NIV), and making a leper clean. This is a perfect introduction to Jesus's life--it accurately represents the practical servitude he has for his Father in healing His people and spreading His word.

Mark 2
I love the story of Jesus's healing of the paralytic because it is a good message to Christians about having faith in God to do virtually anything. The men in the story are not deterred by a crowd where so "many [are] gathered together, insomuch that there [is] no room to receive them," and have enough diligence to carry their friend on a mat all the way up to the roof, and proceed to cut a hole in the roof, just so they can get their ailing friend in Jesus's presence. And, "when Jesus saw their faith," he healed the man completely so that he could walk out of the house completely healthy. This is an especially good lesson for spiritual leaders: that they may be persistent in serving the Lord and have faith that they can change lives.

The reader consistently sees Jesus leading by example throughout his life. When he is questioned by Pharisees for eating with sinners and tax collectors (who, in those times, were seen on a similar level as sinners), he preaches a message of love and explains that he is in the world to heal the broken, not to save those who are already righteous.

Mark 3
In this chapter, Jesus begins to show his affinity for speaking in parables, or stories used to demonstrate spiritual morals. The reader will see in the next chapter that he uses these copiously to show his followers how to think and behave.

Mark 4
The parables in this chapter speak to all followers of Christ, but some pertain especially to leaders in the church. The story of the sower is an example of this. Jesus states that a leader must spread the word of God extensively, but warns that some preaching will inevitably fall on deaf ears--the lesson here is to be persistent and to spread love, so that no matter how the word is received, they will at least have had the love of God demonstrated for them.

Jesus also tells his followers to be a light in the world (or a "lamp on a stand"). He implores them not to hide their faith, but to spread it to others. He also assures them that if they have an inkling of faith the size of a mustard seed, then God can use them to multiply and do great works.

Mark 5
Jesus as a healer certainly is a convicting thing for anybody to read about! In chapter 5, a demon-possessed man and a woman who had had an illness of the blood for twelve years approached Jesus at a desperate time in their lives. They had great faith, and in the end, Jesus was able to heal them because of this.

Mark 6
This chapter discusses John the Baptist's beheading, then goes on to tell about the miracles that Jesus performed. The reader sees that Jesus, with faith, can multiply five loaves of bread and two fish into a full meal for five thousand men (and, some believe, all the women and children who were with them, totaling about 15,000 people). Jesus's followers also see him walk on water in a storm and are terrified, thinking that he is a ghost, but he calms their fears and then calms the waves and wind. Throughout this book, Jesus tells his followers to have faith, and only then can they do the extraordinary with God's help.

Mark 7
During the time that Jesus lived, the Pharisees were a group of people who believed in God, but some of them did not necessarily believe that Jesus was the son of God. They went through all the motions of loving their Lord, but did this out of fear instead of love for their Father (my campus pastors would call this "head knowledge" instead of "heart knowledge"). Jesus calls them out on this and rebukes them in this chapter.

Mark 8
This chapter is pivotal in Jesus's life. One of the most important things about it is that Jesus predicts his own death towards the end of the chapter--that Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, would betray him. He assures his followers that whoever gives up his own life to pick up Jesus's cross will be rewarded with eternal life in Heaven.

Mark 9
The last part of this chapter is a very convicting passage. Jesus rebukes all sin and encourages those who sin to cut off all temptation in their lives--for example, if a person's hand causes them to sin, then they should cut it off because it would be better to enter Heaven maimed than to go to Hell with both hands. Obviously, with a modern-day interpretation of scripture, He is not necessarily telling people to literally cut off their limbs, but to eliminate the source of sin.

Reading Diary B:

Mark 10
This chapter is a collection of practical teachings by Jesus for everyday life. He discusses divorce, the upbringing of children, and materialism, and how people should act with each of these cases to demonstrate God's glory.

Mark 11
This is also known as Jesus's triumphal entry--when Jesus enters Jerusalem, his disciples go before him and bless his name as he rides a colt, and everyone declares Him to be his Lord. Later on, however, Jesus's authority is questioned as he waits in the temples. He responds that John's baptism was from Heaven, and so He has the authority from Heaven to perform his good acts.

The remainder of this Gospel is an account of Jesus's prediction of his death, the last supper, his crucifixion, and his resurrection. These are quite possibly the most important parts of the Bible for a follower of Christ. In some schools of belief, to be a true Christian, one must proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God and the Lord and Savior. He must declare that Jesus died and, three days later, rose again to join his Father at His right hand in Heaven.

