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For this essay, you have a choice of three questions. Based on the readings of the folktales (Seki #1 and #2) write a short essay (no more than two paragraphs–between 150-400 words) in response to ONE of the following prompts:
1) Why animals? Many of these tales feature animals as characters. Choose one of these tales and make an argument as to why the characters are animals.
Some questions you might consider: Why not tell the same tale with human characters? Do animals behave differently from humans? What do the animals symbolize in the context of the tale? Is one kind of animal different from another, or are they interchangeable?
2) Urashima Taro Urashima Taro is categorized as a tale of Kindness Rewarded and Evil Punished. But this seems to be a somewhat simplistic designation. What is the message of this tale? What does the tale tell us about human existence, about time, about love? Make a clear statement and back up your argument with references and quotations from the tale itself.
3) Oni Several of the folktales feature characters who are described as ogres (or oni in Japanese). Choose one of these tales and explore the meaning of the oni character in the narrative. How is it characterized? Scary? Smart? Dangerous? Do you feel sorry for it? What does the oni reveal to us about the humans in the tale? Make a clear argument about the meaning or role of the oni in the tale you choose, and back up your argument with references and quotations from the tale itself.
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