Final Paper
English 123
Dayle Janhunen
When I signed up for this class I had no idea what to expect. Even after I had bought my book I knew that some of our topics were going to be on the retellings of stories, but I had no idea that so many different kinds of stories were so closely tied together. Now that I know this, I find myself watching movies and reading other stories to see if I can figure out what it is a retelling of.
This class has also made me more interested in older literature because this is where the stories first began and I think that by knowing these stories it will help me understand where “new” stories come from and how they are twisted and retold in a different version.
While I was reading plays, such as Hamlet in high school it had never occurred to me that many of the movies and stories that I had read and watched were all produced because of Hamlet. When I am a teacher I am going to make sure that I introduce this concept to my students. I think that teaching a whole unit on retellings will vastly increase the student’s appreciation for literature, just as it has for me.
I also believe that it is very important to note that many stories are retold in different cultures. The common factors and the differences in the stories are a good window to learn about new cultures and their views and norms on life. The retelling of Cinderella, Yeh-hsien, is a perfect example of this. By comparing the Chinese version to the American version it is plain to see the differences in the cultural norms of the two societies. Just by reading the American version and comparing it to the Chinese version it is obvious that American culture is obsessed with female beauty, happy endings and revenge on those that have done wrong to us. However the Chinese version is not solely focused on Cinderella a character and this may be because women were thought less of in Chinese culture than men. Also, the fact that the sister is not as mean and sinister in the Chinese version makes me think that Chinese culture does not focus on jealousy and rivalry. These points can be compared and contrasted by students of any age. That is why retellings would make a great teaching tool.
Another point learned in this class is how important one author can be and how that person can affect the lives of so many people with their work. While I was doing research on W.B. Yeates and his poem The Second Coming I was completely mesmerized by his life and the way he expressed his ideas through his writing. This poem was the hot topic through the turn of the century and is still a hot topic among many biblical analysts.
William Shakespere is another author and poet who has changed the way we view literature today. He set the criteria in stone for the way a story should be told. I believe that is why so many of his stories, plays and poems are retold today. His imagination, language and writing technique are very well-respected, even among those who do not know anything about literature.
Those who do not know anything about literature can only say, “The Cathedral is Tall”. They have no understanding about what literature really means or how it affects their lives. Now that I have taken this class, I can say so much more than, “The Cathedral is Tall”. At the beginning of this class we were much like the narrator in the Cathedral. Our descriptions were weak and we were often annoyed when we would have to answer questions or exlplain what a text meant to us. However, these last four weeks have opened our eyes to all of the vast meanings behind works of literature. Now we have a new found respect for ancient works and most of us enjoy deciphering the literature to find the deeper meaning. If someone had asked me what The Tempest meant to me four weeks ago, I would have laughed at them and said, “What?”. Now I have the knowledge to be able to explain this wonderful play to other people. I also know how important the play is to literature. I am really happy that I learned that information. I truly believe that it will make me a better person and teacher to my students when I graduate.
Another important aspect to this class was the Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? cluster. This story is such a huge basis on so many motion pictures that are coming out today. It also has a great deal of ties to other types of stories, such as Little Red Riding Hood. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? is a great story by itself. It did not need to be retold in so many different ways. However, the fact that it has been retold so many times proves what a great story it really is. Other authors obviously had a great deal of respect for Joyce Carol Oates’ novel and wanted to be a part of that respect. I believe this is why so many great stories are retold. The authors want to find ways of enhancing the original story and they put their own twists on it so that they can call it there own. There is nothing wrong with this aspect. I think that it is a great idea and I think that many authors would love to have their stories retold over and over again.
After taking this class, I have learned so much about literature and the stories behind the stories. It has become a new found interest of mine, one that I will keep looking into and learning more about. Like I said, I will definitely incorporate a retelling unit into my classroom when I become a teacher. I would have loved to learn about these aspects when I was younger, I may have appreciated literature a little more.
