Mythical Blog

Research Paper

2008-12-07T19:56:00.000-08:00

Pullman walks a fine line in His Dark Materials trilogy. Didacticism reigns throughout the book, but simultaneously a message of “negative capabilities” permeates all the major themes of the novels. When considering didacticism, I envision someone trying to force their ideas on me; this is certainly the feeling I got with the Christian ideologies cleverly incorporated into the colonial primers. But, one of Pullman's messages – clearly there are many – is that you should determine the message yourself. He places a value on the unknown; the uncertainty of life is part of its beauty. This may seem counterintuitive considering that another message Pullman stresses is the importance of knowledge and wisdom against the conforming nature of ignorance. When weighing knowledge and wisdom against uncertainty it is tempting to categorize these entities as opposite. Pullman, through the medium of fantasy and children's literature demonstrates the necessity of dismissing this false dichotomy. One can be knowledgeable and wise while at the same time being uncertain. In fact, it is crucial that one be uncertain to be wise and knowledgeable.
It is through this dialogue of uncertain didacticism that Pullman is able to delve into controversial and heavy issues of religious corruption and human consciousness. He plays with these issues in a way which forces readers to think about the issues for themselves, and even if he forces his audience to think about issues under a new light, he does not attempt to force the reader into prescribing to any particular line of thought. I presume it is this thought provoking nature of Pullman's novels that is at the center of the fundamentalist Christian outrage concerning the atheistic edge of Pullman's work. Whether it is discrediting evolutionary theory, condemning other religions, or forcing moral judgments and ultimatums on people, stifling thought is an all too occurring theme within the more extreme sects of Christianity, and it is not surprising that this book rubs them the wrong way.
One particularly thought provoking passage was the mulefa's version of the story of Adam and Eve:
The story tells that the snake said, “what do you know? What do you remember? What do you see ahead?” And she said “Nothing, nothing, nothing.” So the snake said, “Put your foot through the hole in the seedpod where I was playing, and you will become wise.” So she put a foot in where the snake had been. And the oil entered her blood and helped her see more clearly than before, and the first thing she saw was the sraf. It was so strange and pleasant that she wanted to share it at once with her kindred. So she and her mate took the seedpods, and they discovered that they knew who they were, they knew they were mulefa and not grazers. They gave each other names. They named themselves mulefa. They named the seed tree, and all the creatures and plants.
This alternative interpretation of the biblical story provokes the kind of thinking that I'm guessing is extremely scary for fundamentalist Christians, but maybe this idea that Eve had to be tempted in order for us to gain consciousness is not so far off of the Christian message. I remember as a child growing and beginning to learn of some of the awful things that happen in our world, It became very difficult for me to understand why God – if there was a God – would let such things happen. A sermon that I heard growing up addressed this conundrum by explaining that God granted humans free will and consciousness because this was the only way that they could grow, and naturally as children, he would want them to grow. But, with free will and consciousness people would sin, and bad things would happen. At the time this really did not satisfy my young mind, but looking back on it, illuminated by this book, it seems strikingly consistent with the necessity of Eve's original sin. Of course, the priest who told the sermon had not said that it was a good thing that Eve sinned (that would be blasphemous!), but what a liberating idea! That sins can be good, that sins may be necessary to human consciousness and growth.
Hidden in Pullman's book is the idea that the greatest sin of all is failing to live a full life. In order to escape the world of the dead and to get to dissolve into the beauty of life again, you need to tell the harpies a story. “...the true stories the harpies want to hear in exchange...So if people live their whole lives and they've got nothing to tell about it when they've finished, then they'll never leave the world of the dead.” This seems to be parallel to an eternal condemnation to hell for not living a life worthy of a story. It is not that you are sent to hell because you are evil, it is like Mary Malone says, “I stopped believing there was a power of good and a power of evil that were outside us. And I came to believe that good and evil are names for what people do, not for what they are. All we can say is that this is a good deed because it helps someone, or that's an evil one, because it hurts them. People are too complicated to have simple labels.” What would this message, that people cannot be evil for doing bad things, do to the scare tactics of fundamentalist Christians? (and what would this message have done to George Bush's Axis of evil?)
In this dialogue of living a full life Pullman takes a poke at the Church by connecting failure to live a full life with Church guidelines that deny followers certain aspects of life. Mary Malone says in response to her chastity vows as a nun, “Will anyone be better off if I go straight back to the hotel and say my prayers and confess to the priest and promise never to fall into temptation again? Will anyone be the better for making me miserable?” This is a very powerful message for children's literature. It is didactic in the sense that it teaches us to live our lives to the utmost potential, yet it does not tell us what to do or believe. We are instructed instead to make our own decisions. We should not accept the abstract and culturally derived morals such as a vow of chastity that sacrifices a major part of the beauty and love humans are capable of experiencing. We should not live our entire lives striving for the kingdom of heaven... “the kingdom of heaven, it was all finished. We shouldn't live as if it mattered more than this life in this world, because where we are is always the most important place.” We should strive to live a full life, to help people with our deeds, and experience as much love and beauty as is humanly possible in one lifetime.
Pullman's message is didactic, but it leaves the decision making to us. He does not respond to absolutism. Things are not that concrete, and people are too complex to give simple labels such as good or evil. Ideas should be taken for what they are - thought through as they apply to the individual. It is when opinions and faiths are forced on others in the name of morality or goodness that trouble results. It was a pleasant surprise, while reading Pullman's novels that the supposed evil, the Authority, the nemesis of good, was described in such a compassionate, beautiful way: "...his ancient eyes deep in their wrinkles blinked at her with innocent wonder ...and he would have followed them anywhere, having no will of his own, and responding to simple kindness like a flower to the sun." This does not sound like a description of the evil force that needs to be conquered. He was merely a being, who may have done evil deeds in his long life, but the truly evil deed - done in the feign of God's will, was the stifling of thought, the destruction of art, and the acceptance of ignorance.

