Nothing But Fiction and Folktales

Last night we moved on from drama to fiction and folktales.  This week coming up we will focus on literary fiction, namely "The Red Convertible," "Love in LA," and "Today's Demon: Magic."  The last story is also graphic fiction.

However, I want to add a few questions about our folktales.

Here is a handout on the trickster from Encyclopedia Britannica:  https://www.britannica.com/art/trickster-tale
Joseph Campbell speaks on the trickster:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM10AvJ3bsM

How do these links help you understand "Godfather Death," "Coyote and Eagle Visit the Land of the Dead," and even Trickster Troy from Fences?

Here are some videos of stories about Coyote.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCjooh6oUSA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlCf4et66r8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0qGxVx8OpY
What do they tell you about him?  about storytelling?  about folktales?  Do they seem to be authentic?  Why?  Why not?

Here is a story about Raven, another trickster.  Compare Raven as a trickster to Coyote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un3QcybRFc0

Now let's move onto the literary fiction.

Is Henry's death an accident?  Or is it suicide?  Justify your answer.

How does Lyman change over the course of "The Red Convertible"?

Discuss Lyman as a narrator.  Is he reliable?  Is he naive?  Why?  Why not?

What are Lyman's strengths and weaknesses as a narrator?  How might "The Red Convertible" appear from Henry's point of view, an omniscient or limited 

third person narrator's point of view, or the point of view of the others on the reservation?  What does Lyman know that these people do not?  What does he not know that makes the story better?

Does Lyman seem to be narrating events that happened in the distant past?  Or the recent past?  Why?

What does the story of Henry and Lyman's road trip add to the story?  Why?

How does "The Red Convertible" make use of foreshadowing?  of epiphany?

"Love in LA" is a very short story.  Is this a good thing?  Or a bad thing?  Why?

Do Jake and Mariana change as characters?  Why?  Why not?

"Love in LA" is narrated by a third person narrator with limited omniscience.  How does that affect what we understand of this story?  How would this story be different if Jake or Mariana narrated it?

Describe Jake as a character.

Does he get away in the end?  Why?  Why not?

What do the graphic elements add to "Today's Demon: Magic"?  What does the text add?

Why does the narrator push her friend Ev away?

How do you think that Ev would react to this story?  Why?

What are the narrator's strengths and weaknesses as a narrator?  How might "Today's Demon: Magic" appear from another perspective?

-- If we consider "Love in LA," "The Red Convertible," and possibly "Today's Demon: Magic" to be literary fiction, what are the characteristics of this category?  Why might "Today's Demon: Magic" not fit?

I'm looking forward to seeing what you have to say!