Week 11: Essay- My College Writing Experience

When I came into College, I had tested out of both of the Intro Comp. classes. My first class in College that required a paper was an Old English Literature Class. I had to write papers analyzing different aspects of really old literature, like Geoffrey Chaucer and Beowulf. I remember being really intimidated by my first paper. It wasn't that my professor was asking me to do anything that I had never done before, but it was just the idea that this was a College paper that freaked me out. I think I probably spent more time on that paper than I had ever spent on any High School paper, but I think I got an A-, so I guess it paid off. Getting that first grade back gave me a lot of confidence in my abilities as a writer.

Throes of Creation by Leonid Pasternak, Source: Wikipedia

As difficult as that first class was, it was definitely not the most challenging class that I have taken at OU. Just last year, I took a class called Law and Justice. It was about the development of the ideals of law and justice from their earliest roots in Aristotle to their modern interpretations by John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. I thought this class was right in my wheel-house, but the professor really challenged me. I knew him before the class, so he really pushed me and never let me settle. He would find flaws in my arguments that never would have occurred to me. It really frustrated me at the time, but I think he really helped me to develop as a writer. I owe a lot of the development of my style and voice to him, because he didn't let me be satisfied with where I was. At the end of the day, I think that people improve their writing when they have teachers that care and teachers that challenge them. This can happen in High School or College. Teachers who care about helping their students become better writers are the teachers who see their students become better writers.

Week 11: Reading Diary- King Arthur

My thoughts on the stories of King Arthur and his Round-table of Knights...

The Drawing of the Sword:

This is probably the most recognizable story about King Arthur. Pulling the sword out of the stone is one of the defining moments of his myth. It also carries a lot of religious implications. It almost as if he was divinely chosen to be the king of England.

The Questing Beast:

This is not a story that I'm familiar with, though I enjoyed it. I do think it interesting that the author uses the phrase, "by and by." It always seems like writers just skip over so much when they use a phrase like that. Oh well haha.

The Sword Excalibur:

Excalibur is an absolutely crucial part of Arthur's character. Every ancient hero has to have some mythical weapon or ability that sets them above all other men. Hercules had his god-like strenght and Arthur has Excalibur.

The Round Table:

There is not much discussion of King Arthur without a reference to his Round Table. A King, or any leader, is only as good as those that follow him, so Arthur's retinue of Knights is what really makes him a king. It is his heroic deeds and virtue that compel men to submit to him, not that he pulled a sword out of a stone.

The Passing of Merlin:

It seems that in these old stories, women are always causing problems. I'm sure this is a reflection of the thoughts of the time period in which these stories were written. This is really tragic for Arthur. Losing a trusted adviser, especially one as wise as Merlin, is never good.

Morgan Le Fay:

Women are causing problems again haha. Morgan Le Fay is one of my least favorite characters in the Arthurian myth. She isn't brave or strong. She is just deceitful and clever. It is too bad that a hero like Arthur is eventually undone by a women like her. It would be better if her were beaten fair and square in combat.

The Quest of the Holy Grail:

I wonder if Arthur's knight's quest for the Holy Grail had more significance in its time period, when belief in that sort of mythical, religious object was more common? Either way, the Holy Grail still makes for a good story, even in today's time. Indiana Jones, for example.

The King's Pilgrimage:

Dreams are powerful devices in storytelling, so it makes sense that the dream depicted in this segment would be really powerful, and actually end up taking the dreamer's life. I'm glad that Arthur went alone. I think that we learn the most about ourselves in the quiet sanctity of our own minds.

The Coming of the Holy Grail:

I like what Lancelot said. I think it is better to die pursuing something worthwhile, than to die in safety and comfort. So, it makes sense to me that all of Arthur's knights would want to pursue the Grail, because it is definitely worth pursuing.

Week 10: Essay- My High School Writing Experience

I went to a small private school in Oklahoma City for high school. So, I'd like to think that I was very prepared as a writer for whatever college was going to throw at me. Most of my English and history classes had about twenty people in them, so my teachers were able to give me a lot of personal feedback, which is what I think it takes for someone to improve in their writing. In particular, my  senior year, AP Literature and Composition, teacher helped me the most in my writing.

