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Blog #5- Folklore

 After reading Chapter 6 about folklore, I chose to read The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales authored by Virginia Hamilton and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. This folklore was intriguing to read, especially from the perspective of being an African American woman. It told the story of how people in Africa were magical and prideful before they were captured and forced to become slaves. After becoming slaves, many of them had to conform to a different way of living, resulting in them being less prideful and confident in themselves. Instead, they had to obey the commands of a "master" while working and suffering in deplorable conditions, such as a baby being hit with a whip for crying while being held on his mother's back as she works tirelessly in a field. 

The images in this book were well thought out and depicted the story well, in my opinion. There were images of women and children in chains with facial expressions that scream sorrow. The illustration showed how the baby was tied to the mother's back, and it showed Toby coming to her rescue. I believe the images help the reader feel the emotions the characters felt during the time. 

The theme of this folklore is to remain hopeful and never forget who you are or where you come from. It also speaks volume about how these people longed to be free. Flying in this story signifies freedom. Before they were captured, brought overseas, and tortured, Africans had a sense of freedom, pride, and confidence. Unfortunately, they lost that when they were turned slaves. However, those that were able to "fly" away found a sense of peace and freedom. 


The next folklore I chose to read was Big Mama Makes the World by Phyllis Root and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. This folklore was quite similar to the first chapter in Genesis when God began creating the world. The only difference I loved was Big Mama did it all with a baby on her side. This story was quite inspirational because I can related to getting things done with a baby on my side. Unlike the first folklore, this folklore appeals to more positive and inspirational emotions. 

Similar to the first folklore, the illustrations help add meaning to the words in the book. Each thing Big Mama created was included in the images, which can help captivate the readers attention as they read. This book is also a good substitute for families who may not want to introduce their children to religion just yet. It still explains the concept of "how the world was created", but it does put all the focus on one higher Being.

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