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."

Willie Chen, Period 5, 9/25/20, Day B

Willie Chen
9/25/20
Period 5
Modern Mythology 2021


    Maria Tatar’s introduction and Neil Gaiman’s article on the Guardian changed my perception of fairy tales, elevating the importance behind the stories that I once saw as meaningless. Tatar’s description of the gradual evolution of fairy tales and the mediums by which they are told gave me insight into the rich history that stood behind each story, as well as the innumerable variations they could have. I found it interesting that the invention of the printing press, and the ensuing wide availability of books restricted a key aspect of fairy tales up until that point: they had always been passed by word of mouth. It is the slight exaggerations and extraneous details that each storyteller adds to a fairy tale each time it is told that it to flourish, gradually evolving over time into many different variations. A modern limitation on this oral tradition can be seen in Disney’s retelling of classic fairy tales. It is wonderful that Disney has been able to spread the magic and wonder of fairy tales by making them accessible and child-friendly, but in doing so, they have effectively eradicated the other variants of such stories. The seemingly obsolete versions of fairy tales are now relegated to shelves and literature classes, replaced from the hearth by giant screens. I see this as tragic in a way because of the importance of fairy tales in preserving the culture and values of common people throughout history. However, it is equally inevitable that stories with elements of incest, abuse, and mutilation have become less commonplace in modern society.

    Gaiman’s article gave me a greater appreciation for fiction and fantasy books because of their role in fostering a love for reading among children. I can relate to his message because all my life I’ve been told that reading comics, Geronimo Stilton, or any book that has “too many pictures” is detrimental to my reading skills. He makes the point that it is crucial to allow children to learn to enjoy reading by letting them read what they want to read. This changes my perspective of reading fiction because all the fantasy books I’ve read about magic, dragons, and cunning thieves have not been pointless. Sometimes, to simply enjoy reading for pleasure is important, and the vast worlds we can visit through books provide us with more than what we can acquire in the real world.

    Today’s class consisted of three lessons: an examination of the common structures behind fairy tales, an introduction to critical theory, and a reflection on how fairy tales have influenced modern society. The first lesson described the axes of transformation and archetypes that defined the Cinderella story, revealing the common aspects that its variations share. Angel, one of my group members, compared the axes of transformation to Campbell’s hero’s journey, as they provide an outline for what happens to the main character in a fairy tale. However, a key difference between the two is that the hero’s journey aims to describe a common plot line, while the axes of transformation are more focused on changes in character. By finding the patterns that define the Cinderella story, we are able to categorize stories from different parts of the world as variants of Cinderella.

    The second lesson introduced critical theory and had us analyze Cinderella and Macbeth using a school of critical theory. Critical theory holds the idea that literary works can be viewed through many different perspectives, and they can therefore be interpreted in several different ways. When Ms. Fusaro entered my group, she clarified the difference between structuralism and post structuralism, two opposing schools of critical theory: structuralism contains the idea that literature has a fixed meaning, as intended by the author, while post structuralism rejects structuralism and states that the meaning of a text can vary by the interpreter. An example of these ideas being applied to Macbeth is Lady Macbeth’s actions and characteristics. Lady Macbeth manipulates and belittles Macbeth to convince him of killing Duncan for power, masterminding the scheme that began Macbeth’s decline. Lady Macbeth is bold, ambitious, and cunning, characteristics that would have been abhorred by the audience during the Elizabethan era, considering the roles of women at the time. Whereas Shakespeare intended to portray Lady Macbeth as diabolical, post structuralism allows the audience to decide that for themselves. This school of thought accepts that a reader of modern times may see Lady Macbeth in a more positive light, as she is willing to defy the gender roles and expectations of her time to achieve a greater standing.

    The third lesson had us take a look at the influence of fairy tales on our culture and societal norms today. This lesson asks us to reflect on how the evolution of Cinderella reflects how our culture has evolved over time. In modern times, fairy tales are generally associated to childrens’ stories, which has drastically altered aspects of stories that used to be commonplace. Incest is a common aspect of Cinderella stories, in which the father attempts to marry his daughter after his wife dies. This was particularly striking to read, as society is very intolerant of incest today, driving such variations of Cinderella out of popular culture. Another common plot point in Cinderella stories is the mutilation or death of the evil stepmother and stepsisters, which is considered too excessive for children nowadays. Considering the audience of fairy tales, parents today are more inclined to shelter their children from anything they consider inappropriate. The rise of content ratings and their importance to parents are an indicator of their intolerance for such inappropriate content. Although they have never been accepted by society, incest and mutilation are considered more taboo in modern culture, as reflected by changes in fairy tales.