He did this in a number of ways. First of all, he gave us many different types of writing assignments-- Short argumentative essays, longer research papers and even some creative writing. I think each of these assignments incorporates a different element of writing and communicating effectively. I love to argue, so naturally, the shorter argumentative papers were the most fun for me. I really enjoy putting an argument into words, and watching in turn into a coherent essay. One way my professor challenged me in writing these types of essays was that he actively tried to find flaws in my arguments. There would be times when I would turn in what I thought was a great paper, and I would not do very well. He'd point out that I failed to examine my position from the other side, and that there was a lot more that I needed to explain or give evidence for. Regardless, I really enjoyed writing these kinds of papers. On the other hand though, I hated creative writing. Maybe I was just super self-conscious? For whatever reason though, I couldn't stand it. Even though I hated writing these papers, I think they helped me find my voice, and helped my figure out how to just let my imagination loose. I'll never forget that class, because I think that it was instrumental in turning me into the writer that I am today.

Fountain Pen, Source: Wikipedia

Next week, I'll talk about my writing experiences in college!

Week 10: Storytelling- Iktomi's Folly

I am Inyan. I am the Great-Grandfather. I have watched over these plains from my hillside for too many years to count. I have watched night turn today. I have watched the winter snow melt in the first light of spring. I have seen life, and I have seen death. I am the rock. I was yesterday and I will be tomorrow. I listen to the prayers of the children of the plain. Look now, one wandering child comes to me now...

"Help me, Great-Grandfather! I am hungry and afraid. Please give me some meat, so that I do not starve! Your child needs you!"

Oh it is my son Iktomi. Look at how he cries out to me. In all my years upon this plain, there is not a time that I can remember when a man called to me in such desperation. How could even my stone heart not break for this man? What then shall I do? I will call upon the Great Spirit. For through me, Iktomi's prayer might be heard.

Even now, the sun sets, casting a warm glow upon us. The Great Spirit has heard me.

"Ah I feel the sun upon my face! My prayer has been answered! Thanks be to you Great-Grandfather, for you have taken my prayer to the Great Spirit, and he has listened! How can I repay one such as you though? You, who don't need anything or anyone? All I have is my worn-out blanket. It is not worthy of one as noble as you. It is all I have to give though, so may you wear it upon your shoulders, and take it as an offering of my appreciation!"

I am well pleased with Iktomi's gift. It does little to keep me warm, for I have endured more winters than any man ever will, but he honors me with his attempt. There! He has found the fresh deer that his heart and stomach had longed for! Even as night falls, may it satisfy him as he hoped.

" This night wind is cold. I wish now that I'd never given my blanket away! Great-Grandfather has no need for it. Maybe I will take it back? He won't miss it!"

Iktomi, you fool! You cannot retake what has already been given. You will return to find your meal gone, and your hunger will ache in your belly forever. You will never be full again! And the blanket you so selfishly took from my shoulders will never hide you from the cold. It will pierce you to your very bones. Above all, I will not listen to your cries or be moved by your tears, for you have angered your Great-Grandfather, the Generous Giver. Woe unto you, Iktomi!

Black Hills of the Inyan Kara Mountain, Source: Wikipedia

Author's Note--

This is a story called Iktomi's Blanket. It is about  a Lakotan god, Inyan, which is a big rock on the prairie that warriors would go to pray to. Iktomi is a warrior who is in desperate need of food, and Inyan helps him. However, when Iktomi reclaims his offering, Inyan punishes him. The original is told from Iktomi's perspective, but I told it from Inyan's. I also made Iktomi's punishment a little more severe. In the original, Iktomi only loses his meal, but in my story, I wanted to punishment to be more permanent, and hopefully teach the lesson better.

Bibliography--

Old Indian Legends by Zitkala-Sa (1901).

