Week 6 Storytelling: The Monkey King

Well, hello there! Oh, I'm sorry--I didn't mean to startle you. Sometimes I forget that not many people are accustomed to having a rock spontaneously start talking to them. Well, that's right, I am a living, breathing boulder and I am here to tell you about the most fascinating thing that has ever happened to me.

It was long ago, when the world was still young and I was but a small stone. I found myself at the top of this wonderful mountain that we are standing on. I have always felt blessed to be surrounded by such beautiful flowers and fragrant fruits, but what I am most thankful for is the proximity to the heavens while also being in contact with the earth. I have had access to all the worldly and supernatural powers because of this closeness (these are what gave me the power to speak, you see). So, I knew I had abilities that my peers did not, but I didn't know that I could give rise to new beings. One day, I was surprised when I felt a low rumbling in my core, then suddenly, I burst open and a perfectly smooth, round stone came out. At first, I thought this was just an effect of erosion, but as the days passed, I came to realize that it was an egg. As I scrutinized the stone over the next few days, it shuddered periodically for a while, and finally, a stone monkey hatched from it.

I watched this monkey grow up through the years. Oh, nostalgia--I can still remember when he was just starting to learn to run and jump as a young chimp, such a far cry from his extensive abilities today. He grew to be the strongest and most agile being I had ever seen (a feat of which I was very jealous for a while, as all I can do is sit here and watch). He spent his days in rambunctious contentment and the world was his playground. His curiosity was endlessly insatiable, and he would constantly get in trouble--but no one could ever stay mad at him for long because he was so clever and charming.

I remember one exciting day in particular. The young monkey and his friends had been playing near a waterfall, but they had gotten too close and realized that they could get seriously injured if they weren't careful. They reconvened on the side of the mountain where I sat and discussed what they would do. "We are due for a king," they said. "Whoever can pass under the waterfall without getting hurt should be our new leader." Immediately, our stone hero volunteered. So the monkeys headed towards the waterfall again.

When they came back, they were buzzing with excitement about their adventure. As they discussed what had just happened, I learned that the stone monkey had indeed crossed through the waterfall (I was not at all surprised), and he had discovered an ancient chamber with stone treasures. The other apes, awed, now had to keep their promise and made him their ruler, calling him Handsome King of the Apes.

So he remained for three peaceful centuries, ruling firmly but justly, our wise leader.

The Monkey King at the waterfall. Source: China on Site.

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Author's note: This week, I read the story of Sun Wu Kong, the Monkey King. I felt like the introduction to this unit provided a good explanation of the king's unusual origins and personality. I retold the story from the point of view of the stone from which the monkey sprung because, although unorthodox, it would offer some unique insight into the thoughts of an outsider who was still involved in the situation. It was at first difficult to continue the story when the monkeys went back to the waterfall because, from the point of view of the boulder, who could not move, he could not see the adventures firsthand and could only know what happened through the monkeys. However, I tried to summarize the events as best as I could.

I wanted to take a tone of reverence throughout the rock's account. Sun Wu Kong (a name which he gets later on in his adventures), although boisterous and prideful, sometimes to the point of being conceited, is shown as a respectable ruler. Because of this, I wanted to convey an air of being a "proud parent" from the point of view of the boulder.

Bibliography:
"The Ape Sun Wu Kong" from the Chinese Fairy Book.
Edited by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).
Source: Project Gutenberg.

Week 9 Essay: Comparisons of Creation

This week, as I was reading through the Mississippi Valley/Great Lakes unit, I quickly became intrigued by the differences in storytelling styles and tones as well as the content of the stories from the various tribes across this region. I focused mainly on the two stories of creation, one from the Winnebago people and the other from the Chitimachas. Possibly due to their geographic separation (the former were concentrated in Nebraska while the latter resided in Louisiana), their thoughts on the universe before the Earth existed as well as their perceptions of a great Creator, from His being to how He conceptualized the world, have some drastic differences.

