Jake's Mythology

This reading forms the base resource for my semester project - a twist on the original story of Peter Pan! While reading this, I have discovered something incredible - I have never actually read the story of Peter Pan! I have seen several movie renditions and am familiar with similar stories, but have never personally read the original story. The story so far can even be slightly difficult to follow, if only because of the imagination required. I find myself expecting a nonfiction story, only to be surprised by little variations, such as the author's personification of the Darling's dog, Nana. I have enjoyed the creative structure thus far, employing powerful imagery to describe "Neverland," this delightful place of children's imaginations. At some point, Peter visits the Darling family, but upon escaping, leaves behind his shadow. Since my narrative will focus on Hook, or at least portray him as the protagonist, I may be able to use this introductory seque...

Review of  Presence, Not Praise: How To Cultivate a Healthy Relationship with Achievement This article interestingly explores the importance of presence as opposed to praise in the course of achieving. In fact, it conveys the idea that praise, especially praised centered around fixed accomplishments, lacks substance. On the other hand, praise that notices the process leads to less anxiety and greater productivity. Though this praise can be important, the author then further explores the idea that perhaps mere presence, instead of empty validation, can teach students to become more attentive. And isn't this a more valuable product than receiving praise? Review of  Be a Mirror: Give Readers Feedback That Fosters a Growth Mindset This article provides practical advice for offering feedback. Not only is most feedback vague and difficult to apply, it also incorporates an emphasis on lacking abilities, as well as the existence of personal feelings about the work in question...

Though I had some interesting options last week for my semester project, I have decided to pursue a version of the Peter Pan story! This fits within the larger category of pirate tales. Not only is this a classic, fun story - it also lends itself to several creative interpretations. Here are several of my ideas, though I already have a feeling of where I want to go with this project. For those that may not know, the story of Peter Pan involves the exciting story of a young girl named Wendy. She quickly finds herself whisked up on an adventure with a magical boy by the name of Peter Pan. He takes her to his home, an island called Neverland. Here, he leads a band of his friends, called "the lost boys," in battling against an evil pirate named Captain Hook. The story of Peter Pan involves incorporating Wendy into their adventures, with the ultimate defeat of Captain Hook and the return of Wendy to her original home. The retellings that I will investigate involve approaching...

There once was a time when King David ruled Jerusalem, and he had just sent all of his soldiers off to battle. One evening, David had nothing else to do and decided to pass his time on the roof of his house. Not much longer after arriving, he noticed a woman. Though she was on the roof of a nearby house, he could see that she was bathing. She was beautiful. With no other current obligations, the king immediately sent for her and brought her to his house that he may sleep with her. However, she had a husband. His name was Uriah. Not only did David know this husband, but he was also one of the king's most prestigious generals, and at the time was off at war. Not long after sleeping with Bathsheba, David heard from her. She was pregnant. He panicked, knowing that something had to be done. How could he cover up his mistake? He decided to try the most obvious option - get Uriah to sleep with his wife. David sent for Uriah from battle, and he quickly arrived back in Jerusalem...

This week, I decided to read through the unit on Bible women. Though I am familiar with many of these stories, I enjoyed reading these again. I specifically want to talk about the stories of Eve, Potiphar's wife, and Delilah! EVE This introductory story of the Bible lends itself to several plot twists and character manipulations. It would be interesting to tell the story from Eve's perspective instead of from an objective third-person point of view. I can only imagine her thoughts upon hearing the serpent telling her that God was trying to withhold from her and Adam! Another way to use this story would be to twist the nature of the serpent and of the effects of eating the fruit. What if, instead, the serpent was sent by God, and the fruit on the tree would bring life and joy to Adam and Eve? POTIPHAR'S WIFE Here we see a woman with an elevated position, especially for the time period in which the story takes place. I think the story could be used as a starting p...