Week 10: Reading Diary- Sioux Stories

These are my thoughts on the Sioux Legends...

The Rabbit and the Grouse Girls:

So the rabbit is still a trickster, even in Sioux legend. So is this the Sioux version of a "don't talk to strangers" type story? The grouse girls should definitely know better than to trust that tricky rabbit!

The Rabbit and the Bear:

This is kind of like an origin story. It explains why bears are so few and far between, and rabbits are practically everywhere. It's really too bad for the bear chief, because all he wanted to do was help the rabbit make his flint arrows, but he ended up being chopped in half! I'd probably run away too if I'd done what the rabbit did.

The Story of the Lost Wife:

It's kind of a cool concept that nature always takes care of us, or at least I think that would be what the Sioux people would believe. I also think it's interesting that the coyotes are the servants of the wolf tribe, because they are certainly the lowliest of the animals there.

The Simpleton's Wisdom:

You can learn about a society from the way that they honor and mourn their dead. This story gives a glimpse into what it would be like to experience a death in a Sioux tribe. I like that their conclusion in the end is that it is better to live for the living than to die for the dead.

A Little Brave and the Medicine Woman:

I like Brave. He's got a good sense of humor. I think this story gives us a sense of the superstitions of the Sioux people. Even the older, wiser, men had a little bit of fear about the Medicine Woman's grave.

The Boy and the Turtles:

I wonder why the boy earns the name, "Sees holy?" It doesn't seem like he really did anything special. He just saw a group of men swimming in a lake while he was hunting for turtles. Maybe there is some kind of significance to his discovery that I don't understand?

The Hermit, or The Gift of Corn:

I still don't know what the thing was that kept waking up the hermit. Maybe it was a raccoon or something like that? I think I would be pretty terrified living out in the middle of nowhere, completely alone like that hermit.

The Mysterious Butte:

More superstitions! I would be be terrified if I was one of those warriors who had to crawl through tiny openings to get to each chamber. I'm super claustrophobic haha. Anyways, it would be super useful to have cave paintings that predicted the future.

The Wonderful Turtle:

So I'm definitely picturing this wise turtle like the turtle in Kung Fu Panda. That's what comes to mind when I think of a wise turtle that is able to settle disputes and reconcile enemies. Anyways, the poor turtle gets left behind, so it seems that all does not go well for him.

The Pemmican Man and Unktomi:

That selfish spider was his own undoing. If he hadn't kept pursuing the fat man, even after he and his children had gotten much to eat, then he would probably be alive. Anyways, this shows that fat man's ingenuity got him out of danger. So, I'm going to guess that cleverness is a desirable quality.

Unktomi, the Two Widows, and the Red Plums:

Temptation always seems to bear the color red haha. Anyways, Unktomi is a total jerk. He isn't one of the trickster types that just messes with people for fun. He killed two babies just for the hell of it. That seems pretty messed up to me. He takes advantage of people's hospitality.

Unktomi and the Arrowheads:

So these Lakota and Unktomi (spiders) have a sort of symbiotic relationship in this story. The Unktomi make flint arrowheads for the tribe, and in return all they want is to be left alone. Seems like a pretty good deal if you ask me.

Iktomi and the Ducks:

Pride always goes before the fall, and Iktomi is extremely arrogant and cocky. He never thinks that anyone is as clever as he is, and he laughs when simpletons get caught it his traps. Therefore, it is ironic that he gets his foot caught in a tree and loses his duck feast.

Iktomi's Blanket:

I like that these stories fit together. It allows us to get a more complete picture of Iktomi. We learn just how selfish and foolish he really is, even if he thinks he is clever. Trying to reclaim an offering to a god would unmistakably be a bad idea.

Iktomi and the Muskrat:

This story is a good lesson on hospitality and generosity. If Iktomi had offered to share his fish with the Muskrat, then he wouldn't have lost all of it. I wonder if Iktomi actually learned his lesson, or if he will still be just as selfish as always?

