Feedback Strategies

The first article I read was "Be a Mirror." It discussed being able to give feedback without judgement, which means focusing on the person's effort. One quality of feedback the author listed was to "focus on what the reader is doing" rather than what the reader is missing. I love this idea because it allows a person to work with what they have and it gives them the confidence that what they have is good enough. Another quality mentioned was that you should not use first person pronouns (e.g. "I think..."). While I do agree with this to some degree, sometimes it can be helpful for feedback to be in first person because it makes the writer feel like they have a choice in the matter. It tells the writer that it is only one opinion but they don't necessarily have to agree with it and they don't have to change their writing if they feel it is okay.

The second article, "Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback," talks about how a lot of feedback focuses on the past rather than the future. This limits feedback and limits opportunities. Instead, the author has coined the term "feedforward" and describes how it works. One part of it is that feedforward cannot be taken as personally because the critiques would be given ahead of time, and the person getting the "feedforward" would decide whether or not to take the advice. This way it lacks any suggestion of an attack. I really love this idea and I can see how it could be useful for a variety of situations, such as public speaking, working, and writing.

I typically do not feel confident about giving people useful feedback. I never want to hurt anyone's feelings (because I myself am very sensitive), and I am worried I am wrong a lot of the time. Sometimes people just have a different vision than me and I can't see it. I would hate to critique something that someone was proud of just because I didn't see where they were going with it. Because of this, I usually only give positive feedback, commenting on what I enjoyed from someone's work. I know this isn't extremely useful for most people, but with the feedback strategies I learned from the articles I am hoping to be able to grow in this area of my life. One feedback strategy I would like this try this semester is the "being a mirror" idea. I would love to be able to help someone see their work in a non-judgemental way while still being able to provide them critiques.

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Image information: Effort Cat from Growth Mindset Memes blog. Let's put emphasis on a person's effort and applaud them for it!

Topic Research: Frame Tales

Although I'm still trying to decide which topic I will use in the end, I think the one I'll stick with for now is the frame tales with Alice in Wonderland one. In this concept, a young boy will end up in Wonderland and will have well-known characters (Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, White Rabbit, etc.) telling him stories that teach him a lesson. The lesson would be related back to situations that the boy had encountered and is trying to figure out how to deal with. I'm considering changing the setting, though, as I am currently not feeling super attached to Wonderland. I am starting to think I would prefer a setting of Hogwarts (potentially with Dumbledore or Lupin as the storyteller), but I'm going to think on it.

The following are three possible stories I will use for this topic:

1. "Tongue-Cut Sparrow" (Here is a good summary of the story, although with a slightly less forgiving ending.) - This is a Japanese folk story about greed and anger. The key feature I would use from this story would be the idea of having a good-natured person choose a smaller and more modest gift if given the choice between two packages. Then I would have a less kind person steal the larger gift and end up with the "cursed" package. 
2. "The Wind and the Sun" - The key feature I would use from this story is the idea that it is more effective to treat someone with a kind and gentle attitude rather than a harsh and authoritative one. I would write a story about two people using either approach and show how the kinder person's approach worked best. 
3. "The Astrologer" - From this story I would use the idea of a person getting himself into trouble because he is paying too much attention to the future, and not enough attention is being given to the present. 

Side note: Since Aesop's Fables (numbers 2 and 3) are so short, re-writing them will probably have to involve adding in a lot of new details. I will either do that or I will only make the frame tales half of the story. After the tale is told, the boy will then use the new knowledge to apply it to his own situation. This might seem repetitive, though, so I would need to avoid that somehow. 

Image information: Storytelling from Tumisu at Pixabay. A visual of how I hope to bring stories to life through frame tales. 

Week 3 Story: A Goddess' Envy and Psyche's Mistake

After leaving the underworld and the ferryman behind, Psyche's curiosity overcame her. Would just a tiny drop from this jar of beauty make her more desirable to her lover, Cupid? He had left her in such haste but maybe if she could add to her beauty, he would fight to be with her. Psyche slowly and carefully opened the jar, lost in thoughts of Cupid and his own beauty.