Week 2 Reading Diary: Homer's Odyssey

Excerpts from Homer's Odyssey

This week, I read selections from Homer's Odyssey, translated by Tony Kline. The sections in the assigned reading included Odysseus's adventures with Polyphemus the Cyclops, Circe the witch, the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, and various other monsters that he encounters on his journey home. The following are my thoughts as I read through each of the excerpts.

Trapped: All I could think while reading this was, "well...this escalated quickly." Odysseus and his men find Polyphemus's cave and want to investigate his nature--if he is a gentle giant or a hostile being (spoiler alert--he is the latter). When Polyphemus discovers them in his lair, Odysseus tries to bargain so that he and his crew can escape with their lives, begging the Cyclops to respect the gods. Polyphemus displays intense hubris here, saying that he does not care for Zeus and that "[Cyclopes] are greater than they [the gods]." He then kills two of Odysseus's men (the gory details of which I will leave out of this blog post), and Odysseus devises an equally violent plan to kill the Cyclops and escape. 

The Cyclops Defeated: Odysseus is definitely no fool. It is extremely clever of him to tell Polyphemus that his name is Nobody, so that when the Cyclops cries out to his peers and says that "Nobody is trying to kill him," they think they cannot do anything about his plight. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus can be very conceited (like when he tells Polyphemus his real name in the next section and almost loses his ship because of it), but he certainly has the wit to back up his claims for the most part.

Circe's Magic: It is both heartbreaking and extremely frustrating to watch Odysseus lose his men one by one. I was very glad that at least one man, Eurylochus, sensed the trap and did not succumb to Circe's spell. It must be a terrible thing for the men to be changed into pigs but still have all the memories of the human beings that they were before. I am grateful that throughout the story, Odysseus receives the help of various gods like Hermes in this situation.

The rest of this half of the reading seemed very ominous. When Odysseus requests to leave Circe's palace, she does not keep him against his will, but instead gives him the task of going to the underworld, a place where no mortal has ever gone and survived.

(Reading B - Notes from the second half)

Ghosts of Elpenor and Teiresias: In this story, Odysseus visits the underworld and is confronted by the blind but insightful seer Teiresias. The theme here of sight is an important one: although Teiresias cannot physically see the world around him, he can see into other parts of the cosmos and transcend space and time. In this section, he warns Odysseus that he will lose all of his men, but he will survive if he does not succumb to his pride. It is interesting because the reader sees the entire rest of the story foreshadowed in this excerpt.

The Spirit of Anticleia: This section was heartbreaking to read. Odysseus encounters his mother in the underworld, and since he had left so many years ago to fight in the Trojan War, he had not seen her. He receives details of his wife, son, and father in their respective places. Odysseus finds out that Laertes, his father, was in a dark place in his life, grieving at the absence of his son--and this is the affliction that took his mother's life. To read that his mother died of a broken heart waiting for her son was heart-wrenching enough, but when Odysseus tries to embrace her and cannot physically touch the spirit, this was the saddest part for me.

The next three chapters describe Odysseus's conversations with various ghosts in his past. The ghosts of famous women are portrayed, and Odysseus recounts the stories of their lives, how their families came to be, and how they died. Next, Odysseus sees the ghost of Agamemnon, a dear friend from the war, and listens as he tells his friend how he was killed. The spirit of Achilles wants to hear how his family is doing in the world, and the ghost of Ajax walks away from Odysseus in stony silence as he angrily remembers how Odysseus defeated him to win Achilles's weapons. Here, I was impressed by Odysseus's humility, something that the reader does not get to see very often. As he describes how he won the weapons, he shows remorse that he achieved this and concedes that Ajax did not deserve to die because of his victory.

The Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis: It was in this section that I appreciated the loyalty of Odysseus's men. As they row past the Sirens, Odysseus's ears remain unplugged and he begs his men to loosen the ropes that bound him to the mast and to draw nearer to the shore, but they refuse. It was because of this that it was a pity that Scylla "devoured" six of his crew members when they reach the shores of the twin dangers, Scylla and Charybdis. This was an abrupt and gory ending to these excerpts, and I will most likely read the rest of the account later this week.

Bibliography:
Homer's Odyssey, translated by Tony Kline.
Books IX-XII.
Source: Poetry in Translation.