    Critical theory and the analysis of text through different perspectives can relate to central concepts that are taught in history class. A major aspect of our history classes has always been to examine history from multiple perspectives, as issues are never only black and white. Critical theory expands such ideas to literature, with each school of critical theory also being influenced by its political and social context. Feminist criticism came about along with or as a result of the Second-wave feminist movement in the United States, which aimed to expand equality for women from beyond enfranchisement. The Civil Rights movement, which expanded the rights and equality of African Americans also contributed to the rise of critical race theory. It is clear that shifts in society’s culture are reflected in new schools of thought in critical theory.

    After thinking about how changes in fairy tales have reflected changes in modern culture, I am now eager to see how stories in all their various media will evolve from now into the future. Whether it will be by legendary memes or by record-breaking Disney movies, fairy tales will always continue to change with society.  It is worth paying attention to these changes because they reflect shifts in our culture and values. Fairy tales and the ways that we enjoy them have drastically changed over time, but it is undeniable that they have had a significant impact on our culture.

Ashwin Anil, PD8, 9/23/20, Day C

Ashwin Anil
Modern Mythology
9/23/20
Period 8




At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?


At this point in my life, one of the most important goals I have for myself is being productive and increasing my time management skills. Being a senior in high school is all about deadlines. We have to stay on top of our college and career choices as well as the current classes we are taking. I always tend to procrastinate and wait for deadlines. Achieving a productive lifestyle is the best way in improving my life because most of the issues that I currently have right now are because I haven't used my time wisely.



How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)



I have tried to create a productive lifestyle by getting rid of parts of my life that drastically stop me from using my time effectively. I deleted apps on my phone that tend to waste a lot of time and get rid of completely unnecessary rituals. One of these rituals is my decision to have a snack or watch an episode of tv every time I work for about 10 minutes. I also try to improve my ability to stay on task even when the work I'm doing is too confusing or difficult. Another major part of being more productive is prioritizing the time you spend. I created a list where I would put the most important task to complete over minor ones. This has helped me clear my mind and focus on one assignment rather than worrying about another.



How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)


The world is made up of distractions that can easily cloud you from completing your goals. One major obstacle is my phone. Although my phone has a lot of access to resources that can greatly benefit my progression through my schedule it also holds access to a lot of time-wasting apps like games or youtube rabbit holes. my phone is a double-edged sword. I tackle this issue by giving it to my sister or placing it somewhere where it is hard to reach. My parents also rely on me to help them or do some favors for them. At face value, some of these jobs seem to be easy but can end up wasting more time than I expect. These daily distractions make me think that attaining a goal of optimal productivity is near impossible and it often makes me quit trying.

Stanley Chen, Period 2, 09/24/2020, Day A

Stanley Chen

Modern Mythology 2021

09/24/2020

Period 2

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?

As a senior in high school, I have to set goals for myself so when I graduate high school, I would be prepared for college. As of right now, my current goal for school is to complete my college application. This is the main thing that has been on my mind since school started. Because I’m the oldest sibling, I’m the first person in my family to go through college applications and it has been stressful and confusing. My current goals for myself is to stop procrastinating and to fix my sleep schedule. If I stopped procrastinating, I would get much more work done and have more time to enjoy myself. Fixing my sleep schedule would better my physical and mental health. By accomplishing these two goals for myself, I think I would be prepared for college.

How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

I think my goals overlap each other. If I work on my college applications, I can stop my procrastination. I think the only goal I struggle with is fixing my sleep schedule. I know it is important to my growth to get enough sleep. Sleeping early and waking up early can make someone feel more productive. However, I like to stay up during the night to make the most of my day. I think that once I head off to college, I wouldn’t have much free time to play video games or watch random videos. I try to enjoy these times now but my sleep schedule suffers as a result. 

How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

With the pandemic going on right now, everyone has been quarantined. I haven’t been allowed to leave my house since March and I feel like I have to make the most out of my time home. This pandemic has changed the college application process. Due to being home for a long time, there wasn’t any reason to wake up because every day was basically the same. This has allowed me to get enough sleep and I feel somewhat healthier. By the end of this year, I believe that I will be able to accomplish my goals. 

Sophia Bejar, PD8, 9/23/20, Day C

Sophia Bejar

Modern Mythology

9/23/20

Period 8

At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?



Right now we live in strange times, where this pandemic has left us in uncharted territory breaking us out of our usual work routines. It’s left us with a lot more time than we previously had before at home, and since the start of this opportunity I’ve taken this time to develop and improve more skills. Specifically, by the end of this quarantine is to improve my art, and to have decent experience in skills like baking from scratch, and playing piano. While being in quarantine has us away from our friends much to my detriment, I’m going to try and make the most of it and come out of it a better version of myself.




How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

Recently, besides attempting to make art pieces at least once a week, I’ve gotten into animation. I’ve started creating small gifs with my art which takes a lot more time and effort, as instead of a still image it’s creating multiple frames to cycle through and form a moving image. It’s been harder but way more rewarding when it’s finished. Through just trying to work at these skills, like starting to improvise with the piano, creating small tunes instead of just learning a song I’ve been learning and getting more comfortable with the fields I aim to improve in.




