Friday, September 28, 2018
Understanding History?
History was a difficult subject for me in school. I couldn't keep dates and events straight in my head. I originally approached The Silmarillion as if it was a history book. This was completely the wrong approach to take. After our first discussion on Tuesday, I decided to think differently about the way I read the book. Not as a history text book, but as a piece of literature. I found it much more enjoyable and easier to comprehend than the first set of reading we had to do. This stood out to me, because if I hadn't changed my mindset, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed the story and the characters as much as I do now.
2 comments:
I can completely relate to this! My first run through of the first part of the Silmarillion was a little rough. Without knowing more about the rest of the Silmarillion, the beginning makes it all seem daunting and dry. But when it is read as a piece of literature, or myth, the entire story becomes rich and fascinating. After reading later stories like Beren and Luthien, the myth behind them becomes more thought provoking and engaging. Maybe a suggestion for those who find the early Silmarillion chapters a bit wearisome, would be to reread them after experiencing stories about Túrin or Beren and Luthien.
-Vairë
This is super interesting to me because I had to approach it in the complete opposite state of mind. Before this summer, I was never able to even get through the Fellowship of the Ring without getting frustrated at the seemingly endless detail. When I had to read the books this summer, I approached them as a primary source myth that I was reading for research purposes. This completely changed my state of mind, and I was able to really enjoy the story. By the time we got to the Silmarillion as a class, I was already equipped to read it the same way. Interesting how different strategies work for different people.
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