Winona Liu
Period 2
2/5/21
Day A
Write about your thoughts regarding any of the fiction or non-fiction covered in class.
The lesson on “Thor’s Journey to The Land of The Giants” provided so much insight. In the beginning of the class, the Mentimeter indicated that the majority of the class believed that Norse values are not present today. I was one of those students: I had always associated the Norse with people who did not differentiate between good and evil, a characteristic that thankfully we do not encompass today. However, I changed my opinion by the end of the lesson. In the story, Thialfi claims that he is the fastest person he knows and despite losing every time, he races Hugi three times. Likewise, Thor tries to drink from a horn, lift a cat, and wrestle Elli. The Norse continue to accept challenges until Utgardaloki says stop. Their defeat are not failures because they demonstrated perseverance. Even when evil conquers in Ragnarok, the Norse believe they won because they continued to try. Determination is a value that we share with the Norse. When I do not do well on a test, I study harder and do better the next time. When I don’t know dance steps, I practice the choreography longer. Athletes are always competing against new opponents and trying to improve; with their victories also comes several losses.
Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by considering how that learning influences your critical perception.
The lesson “The Death of Balder” and “The Last Days of Loki,” specifically the debate on who is to blame for Ragnarok, really influenced my critical perception. From a first glance, most of my classmates were eager to blame Loki. After all, knowing that it would make him vulnerable, he intentionally told Hod to throw mistletoe at Balder. Because of his actions, the gods lost one additional person to fight on their side during Ragnarok. That being said, the debate taught me that there is always an argument aside from my innate view. The gods had Loki watch as Vali, Loki’s son, turned into a wolf and killed his own brother, Narfi. They let snake poison drip on Loki’s face, making him suffer rather than killing him. While Loki’s actions were certainly immoral, the gods’ punishments were extreme. Loki and Odin had mixed blood and although Loki does use his trickery to help the gods at times, he is always considered a troublemaker. In “The Apples of Immortality,” when the eagle forces him to complete a task rather than the usual other way around, his deceitfulness and other prior qualities amplify. After all these years, his punishment made his resentment reach its maximum point. Ragnarok was no surprise: the gods made an enemy out of Vali and Loki and they would fight against each other in Ragnarok. This lesson actually made me feel somewhat sympathetic for Loki.
How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?
One discussion I found interesting was the discussion of how no one is to blame for Ragnarok because it is inevitable. Ms. Fusaro asked the question of how fate plays a role in society in our world today. The Greeks and the Norse believed that destiny was fixed and if you tried to avoid it, you would just end up closer to your fate. However, I believe that in modern culture, some people would believe that by knowing your fate, you can alter it. For instance, I just finished watching the Flash, which incorporates the view that the timeline can be changed. As a society, perhaps we are more hopeful because trying to do something to avoid something negative in the future is better than doing nothing.
Another key point from the Norse mythology unit was the evolution of morality. In Norse culture, Odin was a very well-respected ruler and Thor was the strongest protector. While the Norse would not question Odin’s wisdom, from our reflection, his choices were not the best. Even if Balder was invincible, Odin was overconfident and took a chance when he let the gods throw materials at him. Likewise, Thor played a role in the suffering of Loki’s children who were innocent and was willing to sacrifice Freya’s marriage for his hammer. Marvel certainly does not depict this arrogant version of Thor because that is not who we would consider a hero.
Overall, I enjoyed the Norse presentations. We were able to take texts from so long ago and turn it into an insightful lesson. It made me realize how much work goes on behind the scenes and it showed that there is always more textual analysis that can be done.
Literacy & Learning
The lesson on “Thor’s Journey to The Land of The Giants” provided so much insight. In the beginning of the class, the Mentimeter indicated that the majority of the class believed that Norse values are not present today. I was one of those students: I had always associated the Norse with people who did not differentiate between good and evil, a characteristic that thankfully we do not encompass today. However, I changed my opinion by the end of the lesson. In the story, Thialfi claims that he is the fastest person he knows and despite losing every time, he races Hugi three times. Likewise, Thor tries to drink from a horn, lift a cat, and wrestle Elli. The Norse continue to accept challenges until Utgardaloki says stop. Their defeat are not failures because they demonstrated perseverance. Even when evil conquers in Ragnarok, the Norse believe they won because they continued to try. Determination is a value that we share with the Norse. When I do not do well on a test, I study harder and do better the next time. When I don’t know dance steps, I practice the choreography longer. Athletes are always competing against new opponents and trying to improve; with their victories also comes several losses.
Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by considering how that learning influences your critical perception.
The lesson “The Death of Balder” and “The Last Days of Loki,” specifically the debate on who is to blame for Ragnarok, really influenced my critical perception. From a first glance, most of my classmates were eager to blame Loki. After all, knowing that it would make him vulnerable, he intentionally told Hod to throw mistletoe at Balder. Because of his actions, the gods lost one additional person to fight on their side during Ragnarok. That being said, the debate taught me that there is always an argument aside from my innate view. The gods had Loki watch as Vali, Loki’s son, turned into a wolf and killed his own brother, Narfi. They let snake poison drip on Loki’s face, making him suffer rather than killing him. While Loki’s actions were certainly immoral, the gods’ punishments were extreme. Loki and Odin had mixed blood and although Loki does use his trickery to help the gods at times, he is always considered a troublemaker. In “The Apples of Immortality,” when the eagle forces him to complete a task rather than the usual other way around, his deceitfulness and other prior qualities amplify. After all these years, his punishment made his resentment reach its maximum point. Ragnarok was no surprise: the gods made an enemy out of Vali and Loki and they would fight against each other in Ragnarok. This lesson actually made me feel somewhat sympathetic for Loki.
How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?
One discussion I found interesting was the discussion of how no one is to blame for Ragnarok because it is inevitable. Ms. Fusaro asked the question of how fate plays a role in society in our world today. The Greeks and the Norse believed that destiny was fixed and if you tried to avoid it, you would just end up closer to your fate. However, I believe that in modern culture, some people would believe that by knowing your fate, you can alter it. For instance, I just finished watching the Flash, which incorporates the view that the timeline can be changed. As a society, perhaps we are more hopeful because trying to do something to avoid something negative in the future is better than doing nothing.
Another key point from the Norse mythology unit was the evolution of morality. In Norse culture, Odin was a very well-respected ruler and Thor was the strongest protector. While the Norse would not question Odin’s wisdom, from our reflection, his choices were not the best. Even if Balder was invincible, Odin was overconfident and took a chance when he let the gods throw materials at him. Likewise, Thor played a role in the suffering of Loki’s children who were innocent and was willing to sacrifice Freya’s marriage for his hammer. Marvel certainly does not depict this arrogant version of Thor because that is not who we would consider a hero.
Overall, I enjoyed the Norse presentations. We were able to take texts from so long ago and turn it into an insightful lesson. It made me realize how much work goes on behind the scenes and it showed that there is always more textual analysis that can be done.
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