How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

A lot of the times it feels as though accomplishments in art and music aren’t seen with as much value compared to science and math, so sometimes I feel strange for spending more time cultivating these skills versus the latter. However I’ve been truly enjoying creating and it’s been a way for me to express myself during a time where we’ve been stuck indoors with just ourselves. As a result I’ve also been on the internet a lot more because of the connections to others it provides, and there I can see that there are others like me who also like to create that I can talk with. Through this I’ve felt more confidence in improving the skills that I’m passionate about, and leads me to work harder to achieve my goals.

Bao Bao Chen, Period 2, 9/24/2020, Day A

Bao Bao Chen

Modern Mythology 2021

09/24/2020

Period 2

Regardless of age, fairy tales have always been a genre close to my heart. In the words of Neil Gaiman, they were my "gateway drug to reading." While I enjoyed watching Disney's depictions of these stories on screen, it could not match the sheer joy of reading fairy tales on paper. Eventually, as I read more and more, these stories became repetitive. It was always the same ending: and they lived happily ever after. After a while, the images of Disney's depictions were stuck in my mind and I began to lose interest in its all too predictable plot. 

When assigned to read the various versions of Cinderella in "The Classic Fairy Tales," I was amused because it meant revisiting my childhood joys but at the same time, I also didn't hold many expectations. I was not wrong when many of these stories shared similar characteristics: conflicts with parent roles, external figures offering help, unrivaled beauty that attracted royalty, and of course, a happily ever after. However, one could argue that these characteristics are what make Cinderella "Cinderella." After all, even if the names changed or the settings were different, the formula of the plot was fundamentally the same. 

Of all the fairy tales, the plot of Cinderella is one that I typically dislike. The girl is almost always abused or mistreated by her a higher figure and always silently endures it. The story always ends with Cinderella finding happiness with her prince but why is that so? It's because she is beautiful that she will always be the belle of the ball. Along with her beauty, she always seems to possess features that can be found on nobody else but herself (small feet or delicate hands). After realizing this, it made me wonder how the story would change if Cinderella were ugly or simply average looking. In variations like "Donkeyskin" or "Catskin," the girl would don a hideous cloak that would mask her beauty. 

While feminists have always argued that fairy tales (especially Disney's depictions) were harming to the psyche of young children, fairy tales often reflect the ideals and beliefs of  society at the time. Cinderella is a tragic character who suffers a great deal before she finds happiness. But what does she find happiness in the form of? Marriage. To a prince no less. Immediately after falling in love and marrying her prince charming, all her troubles are gone. 

In the past, this idea was more commonly accepted. Society has been patriarchal for most of history and as a woman, the best you could do for your family was to marry into a better family. While today, we are long past this point of view, it is simply frustrating to see how Cinderella's abusers go unpunished. In the Brothers Grimm's recollection of the story, the two stepsisters were blinded in the end as punishment. Despite the goriness and harsher nature of the classic fairy tale, it was the piece that made the story all the more satisfying. Rather than reinforcing the idea that there will always be a happily ever after, the stepsisters' punishment drove home a much more realistic lesson: evil will not go unpunished.

Stacey Cajita, PD8, 9/23/20, Day C

Stacey Cajita
09/21/20
Period 8
Modern Mythology 21



At this current point in time, what specific goal(s) do you have for yourself? Why?

I feel like the pandemic has made me rethink what my goals really were - when before I lived more-or-less carefree, with very long-term goals that I wouldn’t have to work forwards for until college, now I feel as if the world is reminding me that sometimes we won’t have the opportunity to live without worries. My specific goals for myself have humbled, at least short-term-wise - I’m focusing more on bettering myself and fixing my perception on myself and others around me, as well as sorting out what long-term priorities would be most important to me. In addition, I’m focusing on honing in on my specific hobbies and abilities that would come in useful in the future due to my career path.


How do you demonstrate resilience towards achieving this goal? (or these goals?)

It’s very hard to try to work on yourself when none of your support group is around you because they’re all self isolated. I feel like the best thing I can do as of now is to try to be kinder to myself and hold a more forgiving mental attitude, and take quarantine day by day. Additionally, when it comes to my hobbies, I tend to avoid listening to non-constructive criticism from the people that surround me, and focus on learning more about how to do better on my own.


How does the world around you affect your perception of this goal? (or these goals?)

The pandemic and general chaos of the current world has made me realize that I need to prioritize certain goals now, and cannot wait any longer to work towards them. I’ve realized that life is too short and unpredictable to spend your time dreaming about what you could do and how you could better yourself instead of actually doing those things and working towards those goals. Self-isolation has forced many of us to self-reflect about ourselves, our surroundings, and the world, and for me it’s taught me I need to work harder.