(Psyche opening the jar.)

Inside the jar was nothing. Psyche shook it around and turned it upside down to empty the nonexistent contents. Nothing came out. Psyche, enraged, sealed the jar and discerned that Venus had planned this entire scene: The goddess of love, Venus, did not need more beauty, Psyche realized. She only asked Psyche to retrieve the jar of beauty for her because she wanted Psyche to waste more time and suffer further. She wanted Psyche to give up on her chance to be with Cupid. But she would not allow this. With the jar sealed and composure collected, she went to Venus, who sat upon her throne.

When Venus saw her, Psyche was so exhausted by the tasks and distracted by the hope that they were over that she did not notice the evil smile on Venus' face. Thrusting the jar in Venus' direction in an unkind fashion, Psyche said, "Here! Tell me it is over now!"

"Yes," Venus said, a wicked grin still playing on her lips. "Yes, I think you have had enough. You don't look well enough for any more games."

Psyche, finally noticing Venus' unusual glee, was about to question it until she saw her reflection in a mirror to the right of Venus' throne.  "Oh!" Psyche yelled, horrified at what she saw. Her reflection was not what she was used to. Instead of the beautiful and elegant appearance she had grown up having men and women fawn over, what she saw horrified her: She was a beast. No, a monster. No, a creature made of only the ugly parts of every existing animal. She cried out and wept for what she now was and what she used to be.

"Look what you did to yourself!" Venus said exuberantly. "You just had to have even more beauty--I knew the jar would tempt you. Let's see how Cupid and the world likes you now!"

When Cupid arrived, finally escaped from his room and ready to see his lover, he looked around for her. "Where is she?" he cried.

Venus pointed to the monster on the floor, and Cupid understood. "Oh, Psyche. What have you done?" He took her into his arms, unafraid of her new form but also mourning for her old beauty. He knew that Venus would not change her back and did not dare to ask.

So from then on, Psyche lived with her new form and hid in the palace she was once forced to live in. She accepted her fate and eventually convinced her family who she was. She allowed herself to realize that Cupid only loved her for her appearance and that she needed to be with someone who wanted more than a beautiful face. Venus never bothered her again and Psyche found love in her new, simple life where her character was more important than her beauty.

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Author's Note: Using the story of "Cupid and Psyche", I took the jar of beauty and twisted the story around. In the original story, Venus is overcome with envy for Psyche's beauty. She assigns Psyche four seemingly impossible tasks and the final one is retrieving a drop of beauty from the underworld. Psyche is tempted and opens the jar so that she can look more beautiful for Cupid (whom she is in love with) and it makes her fall into a deathly asleep. Cupid comes to her rescue and wakes her up. This part of the story caught my attention because I know the gods/goddesses can show an extreme desire for revenge. I really thought Venus' jealousy would drive her to change the one piece of the situation that Venus hated most: the fact that Psyche was more beautiful than her. So I took what I thought would happen and made this story of it. My own ending is not the happiest one, but it felt like the most realistic one given the circumstances.

Bibliography: "Cupid and Psyche" from Apuleius's Golden Ass, translated into English by Tony Kline (2013). Web source.

Image information: Psyche, by Waterhouse

Week 3 - Reading Notes: Cupid and Psyche (Part B)

The first thing that caught my attention when beginning this half of the reading for Cupid and Psyche was how dramatic and lengthy the dialogue and descriptions can be. For example, Venus' rant to Cupid is 386 words and could have been made into 50. The writing is very excessive, which is not necessarily a bad thing. It definitely emphasizes a character's emotions and gets the point across. 

