Mythology and Folklore

This week's reading consisted of reading both units of Adam and Eve. While I knew the story beforehand, I really enjoyed being able to retell it in my own words so that is is perhaps more attuned to contemporary language. In addition, I also worked on my storybook idea which I am really excited to begin. I think some of the stories I found regarding the Greek gods will be interesting to read, and I cannot wait to share it with my own taste. My storybook is going to present the Greek gods and other Greek mythological figures as applicants to colleges, and I will use their "college applications" to retell their stories and myths. I believe the stories of Apollo, Artemis, and Atlas that I have found will lead to some of noteworthy applications. Outside of school, I was really excited to have gone to the first football game last Sunday. I am a huge fan of night football games, and the white-out theme created a cool and new atmosphere that I had never experienced before. Even ...

The article "Why Do So Many Managers Avoid Giving Praise?" provided an interesting perspective of people who are in position to give feedback often. I found it striking that some managers would get nervous before giving negative feedback and would even avoid giving negative feedback to some employees. However, it was even more surprising that managers were less likely to give positive feedback. I find good and negative feedback to both be imperative, but often I see the most growth through negative feedback. Negative feedback allows me to analyze my work from a perspective outside of my own which often brings to light errors and mistakes that I would not normally see. However, I do agree positive feedback is important as this can signal thatnwork being done is approved and should be continued, an important message for someone to have. The other article, "How to Give Bad Feedback Without Being a Jerk", gave some methods to providing the negative feedback that is need...

For my storybook I have chosen to examine the Greek gods from a unique perspective: college applications. Essentially, the storybook would be set up similarly to the Common Application that countless high school students encounter while applying to colleges but with a Greek mythology twist. Each god or goddess will write a "college application" describing a personal experience and why they are an ideal candidate for university. The personal experiences will be taken from myths of the deities. Story 1: Apollo slaying python College applications are meant to highlight the best of applicants as colleges want to accept the best students. This story will have Apollo appealing for his sake by showcasing his slaying of the dragon-serpent python. There is not too much detail in the story, but Apollo's college application will delve more into the battle. Link: https://www.theoi.com/Ther/DrakainaPython.html Story 2: Artemis and Orion This college application would focus...

Imagine for there to be nothing in existence. It is a difficult prosepct to percieve yet, one day God decided to put forth the world into being. This was a difficult process however. "How shall I create the world and the things that exist upon it?", pondered the mighty Lord himself. The answer was easy. "I shall make man after my own image,: ideal, perfect, and holy", God remarked to his surrounding angels. Thus, with the use of his mighty powers, he created the first man and named him Adam. Yet where would Adam reside, roam, and grow as the first human being? God went busy to work developing and planning his world. He created numerous plants and trees as well as day and night. The work was so long that after six days of creating the world, he had to take rest on the seventh day. Finally, Adam had a world to reside in, but God gave him a special place to live. The Garden of Eden was the epitome of perfection. Rich plants were bountiful, animals lived freely, and wor...

The second part of the Adam and Eve unit brought closure to the two titular characters. Much of the story was a contrast to the beginning of Adam and Eve as the God punished the two for their transgression. Adam and Eve are exposed to much of the opposite of what is seen in The Garden such as darkness, a desire for water, and heat from the sun. This stark contrast from the paradise of what they had experienced before makes it clear to the reader the severity of their sin. Additionally, Part B brings back the serpent and his role as an adversary. Yet, this time God is able to foil his plans and takes away his ability to speak. The serpent's characterization as a villain has not changed from the previous stories. However, Adam and Eve do see a transformation in Part B. Having been favored among God, they soon fall out his favor and are forced to dwell in a cave for five and half days. The culmination of the story does lead to Adam and Eve falling back into good grace as they offer th...

Comparing the story of Adam and Eve in the King James Version and the Ginzberg version shows a difference in presentation of the genesis story. While the King James version was more difficult to read, it did align more with the true content of the story as the Ginzberg version was written through a Jewish perspective. Although the plot is well known and it can be difficult to comment on religious stories, I think it it is interesting to analyze the characters of Adam among the two versions. The King James version is not as "hyperbolic' in the description of Adam as compared to Ginzberg. This may due to Ginzber's story being quite longer than the King James version. Nevertheless, Ginzberg presents Adam as supernatural before his downfall, having a height that reached the heavens. He is also described as having celestial clothing that prevents him from being seen as naked. Additionally, Ginzberg makes use of much personification in his stories, The moon, sun, and Earth are ...