For Monday: Tales of Wonder (pp.235-250): “Prince Bauefra’s tale,” “Prince Hordefef’s Tale,” “The Tale of the royal children,” and “The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor”
Answer
TWO of the following:
Q1: “The
Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor” is probably the most famous work of ancient
Egyptian literature, since it is more or less complete, and tells an actual
(recognizable) story. Why else do you think it has become so
popular, told and re-told over 4,000 years? What makes it memorable,
interesting, or mysterious?
Q2: The
first three tales are a bit fragmentary (we’re missing pieces of them), and in
general, they aren’t as easy to follow as “The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor.”
What aspects of one or more of these stories seems unexplained or confusing to
you? Why do you think this is? Do you think it’s a forgotten part of their
culture, or was it meant to be
confusing to its readers?
Q3: All
of these tales are “frame narratives,” meaning that someone is telling a story
to a second party, giving us in essence two levels of narrative. Why do you
think it’s important for a story to depict the act of telling a story?
Explain how the double narrative helps
us understand the story, or provides a useful function to the actual story itself.
Q4: How
do these stories depict the morals and values of ancient Egyptian society?
According to them, what rules and customs did they follow? What was “good
behavior” vs. “bad behavior”? What did they think of their superiors and
inferiors? And by extension, what did they want their readers to learn about
these relationships (since stories usually teach lessons, especially in the ancient
world)?
1. When a writer turns their main character into a story teller, it shows they want to present the idea that it could be true, but it could also be a hoax they make up for good fun. In my own opinion, this story was written to show that sometimes, when things are at its worst, there is something better waiting to happen. As the story progress, however, the author changes the speed to the serpent, who shows that some people who had it worse, are better off. Overall, I believe this story is trying to teach us to give thanks for what we have, and not to yearn for something we don't have.
ReplyDelete3. It is important because of the time these were made, meaning they're more than likely being written down from these people themselves. Every word that is said, every action that is taken, is showing us the personality and thoughts of not only the main person, but the person writing about the main person. When it keeps repeating "sovereign - life, prosperity, health - my lord", it shows us that both the main person is a servant of the king, but that the story teller is as well, never missing a time to repeat that over and over. The double narrative, again, is showing that this is either the most accurate story told of its time, or that it is the most hoax worthy story as well. Whether it is the first or the later, the stories are a good read, if you can take the time to sit down and read through them.
1. For me, the tale of the shipwreaked sailor seemed like Aesop's fables, like there was an underlying message within the story. Honestly, I can not figure our for the life of me what the message might be, but there are some clues scattered throughout the text. For example, the last little line, "Do not be a know-it-all, my friend. For is water given to a bird at dawn that will be slaughtered in the morning?" That is a very clear message, that when looked at and thought over, one can easily see repeated throughout the story.
ReplyDelete3. Telling a story within a story is an interesting plot device, it can give a feeling of removal from the plot itself, and can act as a unifier for those listening to it. If one is presented a story in the form of it being told as if you are a member of the audience, and not the starring cast member, it allows for a more logical viewpoint. People tend to place themselves in the pivitol roles in stories, for better or worse, everyone does, so when a story places one firmly outside of the cast, as a viewer only, it can act like a magnifying lens, highlighting parts of the story that might otherwise be hidden if it was told from an active point of view.
I made this post, I can't actually edit my previous one, but yeah, the above post is mine.
Delete1. I believe that "The Tale Of The Shipwrecked Sailor" has been this popular simply because I feel like it make sense. To me it feels like he is giving advice and BEGGING his count/leader/captain to take his advice. That is something most people can relate to. We have all, at least once, begged someone to do something that would benefit them or get them out of a hole but they do not always listen.
ReplyDelete3. Telling a story is powerful. When someone is telling you a story, the details they give, and the emotion and excitement they put into this story is what makes it memorable. So for me, it is important that these stories be written as if someone is telling the story because I can picture someone really getting into the story. Putting in the excitement that makes it memorable for the listener.
1. In "The Tale Of The Shipwrecked Sailor" I think the reason it has become so popular is because it is something everyone can relate to, as to giving advice to someone and them not taking it. As for a reason to it being memorable and interesting to me is how the snake is basically the God of the Island if I understood it correctly.
ReplyDelete3. Telling a story in a specific way shows how the reader can take the message from the story, whether its descriptive and detailed or boring shows the enthusiasm from the writer and their engagement in the story. But what helps the readers see more into the story is when it has good description and detail and makes them feel as if they were there.
1. I think that "The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor" has become so popular and has continued to be told and retold over the years because of the message it intends to convey to the readers. I personally think that that message is trying to tell readers that apparent misfortune can turn into good fortune, in the end.
ReplyDelete3. I think it is important for a story to depict the art of telling a story to help the audience better understand the meaning of the story. What makes sense to me might not make sense to the next person and so with these different perspectives and approaches at telling the story, it gets told in a way where everyone has at least a little bit of an idea about the meaning.
1. The Tale of the Shipwrecked has become so popular, told and re-told over 4,000 years because it very much has a lot of things everyone can relate to. To me its kind of like saying not all bad is bad that you can turn the bad into good.
ReplyDelete3. I think it is important to tell story with as much detail as possible because it helps create vivid imagery and helps the reader comprehend the story better. If the author is not telling a story then the reader can not have different perspectives therefore, perspective helps create the life of the story because readers can see it in their own way.
Chloe Wigington
Q2: Why is the distress of one of the fancy virgin ladies over the loss of her turquoise fish pendant enough impetus to summon the priest with his magic? Is there some aspect of these seemingly irrelevant details that warrants this action other than Sneferu's general skeevy nature; is there something about turquoise, or the symbology of the fish that made him bow to her wishes? Why does the story mention the depth of the water after it was folded back to find the pendant and the depth of the water as it is normally? This seems extraneous. At the end, it says that Sneferu had a fun day with the "whole household" - does this mean just the most beautiful fancy virgin ladies - perhaps explaining the extraordinary lengths taken to find the pendant by a lecherous old man - or does this mean everyone? I'm thinking this last is vague on purpose, and I can imagine the son perhaps spinning a locker-room tale exaggerating the virility of his grandfather.
ReplyDeleteQ3: I love how the story wraps around and back to the beginning in The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor. First, the servant is advising his master about how to speak with a king, lamenting that
the master is frustrating to speak with; then a story is being told to the master about how the servant was shipwrecked and saved by his manners and speech; then the snake god is telling a story to the servant, and at the end it loops back to the master being tiresome to speak with. I also love that at the heart of the story is a golden snake god - brings to mind the snake biting its own tail - the Ouroboros symbol of the sun.