1. ELIT 22
Final Essay Assignment: Due the last day of class.
The major assignment is for you to write a 3 to 5 page essay about an aspect of myth
and folklore as it pertains to a book or film we have not studied in the class.
You will analyze a film or a book, using any or all of the methods we have gone
over in class. You may also use any of the myths or legends we have not discussed
from the book, including a comparison of the creation myths, the flood myths, the
hero’s journeys. Remember—you are not simply summarizing the book or movie; you
are tracing the hero’s journeys, analyzing tricksters, finding folktale elements,
explaining mythic themes or explanations of existence, describing common folktale
elements, and/or explaining symbolism.
*** Important: make it clear what you are analyzing by giving the specific
element and explaining how the part of the story you are describing fulfills
the element. Don’t say merely that Dorothy is in the belly of the whale
when she is trapped in the house in the tornado but also explain why the
experience represents the belly of the whale.
Some film possibilities (including but not limited to):
Mission Impossible
Beverly Hills Cop
Spiderman 2
Pirates of the Caribbean
Wall-E
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Wizard of Oz
Some book possibilities (including but not limited to):
The Hunger Games
The Earth Sea Trilogy
The Once and Future King
Persepolis
His Dark Materials
Harry Potter
*** You may use a series from TV or a cartoon or a video game as well.
 Please write about the films or books in your papers as if you were
describing them for someone who hasn’t read or seen them.