Tiffany Lo, Period 2, 2/2/21, Day A

 

• Literacy & Learning

• Write about your thoughts regarding any of the fiction or non-fiction covered in class.

    One of the readings we discussed in class that I wanted to talk about is one of the Norse Mythology readings. Overall, I enjoyed all the Norse Mythology readings that we were assigned but my favorite one was “Freya’s Unusual Wedding”. This story was entertaining because Thor was dressed up as Freya and pretended to go to the wedding. My favorite part of this story was when Thyrm thought Thor was Freya and he wanted to kiss “her”. It would have been a lot funnier if Thrym kissed Thor and still thought he was Freya. I was also surprised with Loki’s act as the bridesmaid. 
    However, besides it being entertaining I also did not think we would learn about certain values about women as well. For example, “Freya’s Unusual Wedding” illustrates that women should be more valued and respected. Thor was very willing to send Freya to Thrym in exchange for his hammer, conveying that he believes his hammer is more valuable than a person or a woman like Freya. So, I was glad that in the end Freya did not need to be sent to Thrym against her own will. 

• Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by considering how that learning influences your critical perception.

    Because we recently finished reading the Norse Mythology stories, I learned a few new things from almost each story. Loki plays a significant role in Norse Mythology because of his trickery that balances with the good. Though he stirs trouble for the Gods, the outcome is the Gods still finish the wall or they still get great gifts made by the dwarves. Another thing I learned about Norse culture is how valued women are compared to Greek culture. Women are just as important enough to be in charge of the realm of death. To add on, Freya is often considered a “prize” in exchange for something the Gods want because she has great value. The master builder and Thrym both wanted to have Freya but she was not to be treated as someone easily disposable. Lastly, I learned in one of the stories, how a single sacrifice for love made it more difficult for the Gods to fight during Ragnarok. Frey sacrificed his sword that would have been very helpful in fighting the Serpent and the Fenrir. These few things I learned have influenced my critical perception and it will be addressed in the next question. 

• How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?

    From learning about Loki, I have learned that it is okay to have days where nothing seems to be going well because there will be days that flow the opposite. If I ever mess up in life, I will take it as a good learning experience to make myself better and prevent myself from making the same mistakes again. Additionally, learning that women serve a great purpose in Norse Mythology can be applied to today’s world. Women are contributing a lot more to society and there are more women employed in the workforce. They are more respected and not to be considered as weak and disposable by men. And finally, I can apply Frey’s sacrifice for Gerd to the world around me as well. If we sacrifice something very important for someone, it is usually because we love him/her. I think sacrifice is a great way to show someone how much he/she means to us. Therefore, if someone says they love me or if I question if I love someone, then I might recall if I would sacrifice anything for him/her and vice versa.