need help with Mythology and Folklore essay
Paper 2
Parsons English 114 Spring 2017
Due: March 24th by 11:59pm
Choose one (1) of the following topics and write a four-six page (that’s a
minimum of four full pages) essay (or tale) in standard MLA format which is
critical, thoughtful, and/or creative. If you choosing topic 1, your paper will be
supported with several specific examples from the work(s) you are analyzing. If
you select topic 2, then you’ll be doing something a little different! Your essay
will be evaluated on both form and content. Do your best, and good luck!
In order to gain full credit, your essay must be:
• 4-6 full pages long
• written in MLA Format
• turned in on time
• Peer Reviewed in class
• Submitted to SafeAssign on time
1. Almost all cultures have their creation and pourquoi myths (including myths
about the origin of the universe, the creation of humans, the occurrence of a
massive flood or other cataclysm, etc.), as well as similar cautionary folktales,
fairytales, and urban legends. There are remarkable similarities among these
myths and tales from widely different cultures; there are also some notable
differences.
Compare one similar kind of myth, fairytale, urban legend, legend, or folktale
from three different cultures (or time periods). Discuss the similarities first.
Then focus on the key differences. Speculate on what the differences suggest
about the nature of the culture telling the story (for example, Native American
origin myths usually contain gods who appear in the form of the animals so
important to the peoples’ survival). You may use material from stories
discussed in class. You may also use other sources (such as Edith Hamilton’s
Mythology, Bulfinch’s Age of Fable, Virginia Hamilton’s In the Beginning…,
etc.; there are even several good online myth sites). Please see me for
suggestions or help starting your research. Be sure to refer directly to the myths
using summary and/or direct quotations which you document parenthetically
and list on your MLA formatted works cited page. You are required to cite all
of the examples that you use in your paper, even if you are using class
materials.
Tip: You do not have to limit yourself to Western Mythology. Consider myths
from Africa, Native American tribes, indigenous groups from Central and
South America, and Asia as well.
2. Pourquoi (why) tales are attempts to explain natural and cosmic
phenomena. In Genesis we learn the Hebrews’ ideas about the origin of labor
(both kinds), how rainbows came into being, the reason for different languages;
in Ovid’s Metamorphoses we see Greco-Roman notions of how the laurel tree
came into being, why peacocks have eyes on their tail feathers, etc.
Imagine you are the storyteller of your culture. Your task is to create your own
pourquoi tale. Using your own imagination and drawing on material that
would be significant and logical to your culture (you can define your culture
any way you want), tell the story of how ___________ came into being. You
may fill in the blank with a traditional phenomenon (such as why the sun rises
and sets) or a whackier phenomenon (such as how the hamburger stand got its
golden arches). Do NOT get all scientific about it; these are tales (stories); they
DO have internal logic, but they are also very imaginative. Be as creative as
possible.
Tip: do not write as though you are writing for a little kid. The tales we’ve read
are tightly focused (often centering on just one event); they are edgy; they have
a lot of very crisp, precise detail. You need to suggest an idea through content,
not explain an idea. It’s not as easy as you might think, but it will allow you to
do something inventive. Remember, these are usually written as a storyteller
would tell them, NOT as a first person narrative or experience. Examples
are posted in the Unit 2 folder, but please see me if you have additional
questions throughout the writing process.
