Option One: Expository Option
(Myth, Dream, Symbol Related to your Life)
Option Two: Archetypal Option
(Characters within the Crimson Labyrinth)
Overview:
Are we really all that different from ancient
peoples? Do our myths, dreams, and symbols—personal,
local, national, global—do they truly relate
to us.
The purpose of this assignment is to find out if
and how you fit in to the world of myths, dreams,
and symbols. It is an exploration of self (as is
most any essay), and you have the free ability to
explore your favorite story, recurring dream, or
symbol.
This is very similar to an English 100 narrative
and expository essay in that you can potentially
discuss your own experiences as they relate to a
myth, dream, or symbol. It also possesses expository
elements in that you need to discuss the myth, dream,
or symbol, prior to engaging in your narrative discussion.
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Student Learning
Outcomes
--Analyze and interpret
a personal or cultural myth, dream or symbol, providing
both expository and narrative insight into
the myth, dream, or symbol.
--Find a myth, dream,
or symbol that resonates with impact
or meaning for yourself; create a
clear thesis statement that expresses the core theme
of that myth, dream, or symbol;
--Apply what you
know about basic research principles so as to find
expository information about your myth,
dream or symbol; Apply what you
know about narrative essays so as to comment on
why that myth, dream, or symbol has personal importance
to you.
--Apply proper P.I.E.
paragraph structures to the essay
so as to outline and organize
the major points consistent with the essay's thesis
statement (e.g. setting, character, plot-conflicts,
point of view, symbols);
--Apply proper M.L.A.
or A.P.A.-based quoting conventions to the essay
with regards to proper quote introduction, parenthetical
citation, and other quote dynamics;
--Examine quotes
or images from the formal and informal text or visual-based
resources so as to significantly
comment on the relevance and impact of those selected
images/words.
--Employ at least
3 quotes from various source materials
that you find, of a textual or visual nature. Please
ensure that the source credibility is stronger than
a basic Wikipedia entry.
--Create a final,
polished draft of at least 4-6 pages, with a List
of Works Cited. |
Potential
Topics:
| Choose a myth (from this class or any myth in the
world. Summarize the essential plot points of the
myth. Investigate the central "lesson" that
is expressed by this myth; this lesson should later
be expressed in a coherent and arguable thesis statement.
Later in your essay, discuss how you find personal
or even narrative insight from this myth. |
| Choose a symbol (from this class or any symbol in
the world). Provide the history of this symbol. Analyze
the importance of this symbol by investigating the
central "lesson" expressed by this symbol;
this lesson should later be expressed in a coherent
and arguable thesis statement. Later in your essay,
discuss how you find personal or even narrative insight
from this myth. |
| Pick a recurring dream that you've had/are having
in your life. Using a symbol dictionary or a dream
encyclopedia, discuss if the dream you are having
in your subconscious may potentially reflect what
is going on in your reality. If there is no connection,
identify the symbols of the dream and assess and analyze
them. |
| Topic of your choice; please try to discuss your
topic with me in the form of a topic proposal/individual
conference. |
Suggested Outline:
| A strong title, with more than just the title of
the myth or symbol. or dream. Good titles in literary
analyses usually have two elements: a summary followed
by a statement of theme. Sample: "The Essence
of the Manji: A Controversial Symbol Changed by Time
and Place." |
A catchy introduction, followed by a clear and
concise thesis. All literary analysis thesis statements
ideally assess the following elements: Author, genre,
title, theme, and justification/explanation.
Samples: The Japanese myth of "Amaterasu and
the Cave" ultimately suggests the theme that
light is an essential quality worth appreciating:
eternal darkness equals misery.
The Norse myth of "Ragnarok" implies
that the theme of Armageddon is a universal one:
all things that begin must end. |
Body paragraphs in this essay should probably
converge around the following elements:
1. Summary of the myth/symbol in a catchy manner,
highlighting the most essential aspects of the myth
or symbol. If you are doing a symbol, you might
digitally insert the symbol into your paper and
comment on the meaning of the image in a careful,
disciplined and detailed manner. |
| 2. General analysis (that can extend across several
paragraphs) of the implications of that myth and symbol.
These body paragraphs are completely based on your
perceptions of the myth and symbol. What is the core
meaning that is driving the myth or symbol? Does the
society in which this myth or symbol originated depend
heavily on this myth and symbol's meaning? How has
the myth and symbol been altered through time, by
people's impressions and conceptualizations? Why is
this a powerful myth and symbol? |
3. Specific analysis (that can also extend across
several paragraphs) of the implications of that
myth and symbol based on personal meaning. Why did
you even choose this myth and symbol for analysis?
Were you told about this myth or symbol as a child?
What is appealing, shocking, or immediately important
to you in understanding this myth? Was there a narrative
experience that connects you to this myth or symbol?
