Anna Fora
Modern Mythology 2023
Period 2
9/21/22
Literacy & Learning
One of the biggest tasks I have faced so far in the school year was reading all the different types of Cinderella fairy tales (ATU 510A and B) around the world. When first assigned to read the vast amount of stories, my mind instantly searched for ways to explain the similarities between thousands of miles. From taking APUSH, I pondered how cultures exchanged stories on different trade routes and, in turn, how the stems of stories grew. From my understanding of psychology, I brushed off the similarities as creativity limitations in the human mind. I gave the coincidences thoughtless consideration.
Now through the forming lens of a folklorist, I understand that fairytales aren't as superficial. They have structures and rules that characterize them as either folklore, fairytale, mythology, fantasy or more. Fairytales always start with "Once upon a time…" and good always triumphs over evil in the end. Such an emphasis on these "magical" rules is much different from analyzing typical literature where there are no rules. In the literature I read before mythology, people wrote simply about what was on their minds or recorded events in time. And in a sense, my perception of analyzing literature was loose and unadorned too. When reading, I did not search for connections to other writing styles or structures. I could not appreciate the beauty in how authors built their sentences and stories. By sharpening my perspective, I can critically analyze fairytales and complex ideas around me much better.
For example, Cinderella wasn't just a story passed down the Silk Road where the Tang Dynasty's Yeh-Shen inspired Brothers Grimm. It's a tale of fairy godmothers advising our heroine on how to overcome trials to beat her evil stepmother and find her happily ever after. I've even started to see this same structure in some of my favorite stories. Coraline depicts an 11-year-old girl who escapes her boring neglectful life into a world full of adventure, good food, endless toys and love from her Other parents. Later in the book, she faces the trial of saving her real parents from her Other Mother, who only wants to eat her soul and trap her in the Other World. Initially, I was interested in the hardship that a tween girl had to undertake and overcome. Now I find my brain breaking down the story and thinking, "Is this a fairytale?"
Of course, I still love to search for the tragedy and unfair twists of fate in tales and folklore. However, I cannot rely only on this fascination and my APUSH knowledge to give me a fleshed-out analysis of mythology. Nor can I use it as an excuse that I indeed investigated the complexities of writing or the human mind. As I move onward in this class and learn more about how to see the world from a folkloristic perspective, I'm eager to encounter the philosophical and psychological ideas around me from another angle.
Now through the forming lens of a folklorist, I understand that fairytales aren't as superficial. They have structures and rules that characterize them as either folklore, fairytale, mythology, fantasy or more. Fairytales always start with "Once upon a time…" and good always triumphs over evil in the end. Such an emphasis on these "magical" rules is much different from analyzing typical literature where there are no rules. In the literature I read before mythology, people wrote simply about what was on their minds or recorded events in time. And in a sense, my perception of analyzing literature was loose and unadorned too. When reading, I did not search for connections to other writing styles or structures. I could not appreciate the beauty in how authors built their sentences and stories. By sharpening my perspective, I can critically analyze fairytales and complex ideas around me much better.
For example, Cinderella wasn't just a story passed down the Silk Road where the Tang Dynasty's Yeh-Shen inspired Brothers Grimm. It's a tale of fairy godmothers advising our heroine on how to overcome trials to beat her evil stepmother and find her happily ever after. I've even started to see this same structure in some of my favorite stories. Coraline depicts an 11-year-old girl who escapes her boring neglectful life into a world full of adventure, good food, endless toys and love from her Other parents. Later in the book, she faces the trial of saving her real parents from her Other Mother, who only wants to eat her soul and trap her in the Other World. Initially, I was interested in the hardship that a tween girl had to undertake and overcome. Now I find my brain breaking down the story and thinking, "Is this a fairytale?"
Of course, I still love to search for the tragedy and unfair twists of fate in tales and folklore. However, I cannot rely only on this fascination and my APUSH knowledge to give me a fleshed-out analysis of mythology. Nor can I use it as an excuse that I indeed investigated the complexities of writing or the human mind. As I move onward in this class and learn more about how to see the world from a folkloristic perspective, I'm eager to encounter the philosophical and psychological ideas around me from another angle.
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