Iktomi and the Coyote:

This coyote is not as inept as the Loony Toon's Wily Coyote. He tricks Iktomi into thinking that he has died. However, his pride almost gets him thrown into a fire. But he does teach Iktomi a valuable lesson: don't just assume something is dead.

Iktomi and the Turtle:

The Turtle gets his revenge haha. Iktomi tried to take advantage of him, and use him for a free meal. However, Iktomi ends up just getting himself drowned. I'm sure from all of these stories, that it would be clear to Sioux children that they ought to avoid spiders at all costs.

The War Like Seven:

So the fish and the turtle turn out to be some real warriors! They defeat a whole village, including that trickster, Iktomi. Once again, ingenuity often beats raw strength. Ont eh whole, I really enjoyed these stories.

Week 9: Reading Diary- Native American Hero Tales

Native American Hero Tales...

The Jealous Uncle:

So this story is from the Kodiak people. I wonder what lesson is to be learned here. It definitely doesn't seem like a story about how to become a man, because the boy was raised as a girl. Maybe they think that girls are the craftier and more ingenious gender?

The Jealous Uncle (Cont.):

What is it about this boy that makes him so confident that Unnatural Uncle will not be able to kill him? Regardless, he is very good at escaping those dangerous situations he's left to die in. He also continues going back to his Uncle's, even though he knows that he might be killed. So he's pretty brave.

The Jealous Uncle (End):

The young boy heroically avenges his brothers by drowning his evil Uncle. However, he did this by magically turning into an eagle. So, it seems the Kodiak, as you would expect, have a reverence for the natural world. The boy heroically rescues his town and his parents from his evil Uncle.

Bluejay and his Companions:

Bluejay kind of set up himself and his friends for failure. He selfishly never gave Grouse any of the good seal meat, so Grouse played a trick on them. However, maybe Bluejay will learn his lesson by the time that they get back to the hills of Quinault.

Bluejay and his Companions (Cont.):

The group goes through some intense trials on there way to return home. They use their smarts and craftiness to win the contests set before them. It seems that the Quinault people valued ingenuity very highly. Also, they learn their lesson and begin giving Grouse the best pieces of meat.

Dug-From-Ground:

It seems like a lot of civilizations have a virgin birth story. In this one, the boy is born after a girl digs up a root. He becomes super strong, but she doesn't claim him until he accomplishes some crazy tasks. He almost seems like some sort of demi-god.

Dug-From-Ground (Cont.):

This demi-god or whatever he is ends up proving himself to his brothers by playing games and completing other tasks. We never learn who his father was though. I wonder what lessons are supposed to be learned from this story. Or maybe it is just for entertainment?

The Attack on Giant Elk:

This is an Apache story about massive animals that terrorized humans before the gods intervened. The gods sent a man to kill the Giant Elk and the Giant Eagle. He grows into a man in only four days. Then he uses other animals' help to slay the Elk. This would be a good story for Storytelling.

The Attack on Giant Elk (Cont.):

This is kind of an origin story. We learn why bats don't have feathers and why other birds have feathers that look like an eagle's. It is clear from all these stories that all tribes of Native Americans have an incredible respect and reverence for nature and all its animals. I expect this theme of mankind's place in nature to continue.

Lodge-Boy and Thrown-Away:

Native Americans really seem to enjoy stories involving children and miraculous circumstances. The kids are always the ones that seem to the heroic things, not the adults. What does this say about Crow culture? Are children especially revered? And is there a reason?

Lodge-Boy and Thrown-Away (Cont.):

This father is a horrible parent. He keeps scolding his kids, but they just keep doing whatever he tells them not to do. I guess everything works out though, because they end up getting asked by the Thunder-Bird to kill some evil otter. Then they get to live in peace.

The Son-In-Law Tests:

There is also a theme of sons having to obey their fathers and uncles, even if it means putting themselves in mortal peril. This is one of those stories. This is also another example of an origin story. Wemicus is eventually turned into a pike after his son-in-law outsmarts him in all of his tests.

