Week 11 Essay: Not Your Typical Leprechaun Story

Leprechaun
Source: optionmillionaires

This week I read the Celtic Fairy Tales. I am going to take my first stab at Option Two for this essay assignment: “Assessing the Reading Unit”. So first off, did I enjoy the reading unit? The simple answer to this question would be “yes.” However, it is my duty to elaborate, so hear goes nothing.

I did enjoy reading through the Celtic Fairy Tales, mainly because I have realized that I kind of like reading literature from cultures other than my own. It is always very interesting to me to get a glimpse of what types of things are important and highlighted in the literature of other cultures. Also, it was refreshing to read stories about the notorious leprechauns that did not involve a pot of gold or Saint Patrick’s Day, which is typically what I think about when hear the word “leprechaun.”

Secondly, how did this reading choice fit my overall goals for this class? Well, as I mentioned earlier, I have enjoyed reading stories from various cultures. When I originally enrolled in this class, I did not have any particular “goals” in mind. However, as the semester has progressed, and the reading units have diversified, I have found myself wanting to gain as much knowledge about other cultures as I can while I am in this class. I feel like this class has given me the opportunity to virtually study abroad, which is great—this route saves me money, and my family does not have to worry about me getting kidnapped while in a foreign country! Ha!

Lastly, how did this reading unit fit my expectations? I have often found that I approach the reading assignments without any specific expectations. Of course I expect that I am going to be exposed to stories that I have probably never read before, but other than that, there is not too much that I am looking for. However, this “no expectation” system has worked out quite well for me, because each week I have been quite satisfied with all of the reading units!