Reading Notes: Alice's Looking-Glass Part A

I was surprised when Alice asked if Kitty would want to live in the Looking-glass House because I thought this would just be a metaphor for a part of the story. The White Queen having a daughter is news to me, this could really affect the way her character is seen. The Looking-glass book was clever and I like that there is a reoccurring theme to this: the house, room and book. Tweedledum and Tweedledee are two of my favorite characters because they mean no harm and they can usually put a smile on the reader's face. The Walrus and Carpenter story was different in Alice's Looking-Glass than it was in the movie. I thought it was interesting when Humpty Dumpty became upset about being called an egg. I wonder why Lewis Carroll chose to include Humpty Dumpty in this story because I think he stands out from the other characters. He was very rude to Alice and if I included him in my project I could talk about why he was in such a bad mood when she arrived. Having Humpty Dumpty explain the Jabberwocky poem was a really great plot twist. I'm surprised Alice does not get offended when Humpty Dumpty says he won't remember her if they meet again. The poems are filled with fun word usage and I hope I can recreate that in my semester project.

Image Information: Tweedledee, Tweedledum and Alice from Alice in the Looking-Glass and What She Found There, Web Source: Wikipedia
Bibliography: Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll, Web Source: Alice's Looking-Glass

Story Lab: Crash Course Myth Videos

I really enjoy watching crash course videos to understand biological concepts, so I am really excited to see the crash course on mythology! I liked that he pointed out that mythology can be interpreted in many ways. People can feel a certain way or imagine the setting while reading a story completely differently than someone else reading the same tale. I am happy to know that swallowing eight spiders a year is not correct. A lot of people think that if something is considered 'mythology' it is not true at all. As pointed out in the video, the myth can have an element of truth even though some parts of the story are obviously fictional. It is important to realize that not all myths have a super natural element. I have heard the Persephone story before, but I did not know the pomegranates were the reason she had to stay half the year with her mom and the other half with her dreadful husband. 

It is interesting that mythology was created two separate times in the east and west. Being that both creations were in two different areas, that could explain some of the differences in style we see. When the guy in the video said that myth is not symbolic, but more of a guidance of man, I really thought about that. I thought this metaphor  was really creative because Most of the stories that come to mind when I think of mythology involve magic or  morphological elements, but they all contain some sort of lesson in them. I found Campbell's ideas over everyone sharing common patterns in mythology was interesting and I want to look for these patterns in hero stories as the semester goes on.  I think after watching this series I am going to appreciate the characters and stories being told even more.
 
Image Information: Pomegranates, Web Source: Pixabay
Web Source: Crash Course Myth

Reading Notes: Arabian Nights Part B

The first part of this unit held multiple stories within the story being told. I am interested to see if the second part will follow this trend. At the beginning of the story, I have a strange feeling that the man is not really Aladdin's uncle. I thought it was an excessive move to hit Aladdin when he tried to run away. The ring added a nice plot twist for Aladdin. I enjoyed the author saying 'they sat at breakfast till it was dinner-time.' The story is very easy to follow which is probably because of the setting description and characters dialogue. I thought it was interesting that the genie grants Aladdin as many wishes as he wants rather than just three. The two genies having separate powers also makes for an interesting plot. I'm glad that Aladdin was not upset with the princess for giving the lamp away. The roc's egg metaphor for the genie's master was a clever ending. I am surprised the genie did not leave sooner because of everything Aladdin asked for. Aside from Fatima, everyone had a happy ending.

Image Information: Aladdin and the Magician from Arabian Nights by Crane Walter, Web Source: Wikimedia Commons
Bibliography: The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang Web Source: Arabian Nights

Reading Notes: Arabian Nights Part A

For this week's reading notes I want to write my favorite portions of the stories, so that I can look back to see which one I want to incorporate in my story! I was really curious to hear what story Scheherazade would tell her sister, but the surprise was the story was an ending to the first tale while introducing the next. When the man returned to be killed by the genius, I thought the plot twist was interesting that other men kept showing up to ask what happened and stayed with him for protection against the genius. I thought justice was served when the woman was also turned into a cow and the son was brought back to human form and married. My favorite part of the fourth story was when the husband and wife were thrown to sea, but you are told she is actually a fairy and is able to save both of them. I thought The Fisherman was interesting because the genius wants to kill the man who freed him but if he would have been set free a century before then he would be rewarded. At this point in the unit, the story is being told by a character in a story that is being told by Scheherazade. It is kind of confusing, but extremely creative! I thought it was clever of the wife to trick the parrot into thinking there was a thunder storm by showing bright light and pouring water over it's head.  I was confused when the ogress did not eat the man in the story because he was so afraid of her. Using the characters from The Fisherman to end the story of the Greek King was very clever. I was intrigued when the Sultan wanted the fisherman to show him where the lake was because I thought he would just continue to purchase the fish from him. I enjoyed the young king's sad story being connected to the fish from another story in the unit. I enjoyed reading the first half of this unit because each story fed off of the previous one.

