Corvus+Q4+Big+Fish



Daniel Wallace (Shondiin Czosek): Daniel Wallace was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama; he lead an “average and uneventful childhood” (Schneider, “The Dan Schneider Interview 12: Daniel Wallace”). Wallace was first a veterinary assistant and businessman before becoming a writer. Wallace’s parents were on both ends of the spectrum about him becoming a writer. His mom supported the venture because the dream bothered his father, who was an inspiration for his novel //Big Fish// (Minzesheimer “'Big Fish' author finally makes waves”). He wrote a plethora of stories before he understood how to write a good book. “As I wrote I was learning to write (having not gone to school) and I was learning what not to write as well. I also finally figured out that I was writing the kind of books I thought other people wanted to read, not the kind I wanted to write. That’s when //Big Fish// happened, and why it was a breakthrough for me” (Schneider, “The Dan Schneider Interview 12: Daniel Wallace”). //Big Fish// brought wallace his financial success and a movie deal from Tim Burton. After achieving this, Wallace went back to school to receive a degree in English and Philosophy. Soon after earning his degree he became the J. Ross MacDonald Distinguished Professor of English, and director of the Creative Writing Program, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Daniel Wallace: About). Wallace’s goal as a teacher is to help his students understand how writing works not turn them into any sort of robot. “My job is to foster an appreciation for the art of writing. Rarely does a student leave our program homogenized: even if that were something we wanted to do, we just don’t have them long enough” (Schneider, “The Dan Schneider Interview 12: Dan iel Wallace”). Daniel Wallace uses his background as an author to teach students how to appreciate writing, and uses his life for the background of his novel //Big Fish//.

Works Cited “About.” Daniel Wallace (Site). Web. 5 April, 2014.

Wallac e, Daniel. Interview by Bob Minzesheimer. USA TODAY. USA TODAY, 2008. Web. 5 April, 2014.

Wallace, Daniel. Interview by Dan Schneider. Cosmoetica. Cosmoetica, 29 May, 2008. Web. 5 April, 2014.

The Odyssey - Nick:  The Odyssey was compiled by Homer some time between 900 and 700 BC and was about events that took place as early as 1200 BC and is considered one of the most famous epic poems ever written. It has influenced modern story telling greatly, which is evident in //Big Fish//. The poem’s goal was to explain the historical events that occurred during the time in a mythic and heroic way. The book chronicles the legendary events of Odysseus, most of which are highly exaggerated, but much like //Big Fish// can be traced back to real events in history or the story. "For all of human existence, at least since humans gained language, stories have been a part of our world and they affect our perception of the world around us. We know so little through direct experience; what little we do know is often affected by the stories we’ve heard, or read, or seen" (Mahany 1). This quote explains the reviewers view on the reason that this book, and similarly //Big Fish,// uses the storytelling to influence perception on the world and the events that took place. The reader would be reading it to learn the lessons or about the character themselves in order to understand the events and the person. The audience would be anyone who wants this, like William in //Big Fish//.

"Classic Review: The Odyssey by Homer." Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. . <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">"Odyssey." Odyssey. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. <http://www.timelessmyths.com/classical/odyssey.html>.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Ulysses - Nick: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;"> Ulysses was written by James Joyce and was published in 1922. It tells the story of a man, Leopold Bloom, who goes through his day in Dublin 1904. The book draws from the Odyssey, and because of that the similarities are obvious and numerous. The book’s storytelling, like that of The Odyssey, explains events using metaphors and exaggerations in order to relay the information and get the point across. <span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">"Joyce is allusive and experimental, and the helping books do indeed help the reader mine for historical and literary meanings that reward often. But even a reader who forgoes annotated help can enjoy Joyce's virtuosity. Few novelists have the ability to make the English language do whatever he wants, to make it do cartwheels and sing arias" (D.H. 1). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Joyce uses many experimental techniques, such as puns and allusions, to help the book flow and influence the reader and in this quote the reviewer talks about how well done and numerous these are too the point were a companion novel would be helpful to explain them. Much like The Odyssey the book’s goal is to tell the reader the story in an influential way, which is also Edward’s goal in //Big Fish// when he is telling his son the stories. The book has influenced modern story telling greatly through it use of experimental techniques and styles. It is highly regarded by critics and readers alike. To Joyce fans, June 16 is celebrated and known as Bloomsday. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">"Ulysses (novel)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 04 Jan. 2014. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_%28novel%29>.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">"Why You Should Read This Book." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 16 June 2012. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. <http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2012/06/james-joyces-ulysses>.