The Jealous Father:

Again, we have a story about a father attempting to kill one of his sons. I wonder why these stories had so much appeal with the Native America tribes? In this one though, the mother is trying to directly intervene and save her sons life.

The Jealous Father (Cont.):

Ingenuity looks like one of the most desirable or heroic traits that a man could possess. Almost all of these stories are about out-smarting someone, not overcoming them with brute force. I guess this makes sense, because a lot of what the Native Americans hunted would be physically superior to them.

Dirt-Boy:

I wonder if contests like this were commonplace among the Native Americans. It would make sense that the chief would marry off his daughters to the strongest and most skilled men. However, it definitely sucks for the daughters, because they have no choice in the matter.

Dirty Boy (Cont.):

It was kind of like a beauty and the beast story. Sun and Star regain their true forms when the youngest daughter had proven herself worthy. There are definitely some lessons to be learned from this story. Telling this story from the perspective of the youngest daughter might make a good story.

Week 7: Essay- Is Brer Rabbit Heroic?

Last week, I read about Sun Wu Kung, the Monkey King, and it lead me to thinking about what makes character's heroic. I concluded that heroes were heroes not because of their strength or pwer or abilities, but for their willingness to sacrifice their own good for the greater good. So, when I was reading Brer Rabbit, I wondered if he was a hero?

While, I do think that we are supposed to identify with Brer Rabbit as the main character, I do not believe that Brer Rabbit is a hero in the strictest sense. Brer Rabbit fails to possess one of the key traits that belongs to a hero. He is not particularly strong or powerful. However,  he is very clever and extremely likable. If he was to be a hero, he would be most comparable to the Greek hero, Odysseus. Odysseus was never as strong, or as skilled in combat as other Greek heroes, like Ajax or Achilles. He was, though, the cleverest of all of them. Odysseus is still remembered as a hero though, so it seems that a hero doesn't necessarily need to possess raw strength or power. So I would say that Brer Rabbit possesses the cleverness that might make him a hero, but he does he use that cleverness in a way that would make him heroic?

Brer Rabbit from London Charivari, source: Wikipedia

Odysseus uses his cleverness to effectively win the war for the Greeks by creating the Trojan Horse. Brer Rabbit, though, never uses his cleverness is any cause so big. He is uses his ingenuity to save his own skin, time and time again. If Brer Rabbit were to use his brain-power to save the townspeople from Brer Wolf or Brer Fox, then I would definitely call him a hero. However, he never does anything for the greater good. So, I would call him a trickster, not a hero.

Week 7: Storytelling-

"I can't believe I've that this has happened again!"

Brer Rabbit surveyed the wreckage of his home. Bark was strewn everywhere. It didn't even remotely resemble a house anymore.

"That damn Brer Wolf keeps destroying my home. I built that first one of straw, then I built that one out of pine-tops. This last one of bark hasn't seemed to fair no better. Why's that bastard got to keep messing with me and family? He ain't got no right to be wrecking my stuff," thought Brer Rabbit angrily.

His feud with Brer Fox and Brer Wolf had lasted as long as he could remember. However, he was beginning to get tired of it.

"Kids," yelled Brer Rabbit! "Where are you?!"

Then one by one, his children began to emerge from their hiding places under the bark.

"One... two... three... four... five... Where's Foo Foo? That little bunny is always disappearing."

His kids told him that Brer Wolf had taken little bunny Foo Foo off into the forest. Brer Rabbit was now angrier than he'd even been in his short, little life.

"If that wolf, for the love of god, shows up at my door again, I promise that I'll kill him. He'll never steal one of my children again!"

So, Brer Rabbit had a new house built. This one had a strong rock foundation and was made with solid planks of wood. He also had a small hiding built for his kids, just in case the wolf found his way in.

Some time later, Brer Rabbit was sitting on his porch, enjoying the day. But then, he heard a commotion up the road. Holding up a hand to block the sun, he saw Brer Wolf running straight for his front door.

"Kids, go hide in the basement!"

