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Stories are not just meant to entertain, they are meant to teach, and a major way that they convey their lessons is through metaphor

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Stories are not just meant to entertain, they are meant to teach, and a major way that they convey their lessons is through metaphor. Metaphor is when a character, object, event, or even an idea is used to represent an idea or concept. For example, if a character in a story plants a tree, and that tree grows throughout the story -- as the character does -- then it might represent the character's growth, or even the character's life. If that tree then starts to die, it could represent the character's downfall or death. Everything in a story (at least in a good story) means something. Even the characters themselves come packaged with meaning. To help us understand this concept, I would like you to practice by analyzing either a myth or folktale, as the metaphors in these genres tend to be fairly direct. 
 

1. A brief summary of the story you've chosen. I cannot read every myth and folktale, and there are multiple versions of the ones I have read, so I need to know what yours is about. This summary should provide me with the basic details, but shouldn't be too long or elaborate -- I'm looking for about a paragraph or summary. (6 points) 
2. An explanation of the major symbols and metaphors that are featured in the story. Remember, everything in a story has some sort of underlying significance or meaning. What are the meanings behind the characters, objects, and events of the story? (6 points) 
3. What lesson (or lessons) do you think the story is trying to teach? Why do you think that? (6 points) 
4. Do you think that the story's lessons are still relevant to us today? Can we still learn from them, or are they out of date? Remember, the majority of myths and folktales were written a long time ago, when people had different values. It is not uncommon for the values expressed in these stories to no longer match our modern-day values. (6 points) 
5. Spelling and grammar. Always remember to proofread your work before submitting. (6 points)