For the Winnebagos, the form of the "Earth-maker" is not described at all. This story of creation simply discusses an empty universe, except for where the creator himself is sitting. First, he forms a small piece of earth to make the planet that we know today, then he throws some grass on it, taken from his mysterious seat. What is interesting to me is the next description of the first living creatures that he makes: the Earth-maker forms a man but calls him Tortoise. Was this a real tortoise, simply called Man because it was the most complex organism at the time, or was it a human being actually named Tortoise? Regardless of this fact, however, Tortoise acts in the same way the first humans did in the Chitimachas' tale of creation (see below).

In contrast, the Chitimachas described the figure (albeit invisible) of their Creator in more detail, as well as the order of events in the creation of the world. These details are laid out step by step, chronologically, in order to explain the ways of nature.

The tones that each of these tales have are dramatically different from each other. The story of the Earth-maker seems more abstract and is told in more of an existentialist style. The details are not fully fleshed out, and this gives the reader more room to interpret and expand on those that are on the page. On the other hand, the Chitimachas seem to have taken more of a didactic approach to their storytelling, using this tale as a way to explain exactly what happened in the creation of the Earth and why certain events happen--for example, why the Sun shines brighter than the Moon and why humans have a symbiotic relationship with the animals around them.

These are only a small subset of the many different beliefs from Native American tribes all across North America. It would be fascinating to explore other styles of storytelling from other tribes.

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Works Cited
"The Earth-Maker" and "Creation"
Myths and Legends of the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes.
Edited by Katharine Berry Judson.
1914.

Week 9 Storytelling: Creation

Life under the sea is all I have ever known.  It may seem boring, but I am content--I love to explore the depths with my friends. I have fond memories from when we were young crawfish of taking turns diving and seeing who could touch the ocean floor first.

For as long as I can remember, I have been friends with the Creator. Maybe the immediate attachment was because there weren't many other creatures with which to socialize, or just because I have always been intrigued by the being that He is and want to get to know him better. Either way, I've developed a close relationship with Him.

One day, during the early days of the Earth, He asked me for a favor. He requested that I dig up some earth from the bottom of the ocean so that He could have land upon which to set His new creation, Man. Of course, I was honored and agreed. For the next few days, I used the diving skills that I had acquired in my youth to reach the sea floor and pinch some mud between my claws. When I brought this mud up, I was surprised to see that it automatically spread out, creating vast amounts of dry land. 'This Creator really is something,' I thought to myself in awe.

This land came to be known as Natchez, and the Creator's next step was to bring Man into existence in this area. At first, I was frustrated by the naivete and unruliness of these beings--they did not heed the warnings that the Creator gave them, and therefore caused Him much grief. To solve this problem, the Creator sent down a substance that would calm the humans and make them less rambunctious.

I continued observing through the ages as He taught Man how to survive in the bitter wilderness with the help of Woman and other animals He created. Gradually, I was happy to see that they began to show the respect and honor to the Creator that He deserved. The tribe lived happily for many years.

Crawfish on land, observing Man's interactions. Source: LA Tech.

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Author's note: This week, I retold the story of Creation from the Chitimacha people of Louisiana. This story detailed the order of events in the creation of the Earth from the perspective of the Chitimacha: at first, the sea and fish were created, then the Great Mystery sent down humans after Crawfish dug up some dry land. Afterwards, the humans had to learn how to fend for themselves, and the Creator graciously teaches them through the wise words of their animal companions.

As I was reading the original story, I got the feeling that the humans did not respect the Creator very much at first, and I wanted to show a tone of reverence throughout. I told this story from the perspective of the Crawfish because he was one of the first things ever made, and therefore feels honored to be in the presence of the Creator. It is because of this, then, that he feels frustrated when the humans are disrespectful when they first come to Earth, and that he feels relieved and glad when they eventually learn that they would not be able to survive without Him.

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 Storytelling: The Cat's Reflection

One fine summer day, a mischievous tomcat was strolling along a country lane. He had been enjoying his day off from antagonizing the mice in the barn where he lived and had decided to go for a walk in the fresh air.

As it was midday, all of the local animals were out running errands and enjoying the weather, the first uncharacteristically mild day of the season. As the tomcat walked by, he greeted each of them enthusiastically. He was an indoor, nocturnal cat, and it had been a while since he had experienced this flurry of activity during the day, and he had missed all of the hustle and bustle of his friends and neighbors.