2008-12-07T17:12:00.000-08:00

The other day, I was watching a documentary on Tom Petty and was intrigued to see one of his music videos: don't come around here no more. It reminded me of one of our discussions in class while reading Talbot. Lewis Carroll's work is highly influencial in many genres, especially music. It is a great vid, you can check it out at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7gWzWqJu1k

Lewis Carroll, quoted

2008-12-07T16:50:00.000-08:00

Earlier this term, I was browsing the internet looking for information about Lewis Carroll. I stumbled upon a website that listed some of his most well known quotes. True, many of his quotes are amuzing nonsense, but it is amazing how much pondering one can do while considering them...it seems that there is never one meaning. It really becomes apparent how much I missed with my first read through and how much time you probably should spend reading this book. I am sure I would benefit from reading Alice and Wonderland again, who knows what else I missed?

Here are some of Lewis Carroll's most well known quotes:

Always speak the truth, think before you speak, and write it down afterwards.

Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop.

'Begin at the beginning,' the King said, very gravely, 'and go on till you come to the end: then stop.'

'But I don't want to go among mad people,' said Alice. 'Oh, you can't help that,' said the cat. 'We're all mad here.'

But I was thinking of a way To multiply by ten, And always, in the answer, get The question back again.

Contrariwise, if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic.

Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it.

His answer trickled through my head like water through a sieve.

I can't go back to yesterday - because I was a different person then.

I have proved by actual trial that a letter, that takes an hour to write, takes only about 3 minutes to read!

If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.

It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards.

No good fish goes anywhere without a porpoise.

Oh, 'tis love, 'tis love that makes the world go round.

One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others.

Sentence first, verdict afterwards.

She generally gave herself very good advice, (though she very seldom followed it).

Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

Take care of the sense and the sounds will take care of themselves.

That's the reason they're called lessons, because they lesson from day to day.

The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday - but never jam today.

'The time has come,' the walrus said, 'to talk of many things: of shoes and ships - and sealing wax - of cabbages and kings.'

There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents, and only one for birthday presents, you know.

There comes a pause, for human strength will not endure to dance without cessation; and everyone must reach the point at length of absolute prostration.

Twinkle, twinkle little bat How I wonder what you're at! Up above the world you fly, Like a tea-tray in the sky.

We called him Tortoise because he taught us.

'What is the use of a book', thought Alice, 'without pictures or conversations?'

'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less.'

Which form of proverb do you prefer Better late than never, or Better never than late ? l

While the laughter of joy is in full harmony with our deeper life, the laughter of amusement should be kept apart from it. The danger is too great of thus learning to look at solemn things in a spirit of mockery, and to seek in them opportunities for exercising wit.

Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle.

Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

2008-12-07T16:18:00.000-08:00

Philip Pullman makes a strong point about authority 'brain washing' our minds into thinking what is right and wrong. Right now, in the mind of the human being, certain thoughts are not thought, even though it completely free to do so. The mind can begin to function like an actual member of society, so you impose society's rules on your own thoughts, allowing society to control your mind. Maybe the great war at the end is a symbolic fight for free will. How much of what we think is imposed by society? Everything is most likely effected in some way or another. It would be impossible to eliminate the social influence on our thinking, but maybe it is a good idea to think now and then about how much of our thought is socially influenced. It might give us an idea of how much free will we actually possess, maybe a good thing to know.

Spirit, Soul, and Body

2008-12-07T16:06:00.001-08:00

In The Amber Spyglass, Mary and Lyra are discussing the idea of the three parts to the being. “You know,” she said, “the Church – the Catholic Church that I used to belong to – wouldn't use the word daemon, but St. Paul talks about spirit and soul and body. So the idea of three parts in human nature isn't so strange.” It is strange that a book with such a major theme concerning the evils of established religion would accept so readily the church's view on the subject. But maybe Pullman did this to make a point. It seems that it is not the church's ideas which are wrong it is the aristocracy, superiority, and moral policing which seem to be wrong. It reminds me of Gandhi who said: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

2008-12-07T15:47:00.000-08:00

I finally took the daemon quiz and I am a bull.

Your daemon is...a bull! Wild and competitive, sometimes they are calm and merely graze. They are social animals, going in herds, but when spooked they can cause a stampede.

2008-12-07T15:26:00.000-08:00

Here is a good video clip of the Philip Pullman documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iHgbvmSeuI

My favorite chapter in Alice and Wonderland

2008-12-07T14:49:00.000-08:00

My favorite chapter in Alice and Wonderland is the first chapter, because it contains the Jabberwocky poem. I am infatuated with this poem, because the image of the Jabberwocky has been imprinted into my brain since early childhood. I remember watching some version of Alice and Wonderland that I think my parents recorded on tv. Anyway, I loved the show - but I knew enough to hide behind the couch when the Jabberwocky came on. The image of the monster, inspired by John Tenniel's illustration I'm sure, scared the shit out of me. If I was unlucky enough to have the scene with the monster sneak up on me I would be tormented by vivid nightmares for a few days. What can be imprinted on a child brain is incredible. Now in this class, it is interesting to compare my initial conception of the Jabberwocky on the tv with the poem itself in context with Alice and Wonderland. It is an amazingly unique poem with an alarming combination of silly words and portmanteaus while maintaining a dark and mysterious feeling.

(Several words from this poem such as gallumphing a combination of galloping and triumphing and chortled a combination of chuckle and snort are still used in the English language today.)

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun

The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:

Long time the manxome foe he sought—

So rested he by the Tumtum tree,

And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,

And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! and through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"

He chortled in his joy.'

Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

References Humpty Dumpty in Popular Music

2008-12-07T14:38:00.000-08:00

There are many variations on the theme of something breaking for good in contemporary pop music:
In ABBA's song "On and On and On", extra video verse:
Standing up is scary if you think you're gonna fallLike a Humpty Dumpty, 'fraid of falling off the wall
In Dolly Parton's 1980 song "Starting Over Again", a song about a divorce:
And all the king's horsesAnd all the king's menCouldn't put mommy and daddy back together again
Genesis, Squonk:
All the king's horses and all the king's menCould never put a smile on that face
Aimee Mann, Humpty Dumpty:
All the king's horses and all the king's menCouldn't put baby together again
Billy Joel, The great wall of china:
All the king's men and all the king's horsesCan't put you together the way you used to be
Two Gallants, Get Proud:
And Humpty Dumpty is climbing higher up the wall,and how he got there I just won't recall.
Further into the song...
And Humpty Dumpty told me not to tell you why,as if I even had reason to try!
Travis, The Humpty Dumpty Love Song:
All of the king's horses and all of the king's menCouldn't pull my heart back together again.
Ben Folds, Lovesick Diagnostician:
All the king's horsesAnd all the king's menCouldn't get back my girlfriend.
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (book)
All the king's horses and all the king's men...

