The semester is drawing to a close and I have yet more papers to write for the end of the semester. I have two that I find particularly challenging. One is for my British Lit class (oy vey) and the other is for my Folklore class (which is interesting but lacking in both the folk and lore departments). Here’s the deal with both:
Folklore: We’ve been reading books like The Joy Luck Club and Ernest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying. Both books I truly enjoyed. I love Amy Tan’s use of the mother-daughter relationship and the struggle between generations. Ernest Gaines tale pre-War Louisiana is gripping, as Grant Wiggins, tries to make a innocent man on deathrow a man before time runs out. The two links I love between these texts is food. Food is always present in our lives and is folkloric and thematic element in both works. How would I go about talking about both and their power in a folkloric setting?!
British Lit: Beowulf and King Arthur – Fame and Fortune, both are examples of pristine knights. Beowulf is the old english hero, who dies after a mortal wound, inflicted by a dragon. Both hope for great riches and treasure for their people, but fate issues them a bad hand.
Any thoughts?
Musings of an English Major 