While reading the parts about Ceres and Juno denying Psyche help, I really admired the way it was written. The two goddesses really did want to help Psyche, and this is shown through the dialogue.  The way they talk about their loyalty to Venus makes the reader understand where they are coming from. For example, Ceres says,

“Your tears and prayers move me more than I can say, and I long to help you, but Venus is not simply my niece: we share ancient ties of friendship, and besides, she’s so good-hearted I can’t afford to offend her" (From Psyche's Prayer).

This writing does a wonderful job of being sensible and making the reader understand why Psyche is having such trouble protecting herself from Venus. It shows how she is forced to be her own person and depend on herself for protection.

The story eventually uses the writing element of trials, where Venus puts Psyche through four tasks. I've always liked this idea because while it might not be realistic, it is a wonderful way to develop a character and move a story along. The writing in this story uses it to introduce the world's kindness and pity for Psyche's situation.

I found this quote to be hilarious and want to keep it here for reference (it's more comical if you read it in context, though):

"Psyche left willingly, not to fulfill the goddess’ demand, but to escape from her troubles by throwing herself from a cliff into the river" (from Psyche's Task).

The drama--I love it. I understand that it's a dark quote, but it was not preceded by a gradual discussion of Psyche's feelings about the tasks. It was very sudden and unexpected, so it almost felt out of place. Still, it was an understandable element to add to the story because of the brutal and unforgiving tasks Venus put Psyche through.

I was surprised that there was very little point to Psyche opening the jar with the "drop of beauty" in it. I figured more would happen with it, but all that happened was Cupid waking her up. It felt like it could have been a useful element to add to the story. I suppose that is what Pandora if for, though.

I do wish that the frame tale had more meaning in the end. It seemed that it really was just used to comfort the young girl (unless I missed something or misinterpreted). In the end, it was just a story to tell. 

Bibliography:
Apuleius's Golden Ass, translated into English by Tony Kline (2013).

Image Information:
Psyche, by Waterhouse

Reading Notes - Week 3: Apuleius's Cupid and Psyche (Part A)

This week I read Part A of Cupid and Psyche. This is a good start to researching for my final project since it involves a story within a story, an element I am considering using. One part I really liked was that the story ensures that there is a reason for the Cupid and Psyche story, setting it up by having the older woman feel pity for the young girl. Their dialogue previous to this was simple and yet powerful enough to set the reader up for a desire to see the young girl comforted. 

The story of Cupid and Psyche is extremely detailed and descriptive. I appreciate how much emphasis was put on Psyche's beauty. It's one thing to say that a person is beautiful but it's much more powerful to describe the effect her beauty had on people (saying that crowds of people were gathering to see her and that the news of her beauty spread from city to city). It's much more believable that she would have an affect on a goddess when her appearance is described like this. 

I loved how descriptive the negative reaction to the prophecy was ("the whole city grieved at the cruel fate that had struck the afflicted house and public business was interrupted as a fitting show of mourning."), and then how brave Psyche's words were following them. Her words strike as even braver and stronger because of how the description of the situation was laid out right before. Characters are really built and shown through the events they are put through, and the writing here shows who Psyche is. 

One aspect I would like to note is the miscommunication. If Psyche would have just been honest and told her sisters that her husband was not handsome and perfect, they would not have felt envy. Psyche's lies then got her into more trouble with them because she had forgotten how she had described her husband before, so she made up a new description. The sisters caught on to this and ended up persuading Psyche to kill him. This caused more trouble for Psyche. 

I noticed when Psyche first moved in with her husband that there was very little description on him. Instead, the focus was on her despair. I like how the writing allows the reader to be curious about what she thinks of her husband, but then distracts the reader from this by drawing our attention to her sadness about wanting to see her sisters. Later everything is revealed about her husband and this reminds the reader that they were at one point curious about wanting clarification that he was Cupid. 

Bibliography: 

Apuleius's Golden Ass, translated into English by Tony Kline (2013).

Image info:
Psyche and Her Sisters, by Giordano