After a while, he had walked the length of the road, but because it was such a nice day, he decided to continue exploring. He had never gone this far away from his barn before. Stepping off of the road and onto a patchy, grassy area, he felt the exhilaration of the unknown. As the cat realized his freedom, he pranced through the tall weeds, going in any direction his paws would take him. His senses were overtaken by the experience: he could see every fine detail on each blade of the tall grass, and he could smell the fresh scent of the warm summer air.

After a while of frolicking through the field, the cat saw an opening in some reeds up ahead. As he approached it, he heard a soothing noise unlike anything he had ever heard before. He walked up to the clearing and saw a small stream of rushing water. As he had never seen such a thing before, he was perplexed. However, he was determined to make the most of his day off. He said to himself, "I've come this far already. I might as well check this out."

He walked up to the stream and looked down. There, staring back at him, was a friendly face--that of another cat. Excitedly, he introduced himself. He was startled when the cat mimicked his words exactly, but brushed it off. "What a beautiful day, huh?" he continued joyfully.

The cat in the water continued to copy him. Now becoming confused, he asked, "How did you know what I was going to say?" Still the other cat mocked him, this time with a puzzled look on his face. The tomcat realized that this mysterious cat was even mimicking his facial expressions. "Stop taunting me!" he said, now annoyed at the other cat's rudeness. But it would not stop, instead continuing to annoy the poor cat. At this point, the anger on the water-feline's face was enough to be alarming to the tomcat. Now both frustrated and scared, he reached out his paw and tried to attack the other cat, and was startled when it mirrored his actions. Frightened and disturbed, he jumped up so as not to be attacked himself. This sudden movement caused him to slip off of the bank and plunge headfirst into the water. Too late did the cat realize that he was merely talking to his reflection in the clear water, and he bemoaned his ignorance and impatience.

The cat at the riverbank. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

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Author's note: This is a loose retelling of the story of The Wonderful Tar-Baby from the Brer Rabbit unit. In the original, Brer Rabbit comes across a doll made of sticky tar, placed by one of his trickster friends, Brer Fox, as a form of revenge. As Mr. Rabbit tries to talk to the doll, it obviously doesn't respond, and he gets easily frustrated at the being. He begins to violently beat the doll, but only manages to get stuck in it.

In my story, I maintained a similar theme but changed the characters and removed the trickster: here, the only antagonist is the cat's own thoughts. In this case, instead of not responding whatsoever, the cat's reflection does a similarly impolite thing in mimicking the cat, which the cat interprets as mocking.  The ultimate moral is the same as that of the original story, though: be patient and understand the entirety of the situation before acting rashly. The last line is intended to show the cat's regret, but that he has learned his lesson. The reader can only hope that he can survive in order to apply what he has learned in the future (I will try to incorporate a scene in which the cat is rescued so as not to make the ending so morbid).

Bibliography:
"The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story"
Uncle Remus: His Songs and Sayings
Joel Chandler Harris, 1881.

Week 7 Essay: Didactic Dialect

This week, I read about the adventures of Brer Rabbit. From the description in the Un-Textbook, I knew that the story maintained the original dialect, but I did not fully understand what that meant until I actually began reading. I was certainly in for a challenging surprise as I delved into the content.

The interesting thing is to understand where the dialect comes from. This story was in the African folktales section of the Un-Textbook, but these were adapted by a journalist from Atlanta, Georgia. It was fascinating to read the eye dialect that represented a Deep Southern accent--certainly, the unique spelling of some words was hard to comprehend at first, but as I began to read aloud, it made the assignment much less difficult (especially useful because I could then actually understand the plots and morals being taught by the stories).

It is intriguing to me how much a single language can differ, even within a country. I have always wondered about the nuances of accents--why is it that certain regions in, say, the United States have different ways of saying particular words as compared to other areas of the country? Where did the Southern drawl come from, and why is it so different from the Midwestern form of speech? It would be enlightening to trace the history of immigrants who settled in the distinct areas of the country and investigate their native tongues to compare them with how they would interpret and learn to vocalize sounds in English.

Although the language might be confusing, Brer Rabbit's experiences are 

meant to teach readers morals. Source: Wren's Nest.