Myths: Ovid's Metamorphosis “Pyramus and Thisbe”

“Pyramus and Thisbe” was a tragedy love story during the Babylonian century. Young Pyramus and Thisbe lived next door to each other. They grew up together and were a deeply in love and longed to get married. Their relationship was forbid by their parents. Separated by a wall, they have no way to communicate to one another. At last, they found a crack on the wall and eventually used it to whisper their love for each other. Their love grew stronger until they couldn’t refrain again. Finally, they decided to meet at a tomb near a mulberries tree and run away. That night, Thisbe arrived first. She saw a lioness with a mouth bloody from a recent kill nearby the stream. She was horrified and quickly run away, leaving behind her veil. The lioness found her veil and played with it. Soon after the lioness left, Pyramus arrived. He tracked no sign of Thisbe but her blood contained veil. He assumed that a fierce beast had killed her. He blamed himself for coming late and so he stabbed himself to death, splashing blood on the white mulberry leaves. Pyramus' blood stained the white mulberry fruits, turning them dark. When Thisbe returned, she was so eager to share with Pyramus what had happened to her, but she found Pyramus’ dead body under the mulberry tree. Thisbe couldn’t bear the pain losing her lover. She took Pyramus’ sword and stabbed herself. In the end, the gods listened to Thisbe's lament, and forever changed the color of the mulberry fruits into the stained color to honor the forbidden love.

Myths, like legends and folktales, provides rich source of material for teaching lessons. Students can improve their critical thinking skills by determining the fundamental themes carried by the story. Teacher can conduct activities such as drama in class. This activity will help the students to understand the story as myths is often constructed chronologically. They will start to imagine the story and have the picture in their mind. The ability to imagine also allows the students to understand the story where they actually learn to infer the story from a contextual setting to a pictorial setting! Besides that, students will improve their language competency, vocabulary knowledge and also cultivating good listening and reading skills. Nevertheless, while working together in a group for the drama, students learn the importance of team work. They can also improve their communication skills while working as a group!

Folktales: 'The Son of the Turtle Spirit'

Folktales are popular everywhere. They have lived for ages despite any culture around the world, passed from generation to generation to create bondage with traditional values. In the past, folktales were told orally but today, they are transmitted in a printed version and also shown electronically on screen. Many of us today grow up listening to folktales sometime during our childhood. I remember the most the folktale cartoon entitled ‘The Seven Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor’ played on the TV when I was still young. The adventures story about the young sailor Sinbad amused me the most!

‘The son of the turtle spirit’ is an interesting tales of the Chinese culture. It is about the human- spirit relationship likewise to the folktale screened in cinema last year ‘the Sorcerer and the White Snake’. ‘The son of the turtle spirit’ is a story with supernatural element where it is about a turtle that lives in a pond; manifest himself a human at night to yield the girl that it is fond of which at the end, killed when its identity was revealed. As usual, folktales always have moralistic values in the story line. One of the moral values found in the story is to be a filial person. The son of the turtle spirit seeks permission from his mother when he decided to help the rich man to succeed his plan and he followed all the instructions given by his mother.

Folktales teaching in a classroom will be of so much fun. Teacher can ask the student to share with their classmates the folktales that they have heard before. Besides that, teacher can discuss about the moral values found in the story or to ask about the students’ reflections on the story. Such a happening and interactive learning process will strengthen the students’ ability to do impromptu speech and at the same time cultivating the spirit of sharing among the students. Apart from listening to the sharing by the students, the teacher can also expose the students to a wider variety of folktales around the world by giving some examples of folktales such as ‘Tokoyo and the Sea Monster’ (Japanese folktale) and ‘How water lilies began’ (England folktale) or ‘The Rain God’s Daughter’ (African folktale).

You are what you think you are – Peale

Psychologists have confirmed that men tend to act according to the most self-image mode. Which mean you will act the way you think you would be after acknowledging the type of a person you are. If you think you are a kind person you will always be kind and do things in the most the easy-going way. Similarly, if you think that you are honest, you will be treating people fair and square, and there will always a sense of justice in all of your doings. And if you think that you are not to be trifled, then when people mess up with you, you will definitely not to let them go easily. To conclude, what kind of a person you think you are turn to mold the person you appear to be.

