Introduction:
I chose to research the genre of fables, specifically Aesop’s fables. I only informed of the basics of fables. To be frank with you I don’t even think there is much to know about fables. What is there to know? They contain lessons, animals, and they are short. From time to time people use them in their quotidian day to back up their opinions. Especially authority figures like parents, teachers, and, well I can just think of those two. Personally I believe that “Don’t let things for the last minute” is their favorite one. “Why haven’t you done your homework?”… oh wait, that does not apply to fables. Well in summation my knowledge on fables is very superficial.
The reason for me selecting fables is because they have an important meaning. Fables are quite significant to the people because they teach us fundamental lessons about life in a short and fascinating way. The average intelligence quotient around the world is quite low/normal. The reason for me to state this opinion is because if fables were to be complex, they wouldn’t be so famous and known. Even if we do not realize it, we unconsciously think of fables, or at least their morals, when it comes to making decisions. We are influenced tous les jours with their catchy morals, at least I am.
Search:
I embarked this tremendous trajectory on December 13, 2013 when we received the exciting news that we were starting an I-search paper! Oh yes, writing a six page long essay on only fifteen short stories will be so facile. NOT!!! On the bright side each day working on this project had led me to new insights and fantastic knowledge about Aesop and his fables. Which sincerely I thought there was not much to know. The first step was quite simple due to the fa...
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...t quite important. Fables provide people with simple rules to living life. Fables have been passed down generation to generation; this means that they actually help people with their lives even if it is in a small aspect. Fables are all around us and they guide us continuously.
Works Cited
“Aesop.” Encyclopedia of World Biography Vol. 24 Detroit Gale. N.p., 2005 Web. 20 Dec.
2013.
“Aesop’s Fables 1983.” Youtube. SpaceHunterM, 8 Aug. 2012. Web. 21 Jan. 2014
“Aesop’s Fables” Aesop’s Fables. N.p., 2011. Web. 21 Jan. 2014.
“Alphabetical Index of Fables.” Aesop’s Fables. University of Massachussetts Amherst, N.d.,
Web. 21 Jan. 2014.
Chesterton, G.K. “Introduction to Aesop’s Fables.” The Chesterton Review Feb/May 2007 1&2
(2001): 17-20
“Fable” Discovering Authors Detroit Gale, 2003 Student Resources in context. Web. 20 Dec.
2013
The Odyssey - Scylla and Charybdis & nbsp; One of the most difficult tasks as a parent is to teach your child life lessons. Many have tried, and many have failed. But over the ages, the most successful ideas have come in the form of a story or tale. Aesops Fables, nursery rhymes, and other tales of caution are used even today to teach this common knowledge one must have. In the Greek civilization, thousands of years ago, many children were taught through these fun and interesting stories.
Fairy tales connect to our owns lives, dreams, anxieties, and help us to consider what we would do in their shoes. Many cultures have their own spin on common fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty, with their own cultural flavor. We read those versions and know that we share something important and the hope for good to overcome evil.
For centuries, authors have been writing stories about man's journey of self-discovery. Spanning almost three-thousand years, the Epic of Gilgamesh, Homer's Odyssey, and Dante's Inferno are three stories where a journey of self-discovery is central to the plot. The main characters, Gilgamesh, Telemachus, and Dante, respectively, find themselves making a journey that ultimately changes them for the better. The journeys may not be exactly the same, but they do share a common chain of events. Character deficiencies and external events force these three characters to embark on a journey that may be physical, metaphorical, or both. As their journeys progress, each man is forced to overcome certain obstacles and hardships. At the end of the journey, each man has been changed, both mentally and spiritually. These timeless tales relate a message that readers throughout the ages can understand and relate to.
In this essay I will compare and contrast the qualities and plights of both Aeneas and Gilgamesh. These two epic heroes share similar fates, yet are very different in personality.
Fairy tales have been engraved into human culture since the beginning of time. They are passed orally or sometimes written down in books and poems. Childrens fairy tales can be used to inspire ideas and dream while as serving as fear factor to keep the youth in line. Adults look at fairy tales more as a far away fantasy that they will never be able to reach, because of the constraints of the real world. Fairy tales will be around forever because they provide a staple in society for the lessons they teach and the entertainment they bring. “The Bold Knight, the Apples of Youth , and the Water of Life” is a tale of the youngest of three sons completing a quest for his elder blind father.