Example: Since many of my relatives are Buddhists,
every Buddhist funeral I've been to has had a sermon
about "white ashes" being the ultimate
expression of the ephemeral nature of life. I've
always been rather uncomfortable about this "symbolizing"
the end result of life; nonetheless, after the death
of my grandfather last year (2005), the implications
of the "white ashes" sermon have been
a bit easier for me to understand. |
4. Conclusion and wrap up. Good literary analysis
conclusions generally do five things:
a. Briefly wrap up the major points of your piece;
b. Reassert the value of the thesis;
c. Express the personal implications of the topic
discussed;
d. Express the larger, societal implications of
the topic discussed;
e. Conclude on a compelling, far-reaching, or motivating
statement related to the topic.
Sample, were I to write about the "White Ashes"
sermon.
To conclude, the image of the "white ashes,"
as a general expression of mortality, might provoke
dismay in many Buddhists' and non-Buddhists' minds
in that reducing one's existence to mere dust is
an unsettling thought. Nonetheless, the "white
ashes" sermon, in its symbolic context, is
not met to be a perennial "downer"--it
is meant to be a reminder of our finite presence
on this earth. If human beings, such as my beloved
grandfather become white ashes, it is not a reduction
or a diminished sense of who he was. It is a reflection
of our common bonds with other human beings. Like
my grandfather, I will someday be reduced to white
ashes, cremated in the traditions of my Japanese
ancestors. Like my grandfather, my attachments in
life will cease to be. Yet also like my grandfather,
I will hope that being disassembled into plain,
humble and white ashes will not be a reduction of
my character nor my pursuits in this life--they
will be a reflection of my shared humanity and my
fragility as a person and a living being. |
*At every stage, you are always able to select your own
topic. Nonetheless, the trick towards selecting your own
topic is meeting with me so as to solicit ideas and advice--I
don't want to tell you what to investigate, but I want
to assist you in your investigations.
Rather than hitting you hard early in the semester with
a "hardcore" literary analysis, this first assignment
asks you to get you used to basic analytical conventions/conventions
of a literary analysis and may involve minor research.
This assignment also involves placing yourself in a reactionary
mode to myths and symbols, as it asks you to express how
you relate to the myths or symbols in a narrative sense.
Some research might be involved--you choose the degree
of research needed.
What other students have done:
One student interpreted a recurring dream and found that
it had a lot of implications about how she felt about
her loved ones and the growth of modern Hawaii;
One student investigated the cultural fairy tale of "Momotaro
the Peach Boy" and discussed it in light of his cultural
heritage;
One student investigated Poki, the mysterious white dog
that is said to warn travelers of danger at night;
One student investigated the story of Maui and discovered
why he was proud of his Native Hawaiian heritage.
One student interpreted a nightmare and began to discern
that he was actually afraid of his parents' impending
divorce as demonstrated by the bad dream.
Other components:
Topic
Proposal
Evaluation
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Option
Two Overview: In my mind, there are many
themes to Kishi's novel, The Crimson Labyrinth.
Certainly, one could link Kishi's novel to reality
T.V. programs, in which stereotypical characters
vie for a cash prize, in which at every stage, weaker
competitions are ELIMINATED while stronger competitions
proceed to the next stage. In this essay, I want
you to further develop your analytical skills regarding
character.
You may choose a compare-contrast genre in which
you compare characters.
You may compare entire genres, reflecting on how
the novel indeed reminds you of reality t.v.
You can write on a specific aspect of the text.
Ultimately, however, you must, in the course of
analyzing the novel, use two literary terms
to label archetypes within the novel.
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Student Learning
Outcomes
--Analyze and interpret
a character or set of characters within the novel.
--Find a stable element
of commentary about that character; create
a clear thesis statement that expresses
the core theme, or archetypal label of that character.
--Apply what you
know about basic research principles so as to find
expository information about your character
or archetype.
--Apply what you
know about narrative essays so as to comment on
why that character impacts you or intrigues you.
--Apply proper P.I.E.
paragraph structures to the essay
so as to outline and organize
the major points consistent with the essay's thesis
statement (e.g. setting, character, plot-conflicts,
point of view, symbols);
--Apply proper M.L.A.
or A.P.A.-based quoting conventions to the essay
with regards to proper quote introduction, parenthetical
citation, and other quote dynamics;
--Examine quotes
or images from the formal and informal text or visual-based
resources so as to significantly
comment on the relevance and impact of those selected
images/words. In the case of this assignment, you
may want to quote directly from your novel as a
primary source.
--Employ 2 literary terms
from various source materials that you
find. Please ensure the credibility of those source
materials are strong.
--Employ at least
3 quotes from various source materials
that you find, of a textual or visual nature.
--Create a final,
polished draft of at least 4-6 pages, with a List
of Works Cited. |
Suggested topics:
Select any two characters in the novel, and, after archetypally
labeling, explain how their actions in the novel are consistent
with their archetype?
Identify the four pathways in the novel, and explain
why the author made the pathways / decisions reflect critically
upon the individuals. How did their archetypes end up
guiding their actions?
Look at the protagonist. Identify how the protagonist
acts consistently with his own archetype, and analyze
how other characters influenced him on his quest journey.
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