<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The Twelve Labors of Hercules: (Alex Peters)



<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The Twelve Labors of Hercules is a mythological story that illustrates the twelve different jobs he had to accomplish to appease his guilt. This story starts off when Hera causes Hercules to lose his mind, which causes him to kill his own wife and children. After he wakes up in a daze he realizes what he has done and asks Apollo for his guidance. Apollo sends him to Eurystheus and makes Hercules serve under him "…in punishment for the murders" ("The Labors of Hercules"). For his punishment he is forced to perform twelve labors, which are almost impossible to accomplish. However, with all his strengths and the help from a couple gods, he persevered and succeeded, but also received fame and immortality. This story is significant to the novel //Big Fish// because there is a chapter within the book called "His Three Labors". Similar to Hercules story, the father had to "…perform many great labors before he assumed his rightful place" (Wallace 91). The "rightful place" that the father has to achieve is illustrates the resemblance to Hercules story because Hercules performed these labors in order appease his guilt, which is his rightful place. Although it's important to realize that these two stories have many similarities it's more crucial to understand why Wallace included a similar story to the Twelve Labors of Hercules in his novel. On the cover tittle it states that this book is "a novel of mythic proportions", which entails that there are myths within this novel. In order to reach this expectation, Wallace had to relate some of his stories or chapters to other myths in order to help readers understand that his stories are actually myths. Other than "His Three Labors" there are several other parts in the book that have a similar story line to other popular myths. For example, at one point in the novel he kills a black dog which could represent a hell hound. By including these stories that resemble other popular myths, Wallace is able to create "a novel of mythic proportions" because the readers can easily understand that that's what he intended to do. Now that it's obvious why he included these stories in his novel the question is why are these stories important for the readers? According to a passage on the davidkabraham website "a myth is a story that has significance to a culture, a story that addresses fundamental and difficult questions that human beings ask…" ("Mythology"). The "…significance myths have to a culture…" ("Mythology") is why //Big Fish// includes so many myths. Through these stories we are opened up to a vision or aspect of life that we have never observed before. By experiencing new visions we can slowly understand what the world means to us and what we want to see. Ultimately, the Twelve Labors of Hercules plays an essential role in //Big Fish// because it helps bring attention to the myths Wallace is creating and it helps us understand the world just a little bit better.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">"The Labors of Hercules." Hercules: Greece's Greatest Hero. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">"Mythology." The Importance of Mytholgy. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Wallace, Daniel. Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin of Chapel Hill, 1998. Print.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">American Tall Tale Genre (Shondiin Czosek):

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">A Tall Tale is a narrative that exaggerates something, to the point where the exaggeration is the center of the story. Tall Tales have been told internationally, and are most commonly about the American Frontier and how “things” came to be. Tall Tales are similar to that of legends, and are considered folklore due to their age (Encyclopedia Britannica, “Tall Tale”). Tales such as the likes of Paul Bunyan give fictional accounts of a giant man and ox who helped form: mountains, rivers and lakes. Folklore has often been used to give children some insight (though fictional or exaggerated) on a certain topic i.e. Pocahontas (McGeehan, “Jamestown Settlement”). In the novel //Big Fish// a father’s tall tales give his child insight on who he really was, bringing them closer together.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Works Cited <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">McGeehan R. John. netplaces. Web. 05 Apr. 2014.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">"Tall tale." © Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.. 05 Apr. 2014.