TED TALK

The video was very difficult to understand. It was helpful to go over it after. The speaker actually made some interesting points about culture and how the stories that are passed down help maintain a cultural identity. I enjoyed our discussion after about different customs and how something that can be normal in one culture can be rude in another.

Comments on "Sandman" by Neil Gaiman

I found this excerpt difficult to read and understand even with there being pictures. I had no interest in it at all. I guess all the hidden satanic symbols within the illustrations made me not want to read what was on the page. I wasn't too comfortable with it. It's not what I expect to read in an english class.

Comments on "Latino USA"

I really enjoyed how the pictures went well with what was being said in the word bubbles. It had that same sarcastic undertone at times. I'm assuming the author is also the illustrator and thats probably another reason why it went so well together. In some pictures I could tell what was basically going on before reading it. I also liked how a range of different topics were spoken about but they all seemed to flow together. I also liked the use of the characters and how they were introduced in the beginning. Overall is was enjoyable to read.

Comments on "Graphic Memoirs Come of Age" by William Bradley

I'm not entirely sure what Bradley wanted to explain in this article. At first he talks about the term "graphic novel" and how some works don't fit into this description. He later talks about Bechdel's works specifically. I didn't find this article interesting except for the part where he discusses whats "closures" are. Besides that I couldn't really get into it because I didn't read the works he was discussing. Even if I had, I don't see the point in his analysis.

Comments on "Empowerment Through Mythological Imaginings in Woman Warrior"

One part I found interesting in this article is when Johnston explains how Kingston's "experiences in both Chinese and American societies have fired her with anger." Since Kingston can not do as the swordswoman does she gets her anger out through writing. I like how Johnston says "she turns her oppression inside out."

One part that I wasn't too sure what Johnston meant was when she said "Kingston shares with the reader the gift of seeing mythically rather than logically, a gift that is implicitly Chinese." This is something I would like to know further about.

Comments on "America Indian Myths and Legends"

I enjoyed reading the myths that were selected for this book. The introduction, however, I found a little boring. Some parts stood out to me like how Native Americans follow the pace of "Indian time" and how there is a strong association between geography and myths. Some other parts I found unnecessary.

One thing that opened by eyes was how the author explained that depending on where the Indians lived, the legends would vary. I probably would have just bunched all Indian myths into one category before reading that.

The myths themselves for the most part seem to try and explain something that is already in existence. First with "When Grizzlies Walked Upright," the myth explains why grizzly bears walk on four paws and don't speak as well as where Indians originated from. Then with "The Quillwork Girl and Her Seven Star Brothers," the myth explains how the big dipper was formed. In "How the People Got Arrowheads," the myth explains where people got their arrowheads to hunt with. I also felt like when I was reading these myths it is like I can hear someone reading them. They sound like they were originally spoken and then recorded through word of mouth.

Comments on "Porto Rican Folklore" by Peter J. Hamilton

I found this article very interesting because I am currently learning about how the Americas came to be. It's cool to learn how colonization has affected folklore traditions. The section about witches stood out to me the most. The beginning of this article states that Puerto Rico was settled by Spaniards with some "Indian and large negro admixture." The West Indies have been known to practice witchcraft derived from Africa according to Hamilton. I believe this is where talk of witches and witches would have stemmed from. 

The three folktales weren't as I thought they would be. They seemed very dry and straight forward. I feel like death or pain was something spoken of very easily. I also felt as though just the folktale "The Ant in Search of Her Leg" had a message I could take with me.