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Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary Bloody Mary is an urban legend that basically suggests that if you follow certain instructions to complete a ritual in front of a mirror, something scary will happen. Usually, an evil being, called Mary, will be summoned. People may also see the future of their own lives through the mirror. Many believe that the bloody devil Mary is created to reflect Queen Mary I. From my perspective, Bloody Mary is created to refer to the actual historic figure Queen Mary I’s atrocities. The creation of this story might intend to remind people of the horrible period of history when Queen Mary I committed all those appalling crimes to her people. To modern society, the story of Bloody Mary attracts numerous young people who think they are adventurous to complete the ritual and try to summon Bloody Mary, which usually ends up being funny because all they got is probably a mirror reflecting their own stupid faces. To me, Bloody Mary represents the human beings’ inner fear of facing ...
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THE NAMESAKE

"Ashoke" means "without sorrow". Ashoke is a man of persistence and sheer will. He recovered from that horrible accident. He didn't get any mental issue or nightmare followed by that accident; rather, he came through and started a new life. Though his past experience is indeed appalling, there's no trace proving that he bothers because of it. " 'Not at all,' his father says eventually, one hand going to his ribs, a habitual gesture that has baffled Gogol until now, 'You remind me of everything that followed.' '' (124) For Ashima, the situation turns to be weird. ''Ashima'' means ''boundless" or ''limitless''. Ashima, however, is kind of limited by the American culture. She is absolutely not "limitless'', and she is more willing to get closer to the Bengali culture rather than the American culture. Base on her reaction of preparing two different type of party, it's...
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TRADITION

I came to America in 2018. The reason, similar to any other international student who go to a U.S. school, is to receive a better education. My family don't really have a connection nor some kinds of story with America. As for the tradition, I don't think my family has any tradition that has maintained across generations if reuniting on each traditional holiday doesn't count.
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CLEVERNESS IS FOOLISHNESS

Cleverness is the trait that most people are seeking for or pretending to have, yet the concept of cleverness is so incredibly similar to foolishness that no one has ever noticed. Cleverness is the telescope to discover and reveal the fabulous stars and other beautiful celestial bodies far from our planet, yet it narrows your sight so well that you barely notice the surrounding beauty of nature. You are unconsciously blinded by the word cleverness and inhibited from discovering the real world. Humans are not able to foresee the future, nor can they manipulate the public opinion or the merciless laws of nature in their favor, even if some of them think they can. People are so desperate to behave as if they are clever that they try to keep everything under control, not knowing the truth that sometimes you have to sacrifice, relinquish, and let go. Cleverness often ends up being foolishness, for people are always blindly seeking for wealth and power by “clever” means, ignoring their true ...
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BRIAR ROSE: ADMIRATION

In Briar Rose  by Jane Yolen, the theme of admiration is quite obvious and notable. During the first few chapters of the story, Becca, one of the three granddaughters of Gemma’s, falls in love with the story  Sleeping Beauty and always tries to make Gemma do the storytelling about that. Gemma’s version of Sleeping Beauty , however, is largely different from the normal version. In chapter 5, Becca  invites one of her best friends Shirley come to the house and lets Gemma tell the story of Sleeping Beauty . Shirley seems to be terrified when she finds that Gemma is telling a different version because it’s weird for her. Becca, however, tries to defend her grandma: “that’s how it goes in this house...and if you don’t like it, you’re not my best friend any more.” The theme of admiration is pretty obvious here: Becca’s homage and admiration for Gemma are revealed during the first chapters. In addition, Becca’s sisters, whose names are Shana and Sylvia, do not like the story a...
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SLEEPING BEAUTY

The versions of  Sleeping Beauty  varied over time. In the very first version, Talia, the sleeping beauty, was raped and abandoned by the king. Talia, representing females, suffered from the unethical, appalling treatment. According to  Sun, Moon, and Talia , the king raped Talia and intended to abandon her even when he knew that Talia had given birth to two children. It indicates that society's attitude towards women was demeaning, which means the society treated women more like objects than human beings. In the end, the king executed the queen and brought Talia home, but no one denounced the atrocity of the king's. No one questioned the justification of his behavior, and everyone in the story - even the narrator himself - considered the ending as a happy one. The first version strongly indicates the indifferent attitude - no one cares about females' feeling. The second version's theme grows better. In this version, the prince does care about sleeping beauty and t...
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MY FAVORITE FAIRY TALE

My personal favorite is Kua Fu , an ancient Chinese fairy tale. According to Kua Fu , the world was extremely hot, resulting in an extensive drought. Many people suffered this disaster and lands were dried out. Kua Fu, the giant guardian, found that the sun was responsible for this catastrophe. So Kua Fu, decided to eradicate the sun, chased and tried to catch the sun. The sun, however, was much faster than Kua Fu and kept emitting energy to weaken Kua Fu. Eventually, Kua Fu died halfway, and his body became a huge forest to provide protection for his people. I love this fairy tale because I consider Kua Fu as a tragic hero. He was a man of integrity and sheer will, fighting for his people and dying for his people.
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