Keywords
folklore program, American literature, American folklore, reflective learning, folkloric method
Submission Type
Research
Preview
This project, the 7-Point Folkloric Reflection Paper, has been successful and popular according to feedback from my English students in various folklore classes. It is based on a novel they have already read, and I suggest that they choose a novel they have enjoyed because they are going to spend a lot of time with it. This project is not a book report. It is a writing project that includes an introduction to the often misunderstood discipline of folkloristics. This assignment requires some groundwork by the teacher, but besides being interesting, it demonstrates that folklore is present in most of the fiction we choose to read. Frequently authors unconsciously incorporate folkloric elements into their work because those elements reflect familiar practices, behaviors and beliefs that enhance the story. This writing project requires close reading by the students, reflection, a synthesis of ideas, and some library or Internet research.
Recommended Citation
Thursby, Jacqueline S.
(2009)
"My Favorite Novel: A 7-Point Folkloric Reflection,"
The Utah English Journal: Vol. 37, Article 5.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/uej/vol37/iss1/5