Short stories and fables give essential insight on life and convey a deeper understanding of the basic fundamental and intellectual lessons of life. Over the ages many stories and fables have been told from generation to generation to help people understand and grow intellectually/mentally to live a life which is one with yourself and everyone in relation to you. One such story which is deep in its morals is The Giraffe by Mauro Senesi. This story portrays a strong message, and when I read this book I was deeply affected emotionally as well as intellectually. This story helped me understand how accepting the most subtle change to the most significant change is important, it helped me understand
Tracy, Stephen V., The story of the Odyssey. Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, c1990. PA4167 .T7 1990
The reasons why fairy tales embed into the social psyche is the simplistic and plot driven nature of the story. Even the smallest child instantly understands the characteristics and motifs of the story. It is set with simple characters with one characteristic for example the wicked stepmother is only every wicked. There are no further details as to how or why she became wicked. The actions of the character further enhance this singular characteristic. The primary drive of the story is the plot with repeated refrains in text and in character’s discourse but with a non-specific setting and period. Few fairy tales include fairies in them but are abound with fantastical creatures and events. The fantastical is still believable as it merely bends the laws of physics.
Throughout history it is known that fairy tales were written to teach children lessons about life in a way they could understand and that is fun and unique. Authors of fairy tales put simple lessons into the stories so the children could understand them easily while reading. Whether this be a lesson to be nice to all people, like in Cinderella, or to not judge someone by their appearance, like in Donkey Skin, both by Charles Perrault. Each fairytale has a moral that can be found throughout reading the stories that teach children right from wrong while letting them use their imaginations to discover that moral. The good and the bad lets them express their thoughts openly, rather it be their negative thoughts through the villian or their
One of the reasons I think stories such as fables are important to people is because they let people express complex ideas in an easy to understand fashion. The Search: To get started with my research on fables I looked up the definition of “fable”. I also asked my mother what she thought a fable was, and she ended up describing a fairy tale. I found out that fables were mostly stories revolving around animals acting out an event with a moral to it. Then I went to a website where all the fables were listed and just started reading all of them, listing the ones I wanted to write about.
The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey both are held in high respect by literature analysts and historians alike for the characterization of the hero and his companion, the imagery brought to mind when one of them is read, and the impressive length in relation to the time period it was written in. The similarities that these two epics share do not end with only those three; in fact, the comparability of these works extend to even the information on the author and the archetypes used. However, The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh contrast from one another in their writing styles, character details, and main ideas. Both epics weave together a story of a lost man who must find his way, but the path of their stories contrast from one another.
...g through these tales. And in an ironic way it gives a sense of harmony among parents and their children through all the rebellion and decision making. These tales offer truths and opportunities of expression. That’s why I think they are important.
Aesop’s fables were written around 300 BCE, and originated from Greece (“Aesop par. 6). Although most of the fables are about animals, they display the characteristics of humans. Fables are usually short and easy to comprehend, and all fables have their own morals, however; some fables have more than one. Aesop’s fables may seem childish and pointless, but they were written to point out the flaws and strengths of human beings. Most fables have a central problem that the main character must solve, and have been very important to society as a whole.
Normally, when one was a child, our parents would tell us fairy tales as bed time stories, or to simply entertain us. This is a worldwide tradition in which every parent tells their child the stories they were told when they were little, or new stories. There are infinite stories to be told as well as infinite stories that have already been written or told. The stories told by our parents have influenced us and still influence us in our beliefs and values today. Throughout our childhood, we have been told many stories that teach us to be brave and courageous, respect others, love ourselves and others, to obey orders, and even to help and
Fairy tales have been a part of our lives for as long we can remember and they have long lasting repercussions. These stories go as far back as the early 1600's when the stories of sleeping beauty began to surface ("Sleeping Beauty") As always the dominate theme in these tall tales is love. Nothing could make a story more interesting than a love affair between a knight and a fair maiden. Through the centuries, the art of telling stories has captivated listeners and readers as they developed and grew. The more you heard the more intrigued you became and by the end the story tell would have you sitting on the edge of your seat ready to jump up and scream at the exciting finale to come. Whether these legends ever actually happened or not doesn't even matter if it entertains you. Telling stories is a purely recreational act but it might have heavier consequences on our relationships in life that we never expected.