(From Wikipedia)

Some thoughts on the importance of art

2008-12-02T13:12:00.000-08:00

In many ways, the Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, is a commentary on some of the deepest omnipresent issues concerning human life. It may surprise some people that these issues are tackled through the medium of fantasy and children's literature, but it may be true that some issues are just too large for adult literature. When I picture these issues being discussed in adult literature I envision the opposite of Phillip Pullman's novels: a dry, overly intellectual, analysis of religion, environment, maturation of human beings, and so on. This type of writing definitely has its place and could be very stimulating for the correct audience in the correct situation, but as I see all too often as a student of science, this type of writing fails to be aesthetically pleasurable; it lacks art and beauty. Pullman, on the other hand, delves deep into the meaning of life, topics of religious corruption, violence, sex, coming of age, and the environment all the while capturing and focusing on the most beautiful aspects of life. It is just as Alice says, “what good is a book without pictures and conversations?”

Dialogue

2008-11-20T15:18:00.000-08:00

Instead of thinking only logic
should be promoter of opinions,
perhaps we should be dialogic,
not treating others as dominions
to be convinced by us so we may conquer,
but act as an impartial witness
to thoughts for which our friends may hanker
with logic seeming to lack fitness.
Let us therefore embrace uncertainties
without attempting to impose solutions,
for we should not feel forced on days we seize
to move from their beginnings to conclusions.

gershon hepner:

The idea of Keats

2008-11-20T14:25:00.000-08:00

After my blog entry from last night, I was reading further into the novel and found a fascinating passage, considering what I discussed in my previous entry. I mentioned my suspicion concerning the role of “willing suspension of disbelief” in the solidification of the daemon's form. I have a feeling that I will keep finding evidence for this connection, especially since I'm looking for it, but this passage particularly struck me. “...Capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.” This dialogue occurs when Dr. Malone quotes Keats while explaining the process one must undergo in order to visualize dust. Of course, Lyra is already familiar with this process from her use of the alethiometer. But it clearly demonstrates a connection between dust and the “willing suspension of disbelief” This, in turn, is connected to the accumulation of dust as one ages, and this may be further connected to the solidification of the daemon's form. As I read on I may come to some differing conclusions, but it is an interesting topic to ponder. Here is the letter in which Keats discusses his theory of negative capability:

I had not a dispute but a disquisition with Dilke, on various subjects; several things dovetailed in my mind, & at once it struck me, what quality went to form a Man of Achievement especially in literature & which Shakespeare possessed so enormously - I mean Negative Capability, that is when man is capable of being in uncertainties, Mysteries, doubts without any irritable reaching after fact & reason.
-John Keats

The Daemon, as it is

2008-11-19T16:42:00.000-08:00

Reading Phillip Pulman's His Dark Materials has spurred in me a lot of contemplation concerning the nature of the daemon. My first reaction, when first introduced to the idea, was that the daemon served as an embodiment of the unconscious. This first reaction has since been solidified upon further reading of the novel.

On page 143 there is a passage where Lyra conveys the misery of having your daemon separated from you: “It was such a strange tormenting feeling when your daemon was pulling at the link between you; part physical pain deep in the chest, part intense sadness and love.” This inherent interconnectedness between human and daemon demonstrated in this passage seems consistent as a symbol for the unconscious. Humans are connected to their unconscious in an intimate way. The unconscious influences your every move. But, you are also disconnected from your unconscious. It is part of you, but the vast majority of the time you are unaware of its influence on you. It is this separation, between a being and his or her unconscious, that I think Pullman was trying to convey by embodying the unconscious within another being. Creating a powerful connection – a connection that partly decides the identity of the human, while simultaneously emphasizing the separation by embodying the unconscious within a being unique to the human.

Shortly after the passage cited above, there is a description of Pantalaimon – Lyra's daemon – guiding Lyra toward Iorek Byrnison as he runs away: “She did run, though, and Pantalaimon flew up as a seagull to watch where the bear went and called down to tell her where to follow.” This bear, essential to Lyra in her mission north, is found only with the help of Lyra's daemon. However unaware of our unconscious we remain, it is constantly guiding us in our decisions and life. I think this serves as another parallel between the daemon and unconscious.