Image Information: Fish swimming in a pond, Web Source: Pxhere
 Bibliography: Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang, Web Source: Arabian Nights

Week 5 Story: The Fairy's Favors

Once long ago there was a married couple who wanted to start a family of their own, but they were unsuccessful for many years.

Eventually, they journeyed to a land far away to find a fairy to grant them high fertility. They brought with them all the wealth they possessed, which was not much but they were very desperate to have a child. The fairy's castle they stumbled upon was surrounded by a beautiful forest. As they approached the castle the giant doors opened and the fairy flew out quickly.

"Who dare approach my castle in the midst of lunchtime?" demanded the fairy.

"We are sorry to bother you, but my wife and I would like to make a deal with you. We want to be given the gift of at least five children and in exchange we will give you all the gold and gems we have to offer" suggested the husband as he reached in his bag to present the gifts.

The fairy laughed at the sight of two gold goblets and three necklaces. "I have items of more value in one drawer than you have to give. I am feeling generous, so for a different price I will grant you your wish. I get to choose the names of your children and every time you want to conceive a new child, you must give the fairy community a favor." said the fairy with a smile.

The couple agreed without hesitation and continued inside to sign a magically binding contract. The first favor from the fairy was to fill three baskets full of fruit from the surrounding forest. The couple completed this task with ease and discovered nine months later the fairy held up her end of the bargain as well.

The fairy decided on the name Roman for the first child and he was born a beautiful baby. He never gave his parents trouble and they were a very happy family. However, they still earned for more children so they set off to ask the next favor from the fairy. She wanted them to find her sister and bring her to the castle. They had not spoken in a while, but she knew the town the sister was living in so the task was not impossible. The journey took the couple four days to get to the sister fairy and return back an extra day to convince the sister to come. Nine more months pass and the second born arrives.

The couple was very happy with their son, Ryan, but they really wanted a daughter. After waiting a few more years they ventured out to receive the fairy's next favor.

The fairy was in a foul mood when they arrived because her sister had just left after an awful fight. She wanted the couple to convince the fairy counsel to kick her sister off of the committee. They couple went to the next meeting and attempted a case for the sister to be voted off, but they did not know any bad cases against the fairy and she was well liked in the community. A few fairies voted for her to leave, but the majority vote was against the couple.

They returned to the fairy with bad news and she said for their attempt she will hold up half of her deal. Nine months proceeds and a girl is born, but with only half of her body. The fairy chose the name Reeve and wished the parents the best because she would not be assisting them with any more children because they failed her previous task.

The other children were scared of Reeve so the family was forced to move away. They secluded themselves from anyone else, but they lived a very happy life together. 

Author's Notes: The story begins with a King who does not have any children and asks a derwish for help. He is given four apples to feed his wives so they will become pregnant with children for him. One wife only eats half of the apple and births a son with a half-body. The King is furious and sends the wife and son away. I used the same introduction of wanting a child, but I used a couple instead of just a man or woman. I also included a child with a half-body being born, but my plot was very different and I included a fairy character instead of a derwish.
Bibliography: Nim Tanak from the Persian Tales by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer, Web Source

Image Information:  Castle in the Woods, Web Source: Pxhere

Reading Notes: Persian Tales Part B

The main female character from the first tale seems a bit sneaky. Maybe she has other intentions or a secret she is hiding. The ultimatums were intense. The Hemp-Smoker's Dream did not have much focus on the character's personalities. The father seemed protective in the story of the Wolf-Bride, but I was surprised to find out who the wolf was, which is sad on my part considering the name. Bowl-on-the-Back was a sneaky, clever character and the fox was sort of naive. The Merchant and the Saffron had a great ending and the characters helped each other reach their goals. The Shah Abbas character had good intentions, but he caused a horrible event to happen to the mom. However, he did make up for this and showed grief for what he did. I think I want to include a character like him in my story. The final story about the Baker and fish was my favorite. The fish helped the Baker, who fed them many times, and the bad guy got what he deserved. I saw these fish as very friendly, caring characters while reading this story.

