Class Assignment & Notes (Traditional Literature)

Tentative Schedule and Assignments RE 3240 (8)

Traditional Literature
A. From the oral tradition—written for enjoyment, entertainment and to explain why the world and people are as they are
B. Types of traditional literature
1. Legend, ballad—quasi-historical stories and songs (King Arthur, Hercules, Robin Hood, Hiawatha, Brown Mountain Lights)
2. Myth—tales of gods and goddesses; explaining the working of the world (Zeus, Athena, Cupid, Mercury, Thor, Neptune)
3. Folk tale—trickster tales, numskull, cumulative tales, pourquoi, beast (Brer Rabbit, Anansi; Three Sillies; The Mitten, The Enormous Turnip; Why the Bear Has a Short Tail; Three Little Pigs, Little Red Hen)
4. Fairy tales—magical events help good overcome evil (Cinderella, Rapunzel, Beauty & Beast)
5. Tall tales—exaggerated stories of super-humans battling a force of nature bigger than him/herself; designed to bring comfort to American settlers on the frontier; elements include: amazing abilities seen at birth and early childhood; real-life landforms such as canyons or lakes explained by fictional actions of hero/heroine; basic theme of underdog beating out forces of nature that are normally impossible to stop (thunderstorms, hurricanes, tidal waves, earthquakes, etc.). Examples include: Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, Johnny Appleseed, Mike Fink, Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crocket and Swamp Angel
6. Fable—short moralistic tales with animal characters (Tortoise & Hare)
7. Derivative Folktales and Spoofs- (The True Story of the Three Little Pigs)

• Discuss Traditional Literature and Creative Venns!
o Lon Po Po
o Swamp Angel

• Why were “literary fairy tales” written down? to teach lessons and morals; these tales often times outlined social functions and places; the virtuous were rewarded and adversaries were overcome.
• Who told these tales? women who wanted to make their opinions known in a time where women had few rights; their voices were unheard politically.
• Who was the primary audience? community and royal courts—not children!

Cinderella
• Folklorists have identified over 3, 000 stories that qualify as Cinderella variants world-wide.
• Cinderella is an entire range of stories where a persecuted heroine responds to her situation with cunning, defiance, ingenuity, self-pity, or grief.
• Goodness is rewarded by some magical intercession
• Continue to read and discuss Cinderella stories in Small Groups: Discuss the motifs (subjects that reappear) in each Cinderella story. Here are some examples of motifs: events occurring in threes, overcoming impossible tasks, transformation in appearances, the wise and the foolish, supernatural gifts, a series of tests/tasks, etc.


Assignments due April 1

• Read 2 culturally specific versions of Cinderella. See these sites for help:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/cinderella.html
http://nancykeane.com/rl/322.htm
• Little Gold Star: A Spanish American Cinderella Tale
• The Turkey Girl: A Zuni Cinderella Story
• Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella
• The Korean Cinderella
• Angkat: The Cambodian Cinderella
• Anklet for a Princess: A Cinderella Story from India
• Domitila: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Tradition
• Sootface: A Native American Cinderella
• Jouanah: A Hmong Cinderella

• The Way Meat Loves Salt: A Cinderella Tale from the Jewish Tradition
• Raisel's Riddle
• The Persian Cinderella
• Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave

These are some of my favorites. I have ordered extra copies that should be here by the end of this week or the beginning of next week; also, the IMC has several copies of the titles above.

• Think about perspective as you read these stories.
• You may want to create a venn diagram to help you compare and contrast the 2 versions. Focus on setting, characters, and cultural markers.

• Research the cultural group relevant to your Cinderella Tale. Check out books from the library and view and visit websites.

• Please check out the following websites:
o http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/tradless.htm
o http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=590
ohttp://edsitement.neh.gov/tab_lesson.asp?subcategory=39&grade=3-5+&Display=Display
o http://www.thinkquest.org/library/index.html

• After completing your research, write an I POEM for 2 Voices from the perspective of your Cinderella characters. Feel free to play around with the form.

• Be sure to include culturally relevant information gleaned from your research and from the Cinderella stories.
  

• Check out these 5th graders I Poems!
• http://web2.burke.k12.nc.us/blogs/cwheeler/about/summer-of-the-monkeys-i-poems/
• Your poem should demonstrate your understanding of the story and the culture. Think about including rich descriptions as well as interesting information. This assignment will take the place of our multicultural study. You will be researching several cultures and writing about them through your poem- from Cinderella’s perspective ☺
• Here is an example and the format on my wiki: (libby)
• http://fryeem.pbwiki.com/I-Poem-for-2-Voices
•Finally, you will publish your I POEM FOR 2 VOICES on your blog, or on the wiki at the above address. If any of you wish to include artistic representations, pictures, etc. please feel free to post those too!
Enjoy!