Not moments after his kids had been safely hidden, Brer Rabbit heard a pounding at the door. Brer Wolf was begging to be let in, saying that there was a pack of dogs after him. Smiling to himself, Brer Rabbit quickly opened the door to let him in.

"Come, Brer Wolf, I have a great hiding spot for you. Hop in this chest and I'll make sure that those dogs never get you."

He locked the chest closed, and then he went and retrieved his children. He had them put a pot of water on the stove. Finally, he grabbed a drill and began boring holes in the chest.

"Don't worry Brer Wolf, these holes are so you can breathe. There are still a few dogs sniffing around."

Winking at his kids, he asked them to get the now boiling hot water off the stove. He began to pour the scalding water into the little holes that he'd made.

"Don't worry Brer Wolf. You only feel some fleas biting. I promise that it will all be ok!"

He continued to pour the steaming water, until he had fulfilled his promise. Brer Wolf would never bother Brer Rabbit or anyone else ever again. In fact, if you ever visit Brer Rabbit's house, you'll see a wolf pelt hanging up in the back porch.

Brer Rabbit and his Family, source: Wikipedia

Author's Note-

This a re-telling of The Aweful Fate of Mr. Wolf from the perspective of Brer Rabbit. Brer Wolf, as it says in the story, continuously troubles Brer Rabbit by destroying his house and stealing his children. Eventually, Brer Rabbit has enough of it, and kills him with scalding water in front of his kids, which I thought was a little weird. 

Bibliography-

Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris (1881).

Week 7: Reading Diary- Brer Rabbit

These are my thought on the African tales of Brer Rabbit...

The Calamus Root:

Well, the dialect definitely makes this a chore to read. However, reading it out loud makes it a lot easier. I always wondered where the "Brer" came from in Brer rabbit, but it seems, based on the dialect, that it is a truncation of brother. I do find it interesting that Brer Rabbit outsmarted Brer Fox. Usually, the fox is the most cunning creature, but not this time!

The Wonderful Tar-Baby Story:

So the Fox does outsmart the rabbit this time! I wonder what the lesson in this story is? It seems like Brer Rabbit should have kept on going after he got ignored, but instead he gets offended. He eventually turns to hitting the Tar-Baby and that is his undoing. It's interesting that this is the most famous of all the Brer Rabbit stories.

Why Mr. Possum Loves Peace:

I kind of like that the Possum got called by the Raccoon for being a coward. the explanation we get is a little interesting though. Brer Possum is good in any fight that doesn't involve tickling. It is the tickling that causes him to play dead, which is a likely story!

How Mr. Rabbit was too Sharp for Mr. Fox:

So this is the story with the famous brier patch. Brer Rabbit manages to trick Brer Fox into throwing him into the brier patch, where he is able to escape. Naturally, he still can't keep his mouth shut, so he calls back to Brer Fox. Cleverness is looking like the most desirable trait based on these stories.

Mr. Fox is Outdone by Mr. Buzzard:

Reading the dialect is getting easier. I kind of like it actually, because it adds a little more character to the story. It feels like I'm reading an original, not a translation. Brer Fox seems like he gets outsmarted by everyone haha. Even the Buzzard is smarter than he is.

Mr. Wolf Makes a Failure:

Brer Wolf does a good job of setting up Brer Rabbit, but Brer Fox ends up ruining it. Brer Rabbit gets him to holler out, proving that he's not dead. I also like the little saying that Brer Rabbit has. Like "Too many friends spoils dinner." You can tell that these stories are meant to teach lessons, as well as entertainment.

Mr. Fox Tackles Old Man Tarrypin:

So from the notes, it sounds like the turtle has been a key character in many fables. The turtle always finds a way to get back to the water. Mr. Fox, though, can't do anything haha. He always ends up losing whatever he wants.

The Awful Fate of Mr. Wolf:

So Brer Rabbit kills Brer Wolf by pouring scalding water on him. That seems pretty brutal for a story like this. Brer Rabbit's children are even laughing at Brer Wolf, because they know what is about to happen. I guess different cultures have different expectations for children's stories.