Image Information: This is How I Imagine the Fish from the Final Story to Look, Web Source: Pixabay
Bibliography: Persian Tales by David and Emily Lorimer. Web Source

Reading Notes: Persian Tales Part A

When I began reading the Wolf and Goat, it was sort of difficult to imagine the characters talking. I thought back to the three little pigs, although there were four goats, and this made the setting more manageable. Once the mother goat takes one of the children to save the others, I was reminded of Hansel and Gretel so that is what house I imagined. I wasn't sure what the author meant when they said the sparrow never got home. I really like the beginning phrase "once upon a time there was a time when there was no one but god in the world". I think the author is trying to get across it was a very long time a go, but saying it this way makes the point. Reading Tales City of Nothing in the World was very interesting because you had no idea what was going to happen next. I felt it was really easy to imagine the setting as the story progressed. The mouse who requested a particular bed from a potential husband was my favorite tale. My jaw dropped when she asked what the husband will beat her with when they fight. The characters repeating lines at the end reminded me of  'there once was a woman who swallowed a fly'. The actions coming from these characters were a little more brutal though. The Boy who Became Bulbul had a very easy setting/plot to follow. I really enjoyed the song the bulbul would sing. The half-boy character was unique! This story contained my favorite ending. The setting for Muhammad Tirandaz Archer was a little harder to imagine for me. I thought the story was a bit repetitive of the bow and arrow. I have noticed a reoccurring theme in the stories, a task is given and if not completed a brutal punishment, like decapitation, is bestowed. This reminds me of the old law when a thief would lose their hand. I want to know what the Blacksmith said to the mouse in the final story of this unit.

 Image Information: A Wolf and Seven Sheep. Web Source: Wikimedia Commons
Bibliography: Persian Tales by David and Emily Lorimer, Web Source

Comment Wall

Hello All! Here is the website to my storybook project! I will be doing stories from Alice in Wonderland based off of other character's point-of-view! Hope you enjoy! :)

Alice's Friends

Reading Notes: Cupid and Psyche Part: B

I really liked the description in the introduction of part B when the author is describing the sea gull and the ocean. Venus's anger was a great way to start the second part of the story. I can tell this part of the tale will show Cupid's side to things. I was surprised when Ceres did not help Psyche hide. Psyche attempts to find an ally with multiple new characters which keeps the reader wondering if she will ever get help. Venus seemed very protagonist towards Psyche, but Cupid was such a nice, caring person. It is hard to believe that Psyche is his mother. Psyche did not set a goal to accomplish any of the tasks, and only succeeded with help of others. The wedding scene was a beautiful ending because of the other wedding parts of the story. I am glad I was able to hear more about the robbers and the girl, but I am curious as to what happened to Lucius and if the wedding went on without a hitch.

Bibliography: Cupid and Psyche from The Golden Ass by Apuleius. Web Source
Image Information: Cupid Finds Psyche Sleeping, Web Source: Wikipedia

Reading Notes: Cupid and Psyche Part A

The robbers want to cheer up the woman they stole and the older woman consoling her is very nice at first. Normally you would think the robbers would be hateful to their captive, but with this out of character start, I am wondering where the story will go. The transition from explaining the beautiful wedding scene to the fearful kidnapping was done really well. The old woman said that having a bad dream is actually a good sign, I wonder if this is true. The part about Psyche's wedding was very sad and the author showed this through the outfit choices and character's actions on the day of the ceremony. I enjoyed the introduction to Psyche and Cupid's story. The author used two characters from a mini story to kick off the main story. The sister's envy was a great plot twist in the tale. I enjoyed the ending of the first half of the unit, but I wonder what happened to the kidnapped girl from the beginning of the story.

Bibliography: Cupid and Psyche from The Golden Ass by Apuleius. Web Source.
Image Information: Cupid Leaving Psyche in Bed. Web Source: Wikimedia Commons

Feedback Strategies

While reading 'Five Reasons to Stop Saying Good Job!' I noticed that the article offered some really great points. Whenever you say 'bless you' when someone sneezes, are you doing it to hear a thank you or just because you wanted to say it? I think a lot of people say it because they are unconsciously looking for positive feedback. I agree that children would be more self-confident in their answers and more willing to step out of their comfort zone if they were given more precise feedback and less of it. The past two jobs I have had required a one-on-one meeting with a manager at various time intervals. During these meetings you would discuss your attendance and performance at work. It was so much easier for the managers to give positive feedback instead of discussing the aspects that could use some improvement. I think if management would share ways of improving the employees would be open to hearing negative feedback and it would create a more comfortable connection with the managers because they know they will be honest with them.