This quote by Norman Vincent Peale was a simple but yet very strong quote. It reminds me to always be careful with my own thoughts and the self-image I have in my mind and learn to discover who I am not from other peoples’ view side but from the inner side of myself. The type of person we are will affect the decision we make and the decision we make shapes us the person we are today. Sometimes, a seemingly simple choice, like selecting a job, a dress or a friend are actually crucial decision used to define who you are. Therefore, the journey to understand ourselves is indeed not for a short period of time, it’s a lifelong process.

Mariah by Che Husna Azhari

Mariah

Mariah was a widowed nasi seller in Molo, a small village in Kelantan, who at the same time so much admired by the village men. She was regarded as a threat or a troublemaker by the society especially the women in the village because their husbands neglect their home cooking and pursue to Mariah’s Kedai Merpati for her nasi berlauk. The village Imam who has been married fifteen years with Cik Yam discovered that Mariah looks so much alike to his past love, the Sheikh’s daughter during his first visit to Mariah’s stall. He started to breakfast more frequently there until when he finally decided to take Mariah as his second wife. His decision was agreed by Cik Yam out of her love towards the Imam. The marriage received blessings from the community as the issue with the troublemaker may be put to an end when the most righteous Imam marry Mariah and at the same time resolved the childless problem in the Imam and Cik Yam’s marriage.

          The writer, Che Husna Azhari highlighted several issues in this story and eventually uncovered some problems women encounter in the Malay society. First and foremost, Che Husna Azhari storied about the perception to see widowed women or any women without husband as threats or spinsters in the Malay society from the plot of the story when the village ladies visited the Imam’s house and talk bad about Mariah to Cik Yam. They reckoned that Mariah is the troublemaker in their village and accuse that she put ‘something’ in her nasi to attract customers. In old times, widowed or unmarried women had often classified as the weak group and need protection from men and therefore men offered themselves and provided protection through marriage (most of the time a polygamy marriage). In my opinion, widowed woman shall not be regarded as a threat nor should she be seen as a spinster or a troublemaker. Such thinking and serious accusation should be eliminated from the mindset of every person. Besides, I personally disagree with the thought that women are weak and need protection from men. Today’s women are independent. Mariah is a very good example of an independent woman. She makes her own living by selling Nasi and depends on nobody but herself. She behaved just as normal as the others and was morally well kept too. Therefore, she definitely is not to be blamed as the culprit when husbands neglect their wives cooking at home nor she is to be seen as a weak person since she survived for years without a husband.

                The writer also highlighted the polygamy issue in this story. Although polygamy is not an illegal practice and in fact it is religiously permitted in certain religion but I still don’t think that it is a right relationship one should have. Marriage should be purely between two people. Not three or four! The couple should uphold the lifelong promises, give commitment to both parties, to accept the good and bad parts of their spouse and to tolerate and experience good and bad times together. I feel disappointed with the Imam in this story. He blamed Cik Yam as the culprit for the heirless issue in their marriage but never discuss this matter with his wife or to resolve their problem such as seeking medical advice and treatment. In fact, fertility problem not only happen to woman but to man as well. Just how awful he is by accusing Cik Yam without evidence and medical proof! If the problem comes from the Imam, he will never have his own blood even after he marries Mariah. Polygamy could not promise a happily ever after ending in a family and in fact it gives rise to family problem as polygamy families are often dramatic. Quarrels between wife and mistresses, competition between the children, fights for attentions and so on are among the problems encountered in a polygamous family. The Imam promises Cik Yam that his love for her will be continuous even after his marriage with Mariah but things are subjected to changes. No one knows how long the promise will last and jealously is always as deadly as poison. Can Mariah and Cik Yam live happily under one roof, sharing the love of their husband?

Fables : The Fox and the Crow

The Fox and the Crow

Aesop’s Fables “The Fox and the Crow” is an interesting story with a particular moral and teach a lesson to children and kids.  It provides great entertainment as reading story is for fun and enjoyment. Applying fables in our language classroom can make a lesson interesting, the kids having fun because the length for the stories are shorts can attract children’s attention.

