Sandman

Neil Gaiman is a fantastic author that uses graphic novels to entertain and educate.  Reading the Sandman was very easy.  It was not a story in which I found boring, and didn't have to force myself to read finish it.  This graphic novel reminds me of the comics I have buried in my garage.  This style of writing and illustrations reminds me off older comics from earlier generations.  The illustrations are very creative and capture the readers attention very easily.  I found that the illustrations gave the story a much more creepy feeling.  They act as a way helping show the reader how they are supposed to read the novel. I enjoyed this piece of the reading and don't mind reading the rest at all.  In fact, I actually want to read more of this novel and possibly more by the author.  Graphic novels are great pieces to read.  They capture your attention and imagination, and allow the readers ample information to learn from.  I enjoy graphic novels and believe that they have great potential to offer valuable information to who ever is reading them, no matter the age or education level. 

     llan Stavans' article is fairly interesting.  The article starts off by disproving the idea that pop art "is junk."  Stavans' states that pop art such as comics are not imitation or secondhand.  We can see that comics and pop art have validity like any other work of art.  As Stavans' describes, comic books are very popular sources of entertainment in Mexico.  This shows that comics can have importance for people.  In America the reading of comics has become a lost practice. We are far more likely to watch Batman than read  a comic about Batman.  Stavans' comic depicts many Latino and American transactions.  The comics cover a wide range of issues such as Castro taking over Cuba and the Tex-Mex craze.  Stavans uses characters to poke fun at certain issues while giving the reader accurate information about these topics.  Stavans' toucan character always knows what is going on and often gives the reader a smart remark about the topic.

Graphic Memoirs Come of Age

William Bradley's article is a breakdown of what graphic novels are and how to differentiate between them and other works.  Bradley's experience with graphic novels such as comic books, then went on to "more significant" works such as Maus.  This comparison that Bradley offers shows that he believes graphic novels should be considered or held in higher regard then comic books.  I do not completely agree with Bradley on this point.  Comics in my eyes, often have scholastic merit.  I think they can be grouped into the same category as Maus and the other Non-fiction graphic novels. I think that this essay gives validity to graphic novels and graphic memoirs.  Often times graphic novels and memoirs are considered to be childish.  when we think of these types of stories we think of picture books for children.  With the last few readings I am finding this to be completely false.  Graphic novels are often scholarly.  Graphic novels have a way of getting the reader to interpret the story in a different and often better way.  With graphic novels when we read something we have a picture along with it that can provide additional information about what exactly is going on.    

"Empowerment Through Mythological Imaginings in Woman Warrior "

   When reading this article, I noticed that from the beginning Sue Ann Johnston breaks down the setting of "Woman Warrior". Johnston makes the reader aware of the two separate worlds the narrator switches between in the story.  In the story China is considered to be of the "mind" while America is characterized by "flat literal reality." I believe Johnston's way of separating the two worlds presented to us, allows for a better understanding of both the story line and the author herself.  I agree with Johnston when she says that Kingston takes on a strictly "American Logic." 
   This article is very interesting and informative, yet I still have questions.  I am still not sure whether the mother tells the story of the swords woman to entertain, or to invoke a desire to be something more.  I would like to know whether these types of stories were told out of pity, so the girls could at least dream, or out of a mothers wish to see her daughter become something more.
   In conclusion,  I liked Johnston's article about the "Woman Warrior".  I enjoyed reading Kingston's story and also enjoyed reading Johnston's views on it, even though i still have some questions. 

American Indian Myths and Legends

   This was a fairly interesting reading.  From the beginning of the reading we are told that the earth and it's creatures are very important parts of Native American life. Native Americans often tell myths about animals and nature.  The myths that they tell are often passed down from generation to generation.  In contrast to "industrialized people" Native Americans believe that rivers, mountains, and other objects have their own power and have life.
    Many myths and legends of the Native Americans have been destroyed or erased from history by white culture.  The myths that are still around are now even more powerful for them.  It seems that what ever they were able to hold onto becomes even more important than it would have been. 
   There are many noticeable differences between Native American and white myths.  Native American myths often have mixed up order and character changes.  This shows the differences between the two styles of myth.
   We often take nature for granted and treat it as if it is not important.  We can learn a lot about the Earth and its importance from studying Native American myth.  A deeper understanding of why things happen the way they do can come from studying this culture. 

Post 2 Analysis of Folktales

"The Sociopsychological Analysis of Folktales" by J.L. Fischer is in my eyes a good source to further understand folktales.  Fischer starts off the paper by giving the definition of a folktale.  Fischer provides the definition of a folktale as being any traditional, dramatic, oral narrative.  Myths of the supernatural nature, tales told for entertainment, and "purportedly factual accounts of historical events" are all lumped into the category of folktales.  Fischer provides seemingly endless research to back up every one of the claims in this paper. 
   I found it interesting that tales are much more likely to be modified than myths.  Fischer states that myths are often learned and recited verbatim. While tales are usually given more of a personal touch. When someone changes a detail in a myth it is interpreted as being wrong or falsified.  I find this information interesting because myths and tales are forms of folktales and are held to different standards. 
   Fischer also explains that folktales are known to be a separation between expressive and practical culture.  This separation can be seen in the difference between music and politics. I believe that the separation Fischer talks about in this paper is not as big as it seems. I believe the bottom line is that folktales must be a combination of both expressive and practical culture.  I tend to believe that without the influence of  political, economical, and social structure there would be no folktales.

Aesop, Aristotle, and Animals

   In Edward Clayton's essay he discusses the importance of fables and there uses in both ancient and modern times.  Clayton also presents the idea that animals are used in fables because humans are indeed animals.  Although we are animals as well, Clayton believes it is our superiority and our ability to advance ourselves is what sets us apart from animals.
  Fables are described as being significant parts of Athenian culture.  Clayton tells the story of Demades to show that fables were considered to be respectable pieces of conversation in a political environment. Athenians believed that fables were important enough to speak about and this proves their validity. 
   Humans are animals by nature.  Humans can be seen as being superior to animals because we can advance ourselves in times of need.  Fables use animals in part because we are all animalistic in nature.  The fables we read often have strong animals dominating weaker animals.   This in my opinion is true with humans.  We often see stronger and smarter people doing better for themselves while weaker and less intelligent people tend to suffer.  The use of animals helps us relate to the lesson being taught. Aristotle's main difference between humans and animals is humans need for reasoning.  This key difference separates us.  Humans relate to the animals in fables because the traits these animals have are human traits.
   I believe that Clayton's analysis of fables and their use of animals was spot on.  He worked to give credibility to fables. Fables can be seen as stories for children, but on the contrary can be very valuable lessons.  Fables often use animals as the main characters so humans can relate to the lessons learned.  Clayton also gives justifications for the use of animals.  He also explains the similarities and differences between humans and animals.