Articles:  Why Do So Many Managers Avoid Giving Praise?
 Five Reasons to Stop Saying Good Job
Image Information: Accepting Feedback, Web Source: The Speech Room News

Topic Research: The Others in Wonderland

For my semester project I want to write my version of Alice in Wonderland by telling the stories from the other character's point of view. One story I would love to include is the tea party scene. This is my favorite scene from Alice in Wonderland and it will be fun to tell what the Mad Hatter was thinking/feeling during the party. The second story I will work on is based on the Queen of Hearts perspective. She could have a reason for being so hateful towards others. The reason for her affiliation with hearts was never brought up. I would also like to tell back stories of characters. Telling a story about the flowers, before or after Alice arrived, would be fun. To prep for my project I want to read the Looking Glass or see if I can find different cultural versions of Alice in Wonderland for inspiration for my stories.

Web Source: Alice Looking Glass unit, source
Image Information: The Queen of Heart's Rose Garden, Web Source: Max Pixel

Week 3 Story: Cursed Friends

Author's Notes: I started my story with the author's second paragraph. The story consists of Narcissus being born very desirable and introduces Echo as only being able to reply with the end of what someone says to her. Juno cursed her with this because she helped nymphs escape from her. She saw Narcissus walking through the forest and was very interested in him, but he denied her and she spent the rest of her days hiding in the forest. I held onto the characteristics of Narcissus and Echo in my story, but I exaggerated them. My introduction is similar to the original story, but my plot and ending take a different path.




One humid summer night, a beautiful boy was born. A nymph told the boy's mother in order to live a long, happy life he needed to be humble by age twenty or that is when his life will change completely. This cursed boy's name was Narcissus.

While growing up he did not pay attention to other people fawning over him. He was kind to his family, but very conceited and almost arrogant. A girl named Echo lived next to him for seventeen years before Narcissus even spoke to her. Echo was also a bit conceited and very charming with her words. She could convince anyone to pay her a favor. The same nymph that cursed Narcissus was tricked into an unfair trade by Echo. As payback, Echo could only speak when spoken to and was only allowed to use three words per response. This situation could be reversed if she could create a true friendship with her condition. 

Echo attempted to speak with all of her old companions, but without the ability to carry an in-depth conversation she lost her charm. After a long day of trying to form connections, she gave up and went home. She saw Narcissus just upon arriving at her house.

"How are you?" asked Echo. "I have had a long day, but I can handle a little stress. I can handle anything." replied Narcissus. "Funny and Brave" said Echo as she thought of a plan to break the Nymph's curse. She knew Narcissus enjoyed talking about himself and having others listen to him talk about himself. Since she was no longer able to talk much anyways, maybe she could form a friendship with Narcissus.

As the next two years passed, Echo would go over and ask Narcissus how his day was and let him talk about himself for hours. She learned so much about him, but he knew nothing of her.

"Tomorrow is my twentieth birthday, I hope you come. There will be so many gifts and people are coming from everywhere to celebrate me." stated Narcissus. "Of course." replied Echo with an an eye roll. It is a shame that neither of them were aware of the other's curse because they could have helped stop the consequences of both.

The birthday party consisted of everyone dancing, singing and eating from a buffet of food. Narcissus sat in a huge chair, one fit for a king, overlooking his guests. He was sitting right by the gifts making sure everyone brought one. A woman comes in empty-handed and begins talking to other guests. Narcissus scowls at her for not bringing a present, and when she notices she approached him with a smirk.

"I see you are the complete opposite of humble. I know you talk about yourself far more than you speak of others." said the nymph.

Echo enters the party and sees Narcissus. She gives him his gift immediately and says "open". He unwraps the present to reveal a turtle, his favorite animal. He thanked her and returned to the nymph. "I'm sorry, but I think you should go. You are offending me at my own birthday party!" exclaimed Narcissus.

"I offered you twenty years to find humbleness. You are conceited and incapable of loving anyone else." the nymph replied to Narcissus. She turns to Echo and says, "You may have thought you found a true friendship with him, but a connection comes from both people. If he can tell me your favorite animal, I will break your curse. If he can't, you will receive the same punishment as him for wasting years with listening to his stories."

Echo looks at Narcissus with hope in her eyes. No words come from his mouth and he cannot look at her. The nymph laughs while lifting their curses, only to set a new one. Narcissus and Echo were to live the rest of their lives as turtles. The change would start at midnight, so after the party they both went into the forest to find a safe place by a river. They decided to help each other to make the transition easier. Finally, they showed signs of a true friendship, but it was too late to reverse any curse. 

