I was amazed of how my class mates interpreted the different literature works we read in class and connected to other works or to personal experiences. It’s amazing to see how we read the same book but each of us had a different point of view of those texts. However, some of my peers did not seem to be prepared to present their project, some of the presentations were just reading from the slides rather than explaining their project. I think that the presentations were a reflection of how much time and effort students put in their presentation. If we were supposed to research and write a paper of about 2000 words based on the topic we chose, then why some were not able to respond to some questions asked by our professor? On the other hand, there were presentations that really caught every body’s attention because they explained their project well, they used their slides to support what they were presenting rather than reading from the slides. 
Christopher Columbus Diario
The Diario by Christopher Columbus was written during the new Modern Era. I grew up in Colombia, in where we were taught since we were kids that Christopher Columbus was like a hero because he “discovered” the Bahamas; the discovery and exploration of a part of Cuba, and the establishment of a Spanish settlement on the coast. But in reality he was nothing near to a hero because he used God’s name to justify his cruel act of taking the Indigenous people as slaves.
However, his Diario is a very important work, not only in literature but also in history because it led to division and categorization of population by cultural and economic life, as well as the classification of the flora and the fauna. After the “discovery” of the new world, Spanish language has evolved and today is the second language most spoken around the world.
Research proposal
The theme I have chosen for my research project is religion and how has it changed throughout history over the years. The reason why I have chosen this topic is because I often hear people say that if God existed bad things would not occur and people would not be doing cruel acts under his name. In reality, many people use religion as an excuse to cover their acts. Many religions have been created to implement order in society and not to teach about the importance of God. As time has passed and as seen on the literature works we read in class, the importance and ethical morals God teaches are not implemented in society as much as before. I believe that kids of future generations will not be taught of God because now people teach religion and doctrines that need to be “followed.”
Canterbury Tales
The tales include a prologue and twenty-four stories that narrate the stories told by Pilgrims during a journey from London to Canterbury’s cathedral. The wife of Bath’s Prologue focuses on Alison, who narrates her experiences she has had with her five different husbands.
The Wife of Bath’s prologue is a very interesting story because it depicts the world during the fourteenth century. Men were very possessive and disrespectful with their wives; but Alison, the wife of the bath, gives a different idea of women during that time. As she describes her experiences with her five husbands, she claims that woman should be respected and should have the same rights as men did.
Conference of the Birds
“Conference of the Birds” written by Farid ud-Din Attar, is a frame narrative poem that focuses on the preference of an individual between spiritual or substantial morals.
This poem narrates the journey of thirty birds that go on a search for their almighty king, the Simurgh. The birds go through seven valleys in where they learn a different moral. Through the journey most of the birds give up because they are not willing to give up to certain things in order to receive spiritual purity and tranquility. This is very similar to how men undergoes different trials in life to find or follow spiritual purity and internal happiness and peace. Sometimes man may give up on this path because man are not willing to give up the material things that make man “happy.”
In addition, Farid ud-Din Attar strongly implements Islamic traditions throughout the poem. “Conference of the Birds” is a very visual poem, its format and images are based in Attar’s Sufism by describing the different types of journeys, the quest for oneness with God, and the meaning of life.
How are the Odyssey and the Iliad still relevant today?
Even though the Odyssey and the Iliad were written many years ago, some of the themes on these two works are relevant in today’s society. In the Odyssey, fidelity is more important for a woman than what it is for a man. Unlike Odyssey, Penelope waits for 20 years for Odyssey to return home.During that time she rejects all the suitors that are willing to marry her but she believes her husband will come back. “young men, my suitors, now my lord is dead, let me finish my weaving before I marry, or else my thread will have been spun in vain. It is a shroud I wave for Lord Laërtês, when cold death comes to lay him on his bier. The country wives would hold me in dishonor if he, with all his fortune, lay enshrouded.” (2.104-110) As a way to avoid marrying another man, Penelope opted to weave during the day and untied everything again. Even though she knows he is not dead, she acts as if he were and still respect him. However, Odyssey was not loyal to his marriage. He was very happy with Kirke for a year and did not seem to be very upset to spend eight years on Kalypso’s island. Yet, he feared that Penelope was not going to wait for him. This is very similar to what has happened over the years and in today’s society. It seems okay for men to cheat on his wife/girl-friend. Doing so, makes them feel more powerful. But if a woman has multiple relationships she is seen as a prostitute. Women are “supposed” to be faithful and loyal to their husband. In the Iliad, Achilles mom, Thetis tries to protect Achilles as much as she can and Achilles feels confident that no matter what he will have his mom. “And my dear mother told me I must not arm for battle, not till I see her coming back with my own eyes – she vowed to bring me burnished arms from the god of fire.” (18. 218-221)Moms always try their best to protect their child and make their life easier for them. Moms will always want to be next to their kid to be their armor in any battle they face in life. But sometimes they forget to teach their kids how to fight in the battle and kids feel confident enough to do not do anything in life becomes mommy will always be there. That is way kids in today’s society suffer bulling in school because they do not how to defend them-selves. Kids do not socialize because mommy prefers for her kid to be safe at home.
Sources consulted:
- Homer. “The Iliad [from Book 18]–The Odyssey [Book 2]”. The Bedford Anthology of World Literature: The Ancient, Medieval, and Early Modern World, Beginnings-1650. Ed. Paul Davis, Gary Harrison, David M. Johnson, and John F. Crawford. Trans. Robert Fagles. BEDFORD/ST. MARTIN’S, 2009. 537-544. Print.
- Ungar, Michael. “Psychologist: Stop Bubble-Wrapping Your Kids! How Overprotection Leads to Psychological Damage.” Alternet. Alternet, 17 Sept. 2014. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.
The Creation Stories
Since many years ago, people have questioned where do we come from and what is our purpose on earth. For that reason, many stories have been written and told. For example, some of the earliest stories in literature like The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Epic of creation, and the Hebrew scriptures depict similar ideas of how the world was created. In all of these stories, God/gods played a big and important role. God/gods had different powers and were able to create and control nature. Also, these stories have a flood myth, such as the “Great Deluge” in The Epic of Gilgamesh, the fight between the gods in the Epic of creation, and God’s return to earth. “And the Lord said, “I will destroy man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth: both man and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air: for it repenteth me that I have made them.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:17). As stated in the Hebrews scriptures, God will come back to clean the world. Another similarity between these stories is that men also play a big role. Men were seen as the heroes and basically the stories followed the same plot, how an important man undergoes trials and face different challenges and then becomes a great leader/hero. On the other hand women were seen as chaos but also as helpers. In The epic of creations Tiamat is seen as a woman that brings chaos. “When Tiamat heard this, she went wild, she lost her temper.” (Tablet IV;80,81) In the Epic of Gilgamesh women play both roles, good and bad. Shamhat tricks Enkidu by seducing him so he is not reasoning for him-self. Siduri also tries to persuade him to not keep on his quest, but then she gives him the information about Urshanabi, the boatman that helps him get to Utnapishtim. In the Hebrews scriptures women are seen as a company and helpers to men. Even though these stories have lead to many other beliefs. To me, the Hebrews scripture seems to be more realistic and true than the others.
As time passes and Humans evolve, newer and similar stories will keep coming up without an actual proof that it is true. Yet, proofs are not necessaries for some of us, we believe in the story that seems more realistic and something inside us tells that it is very true. .
Exploring world literature 