Insight Research Paper
I dont know what I think until I read what Ive written. Flannery OConnor
Let the analysis begin!
Learning how to ask the right questions leads us into a deeper understanding of myths and what they can tell us about other cultures, other times, and about ourselves.
You remember the Big Six questions from writing reports in school: who, what, where, when, why, and how? These are at the heart of every good story non-fiction and fiction, as well. A good reporter asks them, and a good detective seeks to uncover them.
Asking the right questions helps us to analyze material. In this activity, you will apply the six questions to the myths in The Prose Edda and you will reflect on your response to each.
To prepare for this activity, be sure you have completed the following:
Read Chapter 19, the Prose Edda.
View the film Thor.
Answer the discussion question.
Once you have completed these tasks, reflect on the new material you have learned from this module, in particular the myths from Norse mythology, and address the questions below.
Part One
You will need at least one quoted passage from the text or one specific reference from the film for each set of questions. For example, you would need to include a specific sentence from the readings to support your answer for Where and When. Then, you could use a specific scene from the movie Thor to support your answer to Who.
You may find it easier to address the questions in the following order and in relation to the course and module learning outcomes:
Where and When This gives us an opportunity to examine the artifacts, ideas, beliefs, practices, and values that inform the myths in the Prose Edda.
Who Who is involved, who is undertaking the action, who is being alluded to? Here we analyze and classify representations of mythological characters, such as the archetypal hero, villain and trickster from written works and film.
What Is Happening Again, we are in the act of examining our readings and films to identify common themes in mythology, such as the Heros Journey. Why and How Answering these questions gives us the opportunity to define and identify terms and references from mythology that will serve as the foundation for further study of the connection between mythology and various fields, including but not limited to art, religion, literature, and humanities.
Part Two
After you have answered these questions, you will complete Part Two, your reflection, in which you consider the importance of your answers. Your reflection can be your ideas about the passage or a specific detail, or about the myth as a whole, or, it can consist of questions leading to deeper analysis. Your reflection should be a minimum of 150 words. Use either APA or MLA for your in-text citations and for your References/Works Cited page.
Record the answers to both parts of this assignment in a single Word document. Save this as Your Last Name Insight Research Paper (Example: McGuire Burson Insight Research Paper). Always save your work, and always back up your entries. You will submit the completed Insight Research Paper by Sunday of Module 4.