Besides that, the language use also simple and straightforward, easy to understand. The theme and characters appeal in the stories are humorous and entertaining for kids of all ages.  The characters of fables usually animals who act and talk like human which retaining animal traits.

We can apply this story in our teaching when teach about the topic of animals. From the story, we are introducing two different animals – fox and crow.  Can use picture or illustration, big book to get the kids to talk or describe about the features of fox and crow. Also can get the kids role play the story with their own words.

Apply moral value in the end of the lesson and relate this story to daily situation. “Do not trust flatterers”.  Example: Do not open the door for a stranger when staying alone at home.  As to conclude, “as cunning as a fox,” an English idioms that can be use to explain a situation relate to daily living. A stranger just like the fox will think for tricks to achieve their target. So, do not trust or talk to a stranger.

The Sick Rose by William Blake

                 The Sick Rose

After reading this poem, I try to understand why the poet gives the poem titled “The Sick Rose”. From the poem, especially the selection of words reviewed the range of contradictory and complementary meanings. The rose symbolizes lots of things which related in our daily life.  It can be beauty, perfection, passion…etc.  It shares the common motifs of death and destruction in the collection, telling of a rose that has reached the end of its lifespan in the advent of the creeping winter.

This poem can be applied in a literature classroom, it is easy to understand and students will have fun in learning literature.  How to get students’ to love poetry? How to get their attention to our lesson? These questions always appear in my mind when preparing a lesson.  I am a primary school teacher and I never teach poetry in my language classroom. But one day if I am given a chance to teach a poem in my lesson, “The Sick Rose” will be my choice.

First, I will pose an illustration or picture to get my students discuss and talk about the picture shown based on their understanding. Then will get the student to read the poem and play with the words by guessing its meaning or searching the meaning from dictionary. Lastly, relate their findings to daily experience.

I choose this poem because it can use to relate and give different references like the darker side of human nature, and the death resulting from it.  The rose is slowly dismantled by a number of factors – “the invisible worm” and “the howling storm” in which the rose doesn’t stand a chance.  The “crimson joy” could be a symbol of passion and love.  It represents the bloodshed in the loss of virginity.  This may also suggest an affair, shown by the word joy.

Conclusion, reading and learning literature is fun.

“Symbolism found in John Steinbeck’s literary works.”

The Chrysanthemums

John Steinbeck’s work “The Chrysanthemums” brings symbolism into play to represent Elisa Allen’s frustrations and hidden passions. Elisa’s failing detached marriage is represented through two symbols; the Chrysanthemums and fences. He draws pity from the reader for Elisa Allen who desperately wishes to experience the passions of a fulfilling marriage and the stimulation of a man’s life. He also creates a sexually repressed and discouraged Elisa Allen who is isolated from society however still retaining their values and is also trapped in a fruitless marriage.

Steinbeck has placed on Elisa all of the abilities of a man, and described her animalistic nature in the same way he describes his other male main characters, such as Kino, from “The Pearl.” Throughout Steinbeck’s stories strong male characters are known to snarl, or growl, or act in other animal like ways, but in “The Chrysanthemums” this role is reversed, and the female character, Elisa, is given these qualities. Aside from the style juxtaposition, Steinbeck liberates Elisa of children, another stereotypical female constraint, and describes her strength, her affinity with plants and the land, and the stoic manner that she presents herself. By giving her so many masculine features, but keeping the character as a woman, Steinbeck is making a universal claim that women are equal to men, by making Elisa relatable to male readers.

Reading John Steinbeck’s work was a great experience. This story has been regarded as one of Steinbeck’s finest pieces of fiction. Critics are divided, for example, over whether Elisa is sympathetic or unsympathetic, powerful or powerless. Few modern short stories have built up such a body of criticisms as “The Chrysanthemums”, as readers have tried to establish Elisa’s reasons for her dissatisfaction with married life.

As to conclude, male went out to work to earn living, they are the breadwinner for a family in the past, but now it has totally changed. Women also play an important role in a family. Steinbeck is making a feministic appeal for woman’s equality by highlighting Elisa's strengths, her power, and her abilities, is making it clear than women do have more to offer than being trapped in their homes. Henry himself says, even if he may only be joking, that Elisa would be helpful working on the ranch based on her talent at growing large and healthy chrysanthemums.