Famous Last Words for Week 4

I can't believe we are already 1/4th of the way through this semester.  Since I'm a senior and will be graduating in May, so many things keep getting me emotional.  

For example, I got so sad at the football game this weekend.  The second I stepped into the stands and looked out over the field I became overcome with the urge to cry.  I didn't though in case you're wondering.  I just felt sad because this is the last football season ever that I'll get to cheer on my school's team.  I know I'll still support them when I'm an alumni but it's just not the same okay!!!!!!

Anyways, I really did have a great time at the game.  I went home the weekend of the first game so this was the start of the season for me.  The rest of the day I spent hanging out with old friends and making new ones!  My roommate and I were so exhausted after the game that we took a nap pretty much for the rest of the day.  But hey, I'm not complaining.  

Speaking of getting oddly emotional today was my last big little ever.  If you don't know what that is it's when the little sisters are revealed or matched up with their big sisters, and honestly it's a lot of fun.  I'm senior so I just mainly got to hang out with and get to know some of the freshman members of our sorority.  We went rollerskating afterwards, so this made for a much more eventful Sunday night than ususal. 

 

(Personal photo taken in September 2015.)

This week was plenty eventful and a lot of it was so much fun.  I hope the rest of the semester goes like this and I can say goodbye to college the right way.   But you never know what the future might hold.  

Essay: Common Themes of Turkish Fairy Tales

This week I read a collection of fairy tales all from Turkey.  They were very entertaining and I feel like influenced a lot of other fairy tales that I'm familiar with.  One thing I noticed is that a lot of the tales had some common themes or motifs within them.  

Happily ever after was a major theme in most of the stories, which is something that I like to see when I read fairy tales.  I found this interesting because when you compare fairy tale Disney movies to their origins they are often made much happier and kid-friendly.  

For example, Sleeping Beauty is raped in the original and "The Little Mermaid" ends up committing suicide after the Prince chooses to marry someone else.  Not in Turkish fairy tales though, these original fairy tales seemed to have plenty of happy endings.  Which as a reader, I greatly appreciated because no one wants to find out the depressing origins of their favorite fairy tale characters after thinking they lead beautiful lives.  

Another interesting theme I discovered is that in many of the different tales it had characters turning into animals, mostly birds.  I LOVE this.  It just makes me think that back in the day people thought the world was so magical and that people turning into animals was something that actually happened.  Could you imagine looking at a beautiful bird and legitimately wondering if it was a bird or maybe a fairy in disguise?  That might be a strange thought, but I really wonder what it would be like to grow up in a time when wizards, fairies and magic were all considered very real.  

(Pinterest)

I thoroughly enjoyed this week's section and if I ever see some Turkish fairy tales at a book store I will be sure to check them out.  I seriously think these have been my favorite readings thus far. 

Reading Diary B: Turkish Fairy Tales

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts of the second section of Turkish Fairy Tales from the Turkish Fairy Tales unit. Story source: Forty-four Turkish Fairy Tales by Ignacz Kunos, with illustrations by Willy Pogany (1913).

•  This first tale reminds me Cinderella.  I had no idea how many influences Cinderella may have had!
• I feel immature but all I can think of when I read "The Bey" is Bae.  
• This relationship between the woodcutter and his wife seems abusive.
• I love that the wife terrifies the imp, like she is the monster instead of him.  
• WOW so the woodcutter ends up with two wives after ditching his first.  Happily Ever After. 
• How did a poor goose wind up in this mess with the ring...
• **Ring was found at the expense of the goose.
• The story with the Wizard had me a little confused.
• With the story about the liver all I can think is "you gotta spend money to make money right?"  
• I just love this line, "WE were three brothers; two of us were silly, and neither of us had a bit of sense."
• It's such a cop out for it to end in a dream.   

 

(Madjun from the UnTextbook.)

Reading Diary A: Turkish Fairy Tales

This is a Reading Diary that details my thoughts of the first section of Turkish Fairy Tales from the Turkish Fairy Tales unit. Story source: Forty-four Turkish Fairy Tales by Ignacz Kunos, with illustrations by Willy Pogany (1913).

• I love that in the story about the boy and fear it shows how in the end fear is just a concept.  You don't actually have to be afraid of anything. 
• This seems like an Achilles story.  Whereas Achilles is the greatest warrior until your hit his ankle this boy is the bravest person until you shock him with a little bird.  
• "They lived happily ever after."  Is this just the line that makes stories a fairy tale?
•  Turkish fairy tales have a lot of birds turning into women...
• Randomly turning them into a garden must be a thing too..
• That was the most extravagant "how I met my husband story" ever.  
• I totally caught that the woman was a fish because every animals in Turkish Fairy Tales turns into beautiful women. 
• He wants him to make a mule come out of an egg...
• This Arab is the MVP of the story.
• I love that this newborn infant was the one who talked some sense into the Ruler.
• In all of these stories Rulers always ask impossible task of their people.
• Of course the helpful crow was a beautiful maiden the entire time.  

(The Crow-Peri from the Untextbook.)