Paper 1

the ancients

Write a four-page (that's a minimum of four full pages) essay (or tale) in standard MLA 9 format (important note, if you are unsure of all the requirements of MLA 9 formatting and documentation, there are resources in the Files section here; you can also do a very quick, simple search for "How to set up MLA 9 paper" and "How to set up MLA 9 Works Cited" using your software. Be sure you have also looked over the Special Lecture on Writing About Literature, especially if this is new to you.

Papers should be thoughtful and supported with several specific examples (directly quoted and parenthetically cited) from the work(s) you are analyzing. NOTE: If you select topic 2), then you'll be doing something a little different! Your essay will be evaluated on both form and content. Have fun, and good luck!

Choose from one of the two following topics. Be sure you read and understand the directions for each, and if you are unsure be sure to email me questions.

1. Almost all cultures have their myths and folk literature. Most began as part of the oral tradition. Many were later collected and written down (and likely greatly changed) over time. There are remarkable similarities among these stories from widely different cultures; there are also some notable differences.

   Compare one similar kind of myth or folk tale from at least three different cultures. Discuss the similarities first. Then focus on the key differences. Speculate on what the differences suggest about the nature of the culture telling the story (for example, native American, African, and other "trickster" tales often feature animals unique to their geography. Many versions of a flood story appear in far-flung parts of the world (China, India, Mesoamerica, Egypt, even in some other parts of Africa which do not experience floods often). The Japanese for some reason, DO NOT have a major flood myth, but for a topic on flood myths you could probably sneak in their myth of the Namazu; I would.

   Since I've included folk tales from the oral tradition, you might look at one of the most popular folk tales around the world--different versions of Cinderella tale (and, no, do not include the Disney version; it is far too new and Puritanical).

   You may use some material from the class readings (maybe pairing The Fall with Pandora's Box (which we did not read) with some other stories that introduce the concept of human suffering entering the world, but find at least two works not covered in our class.

   IMPORTANT NOTE FOR THIS TOPIC: This paper is YOU reading the stories, not someone reading and summarizing them in, say, an encyclopedia for you. You describe them and use texts of the stories (not literary criticism) to support and illustrate your ideas about similarities and differences among the stories.

   IMPORTANT NOTE 2: Do not pick Creation Myths for this topic unless you do not use any of our course readings; we already discussed/analyzed those.

   Tip: DO NOT limit yourself to Western Literature. Also, you may do some research on the cultures themselves (not the stories themselves; those are for you to analyze and quote and cite from) to compare to the stories you discuss. If so, you wlll want a Works Cited (in MLA 9 format) for those secondary sources.

2. Porquoi (why) tales are attempts to explain natural and cosmic phenomena. In Genesis we learn the Hebrews' ideas about how rainbows came into being, the reason for different languages; in Ovid's Metamorphoses we see Greco-Roman notions of how the laurel tree came into being, why peacocks have eyes on their tail feathers, etc.

   Over the centuries, more modern variants of porquoi tales have emerged. Among the most famous are the Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling, which can be found here:

   Just So Stories. The stories with the titles beginning with "How..." are all great examples. My favorite is "How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin."

   Imagine you are the storyteller of your culture. Your task is to create your own porquoi tale. Using your own imagination and drawing on material that would be significant and logical to your culture (you can define your culture any way you want), tell the story of how ___________ came into being. You may fill in the blank with a traditional phenomenon (such as why the sun rises and sets) or a whackier phenomenon (such as how the hamburger stand got its golden arches). Do NOT get all scientific about it; these are tales (stories); they DO have internal logic, but they are also very imaginative. Be as creative as possible.

   IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not write a creation story here; you are focusing on some singular event or phenomenon that is a great mystery (such as Why are there echoes? How did winter come into being?) not "In the beginning...." stories

   IMPORTANT NOTE 2: These stories generally have a limited cast of characters, take place over a short period of time, and have one central dramatic, decisive plot moment.

   Tip: do not write as though you are writing for a little kid. The tales we've read are tightly focused (often centering on just one event); they are edgy; they have a lot of very crisp, precise detail. You need to suggest an idea through storytelling, not explain an idea. It's not as easy as you might think, but it will allow you to do something really inventive.

For some tips on writing about literature, go to

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