Bibliography: 'Echo' from Ovid's Metamorphoses by John William Waterhouse. Web Source. 
Image Information: Two Turtles on a Fallen Tree, Web Source: Max Pixel

Reading Notes: Ovid's Metamorphoses, Part B

I really enjoyed the wording of the final sentence in the introduction section. The author used excellent word play to keep the reader engaged. I like the way the characters are introduced in a short, in-depth way. My favorite paragraph in the first reading is when Echo sees Narcissus and realizes she has feelings for him. The ending to this tale was amazing. The story is broken into Echo's story and Narcissus's story. It is interesting to see both sides of what is happening. Narcissus's love for himself is really emphasized in the second part of the story. The beautiful metaphors used throughout the reading gives the story personality. Mars and Venus was my favorite story, and probably the one I will base my own story on for this week. Trapping two adulterers makes for a comical revenge.

Bibliography: Tony Kline. Ovid's Metamorphoses.
Image Information: A Colorful Butterfly after Metamorphoses. Web Source: Pxhere

Reading Notes: Ovid's Metamorphoses Part A

The beginning of the story starts strong and includes a horrifying scene of the world going under water. This leaves the reader with questions and the desire to continue on. The third person style point of view is really helpful in describing the scene of survivors after the world first went underwater. The author does not make the sea seem like the protagonist, even though that is what's causing the problems in the story.
The focus shifts from the damages caused by water to Deucalion and his wife needing help and feeling alone. I enjoyed the second to last paragraph's dialogue. The author is describing objects found in nature turning into humans. The sentence structure and writing style used in this paragraph really helped bring this story to a great ending.

Bibliography: Tony Kline. Ovid's Metamorphoses: Deucalion and Pyrrha
Image Information: Island with a Scary Structure Underneath the Water. Web Source: pxhere 

Feedback Thoughts

I really liked Nawaz's point about looking for positive feedback. I have never thought to ask what someone liked if they were giving mostly or all negative feedback. She made the statement people are quick to change something about their presentation or speech if their viewer says it was bad, but we do not really appreciate the positives. If there was something the listener/watcher enjoyed, then you should work on emphasizing that next time. Guy Winch said that the reason we feel so hurt when we are rejected is evolutionary and his explanation was very interesting! The other suggestion I really agreed with was that you should not take rejection personal or look for something that you did wrong. I danced in high school and my first year of college and I received loads of feedback through that experience. I always listened to my coaches criticism very comfortably because I knew that they just wanted the team to perform the best we were capable of. Hearing feedback from teammates was not always easy though. I would sometimes get embarrassed if a teammate 'called me out' because I felt like I made a mistake and everyone noticed. I've grown since then and now I take feedback as a way of someone trying to help me improve instead of someone just trying to tell me what I did wrong.

Web Sources: Why Rejection Hurts So Much and What to Do About It
Silence the Critical Voices in Your Head

Image Information: Photos of the Different Forms of Social Media and Thought Bubbles Representing Feedback, Web Source: Max Pixel

Topic Brainstorm

I think it would be interesting to write my project over ghost stories. I could do the three or four worst haunting experiences in America, or I could choose one haunted house and do multiple reporters from different families. I have probably watched over one-hundred scary movies, so I think I have some experience with this genre of entertainment. I would like to learn the history of Oklahoma's ghost stories. Reading a scary book or watching a scary movie keeps you on the edge of your seat, and I would enjoy trying to provide that attraction in my storybook!
Web Source: Ghost Stories 

The British/Celtic unit stories grabbed my attention. I want to see the differences in their versions of the stories I am familiar with such as: "Alice in Wonderland" or "King Arthur". If I were to retell the stories, I would do it from a different character's point of view. I saw Alice Through the Looking Glass in this unit, and I have always wanted to read this sequel. I also viewed a few titles that I have not heard of. Comparing the styles of familiar stories, British and Celtic stories is what interests me the most about this unit.
Web Source: Through the Looking Glass

My favorite Goddess has always been Aphrodite. Greek Gods and Goddesses have always piqued my interest, even in elementary school. I am familiar with a few other Goddesses, but I would love to research more for my storybook project. Retelling stories involving more than one Goddess would be fun because I could play their power into their personality however I would like. I want to research specifics about these characters: how they came to be, who is in their family and where did the stories originate?
Web Source: Goddesses

I wrote a little about Alice in Wonderland in a previous post, and mentioned that I watched the show all the time when I was a kid. I would love to take the characters I am so familiar with and tell mini stories of each one. Everyone knows how Alice ended up in Wonderland, but what about the others? While brainstorming and researching for this ideas, I would like to learn more about the author of the book. They must have had so much creativity to come up with the idea! If I do choose this option, I would keep the setting and characters the same and just change the point of view.
Web Source: Alice in Wonderland

Image Information: Aphrodite Standing in Seashell with Others Watching in Wonder. Web Source: Flickr