In Monday's class, we discussed the reason for the solidification of the daemon's form as the human makes the transition from childhood to adulthood. Some ideas were thrown around, and it was said that this was maybe due to a sexual maturation, an accumulation of experiences, or falling in love with the opposite sex. Granted, I have not finished the novel, but I was unsatisfied with these suggestions. I envisioned the change occurring as a consequence of losing the “willing suspension of disbelief.” As humans grow, there is a transition where we become more skeptical of the world. It is much harder to suspend our disbelief, much less willingly. I think that it is this transition responsible for the daemon's figure, and considering how prevalent this theme is within children's literature, it seems like a plausible suggestion...more on this later.

Cinderella's appended moral

2008-10-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

The beauty of a woman is a rare treasure.
To admire it is always a pleasure.
What they call real grace
Is priceless, but beauty will still win every race.

That’s what the fairy in this tale
Taught Cinderella without fail,
She could use her beauty to become the queen
Flashing glass slippers, looking sexy and lean

Beauty: that gift is worth more than a dress
It’ll win a man’s heart; and empty his wallet in the process.
Although grace is a gift that the fairies confer,
Beauty is still the trait we all prefer.

Sure…it’s a benefit
To show real courage and have some wit.
But none of this will help you out,
If you don’t let yourself shine and gad about.
So before you’re born, make sure and pray
That beauty in you will find its way.

Children, Books, and Nature

2008-10-07T17:05:00.000-07:00

What is a child? If you asked someone this question, the most common response would have something to do with age. They may say “a young human being,” or something to that extent. But, when someone accuses an adult of being a child it has nothing to do with age. So, being a child must mean more than merely age. To tell someone they are acting like a child is to tell them that they are irresponsible, careless, maybe naïve. Being a child has as much to do with behavior as it does age. Children are incredibly malleable and imaginative; they are not small versions of adults, they are biologically and behaviorally distinct from adults. Neurons are still dividing, the brain is developing, the restrictions of adulthood are not yet in-place. I think these characteristics of childhood are at the root of the “willing suspension of disbelief” that is impossible to achieve as an adult, especially when reading fairytales!

What is a book? Something you read, need I say more? But, you also read magazines and pamphlets so this definition does not work.

What if a book could be defined as collection of ideas? Nope, can’t be that. It could be argued that a symphony, in its most expansive form, is a collection of ideas, and a symphony is definitely not a book.

So a book must just be words on paper that are bound in a fashion not resembling a magazine. Is that all a book is?

You would be doing a book a disfavor to define it, because the definitions you give it would either be too expansive and fail to explain exactly what a book is (as demonstrated above) or they would be too constraining and fail to encompass the true identity of a book (also demonstrated above).

What is nature? Are we talking about human nature? mother nature? the whole-of-
nature? natural foods? Wikipedia’s disambiguation of nature is as follows:

Nature (as distinct from natural and naturalism) refers to the natural world, especially in its essential form, untainted by human influence.
Nature may refer to:
Nature (philosophy) as a philosophical concept
Mother Nature, the personification of nature as a maternal figure
Nature (innate), the innate behaviour, character or essence of a human or another living organism
As a title, Nature can refer to:
Nature (journal), a general-purpose scientific journal published since 1869
La Nature, a French journal founded in 1873 by Gaston Tissandier
Nature (radio programme), a BBC Radio 4 programme
Nature (book), an essay and collection of essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Nature (TV series), a television program that has been broadcast on PBS since 1982
The disambiguation of “nature” by wikipedia breaks up the different types of Nature so as not to confuse you This article is about the physical universe. For other uses, see Nature (disambiguation).
"Natural" redirects here. For other uses, see Natural (disambiguation).

Lightning strikes during the eruption of the Galunggung volcano in 1982

Much attention has been given to preserving the natural characteristics of Hopetoun Falls, Australia, while allowing ample access for visitors.

