Ian Clarke, Period 5, 9/25/20, Day B

Ian Clarke

9/25/20

Period 5

Modern Mythology 2021

    I've always seen fairy tales as a genre meant for entertainment rather than education. After reading several renditions of Cinderella, as well as Maria Tatar’s introduction and Neil Gaiman’s article on the Guardian, I realize now that fairy tales can do both.  Upon reading each rendition of Cinderella, I felt as if i was living in the protagonist's shoes and could easily imagine their world in my mind. Maria Tatar's introduction backs this up with the claim that each story "promises escape to a better and more colorful Elsewhere." Additionally, Gaiman states that fairy tales stimulate the imagination. But, I began to wonder, was I really living through the shoes of a fictional character? Tatar also states that before the publishing of fairy tales, people simply told these stories through speech. This made me realize that the renditions i was reading had been passed through so many people, who undoubtedly added their own personal contribution to the story, that Cinderella was no longer entirely fictional, but made up of the real people who added on to her story, and onto the rendition i was reading. Hence, I now realize that while i was being entertained by the Cinderella renditions, I also was learning about the people who kept the story alive and added their own touch to it.

    Recently, I learned about perception in reading. We were asked to revisit Shakespeare's Macbeth and look at the story from multiple perspectives. When looking at Macbeth from a feminist viewpoint, my entire outlook on the play changed. While I knew that it was born out of a patriarchal society, I never realized that it made an attempt to challenge the gender roles of its time. When reading elements of the story such as Lady Macbeth's pleas to the spirits to "unsex her" so that she may have the strength to achieve her goals, it is easy to dismiss this play as absolutely sexist. However, with a new outlook, I realized that the inclusion of the character of Lady Macbeth, despite her evil ambitions, was quite forward thinking of Shakespeare. Such a confident and strong-willed character, who had complete control of her husband, was something unheard of in entertainment at the time, and was most likely shunned by supporters of patriarchy. While the play still has sexist parts to it, I can commend Macbeth for being so progressive for its time after analyzing it through a feminist viewpoint.

    The idea of multiple viewpoints is something that extends far beyond literature only. Knowing what someone from each perspective would think is key to being unbiased and fair, which is a trait that is essential to becoming a leader. For example, one must consider multiple viewpoints with politics, a field that is hard for many to remain unbiased in. Regardless of your emotions, you can show maturity and leadership skills by remaining level-headed towards everyone. In conclusion, the lessons learned from literature extend far beyond the subject, and in the words of Neil Gaiman, "allow us to function as more than self-obsessed individuals."