11th Grade World Literature

Week 2: September 4-8, 2016

Last week was a great introduction to our class and an opportunity to get back into the swing of things.
We reviewed literary devices, read two short stories, and used family trees to talk about how individuals,
families, communities, and places are linked.
This week we focusing on the stories that tie communities together. Myths, legends, fairy tales, sagas, and
fables all inhabit a space in storytelling traditions. In this, they often help create, define, and unite
communities. We will read an academic chapter on the role these stories play in binding communities
together. We will also do a comparative assessment of varying kinds of folklore, and will talk about the
modern, real-world implications of these stories.
Specific concepts: oral and literary storytelling traditions; community building; defining modern
communities through ancient stories.
Texts: Jack Zipes The Cultural Evolution of Storytelling and Fairy Tales: Human Communication and Memetics;
How Spider (Anansi) Obtained the Sky-Gods Stories; Anancy and Common Sense; The Legend of Son
Tinh and Thuy Tinh; The Legend of the Milky Way; The Skilled Huntsman; Cinderella.

Project: Modernizing a tale

Looking ahead: After the break we will begin with our first novel.