Bachalpsee in the Swiss Alps; generally mountainous areas are less affected by human activity.
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical universe, material world or material universe. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. Manufactured objects and human interaction are not considered part of nature unless qualified in ways such as "human nature" or "the whole of nature". Nature is generally distinguished from the supernatural. It ranges in scale from the subatomic to the galactic.
The word nature is derived from the Latin word natura, or "the course of things, natural character."[1] Natura was a Latin translation of the Greek word physis (φύσις), which originally related to the intrinsic characteristics that plants, animals, and other features of the world develop of their own accord.[2] This is shown in the first written use of the word φύσις, in connection with a plant.[3] The concept of nature as a whole, the physical universe, is one of several expansions of the original notion; it began with certain core applications of the word φύσις by pre-Socratic philosophers, and has steadily gained currency ever since. This usage was confirmed during the advent of modern scientific method in the last several centuries.[4][5]
Within the various uses of the word today, "nature" may refer to the general realm of various types of living plants and animals, and in some cases to the processes associated with inanimate objects – the way that particular types of things exist and change of their own accord, such as the weather and geology of the Earth, and the matter and energy of which all these things are composed. It is often taken to mean the "natural environment" or wilderness – wild animals, rocks, forest, beaches, and in general those things that have not been substantially altered by human intervention, or which persist despite human intervention. This more traditional concept of natural things which can still be found today implies a distinction between the natural and the artificial, with the latter being understood as that which has been brought into being by a human or human-like consciousness or mind.

Fight DIsplaced

2008-10-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

It was a Saturday in September, 2008. The weather was beautiful, quite typical of an early fall day in Montana.

But all was not well! Somewhere in Bozeman was a young man who was quite nervous. Not only did he have a mixed martial arts bout that evening, but he also knew that the love of his life would be there.

This love of his had so far denied him any reciprocal affection, but he thought that maybe if he fought well enough he may just be able to gain her love.

The fight started fast, with a flurry of kicks and punches. The young man was getting the best of his opponent. Body kicks, followed by uppercuts and a left hook, followed by two knees to the body.

But his opponent was smart and had had circled him and had the young man trapped in the corner of the ring. He shot in for a takedown but got stuffed and ended up on the bottom, at the mercy of his opponent’s blows.

The fight proceeded to the second round, and the young man found himself in the same position: underneath his opponent with his opponent connecting with one out of every 3 punches.

The ref almost stopped the fight when the young man’s opponent connected with a flurry of 4 punches.

The young man, covered in blood, knew that he had to regain his composure and win the fight. He waited until his opponent reached back to deliver another blow. He shot his left leg over his opponents arm, twisted his legs around his neck and squeezed tight the classic triangle choke to win the fight.

Afterwards, in the locker room, the young man looked at himself in the large mirror set up for the fighters. When he saw his bloodied, swollen face and crooked nose in the mirror he knew that he was far too ugly for any girl, especially his love, to fall in love with him.

But, to his delightful surprise, when he greeted the girl, his inner virtues shined through and she professed her love for him on the spot. They then made romantic love by candlelight all night long.

Some Nursery Rhymes from Class on 9-10-08

2008-09-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

Hey diddle diddle
The cat and the fiddle
The cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed to see such a sight
And the dish ran away with the spoon.

This is the house that Jack built.
This is the malt That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the dog, That worried the cat, That killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built.
This is the cow with the crumpled horn, That tossed the dog, That worried the cat, That
killed the rat, That ate the malt That lay in the house that Jack built.

P.S. (I thought that the dog ate the cat?)

Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross
To see a fine lady upon a white horse
With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes
She shall have music wherever she goes

http://www.indianchild.com/history_origins_nursery_ryhmes.htm

2008-09-17T09:08:00.001-07:00

I have the distinct memory of my mother reading the Grimm’s fairy tales to me as a child. I loved those stories; I couldn’t get enough of them. I don’t remember much specifically about the stories themselves, but I do have a vivid recollection of a strange sickening feeling after hearing some of the particularly grotesque stories. I don’t know how old I was at the time, probably about six, but these stories really do have some heavy shit for children’s ears… and there was definitely no censorship on my mother’s part.

In Tatar’s introduction, she cites some examples of how fairly tales serve to address common fears and insecurities that children have: In her words, “each text becomes an enabling device, allowing readers to work through their fears and purge themselves of hostile feelings and damaging desires…a safe place where fears can be confronted, mastered and banished.” Instead of taking the standard approach to children by telling them that everything will be okay, these stories immerse the children into an animation of gruesome events and allows them to work through fears and anxieties in a real way.

I have heard the same explanation given for childhood nightmares. Children’s fears (which are absolutely valid) about the world into which they were thrown are brought from the subconscious to the conscious in a seemingly real way, in order to deal with and conquer those fears.