I came across some words that I did not know well enough to define, and some words that I doublechecked the meaning on, only to find that my understanding was not nearly as precise as the true definition. One of the most surprising things about this project was the number of words I looked up and defined-for myself and for the future Challenge B students.
In addition to writing the introduction, I also added footnotes to help readers pronounce names and places, connect dots between Roman and Greek names/characters, note interesting or funny facts, and define unfamiliar words. This project not only helped me become more familiar with Hawthorne and classic mythology, but also with myself. Now, after working on Tanglewood Tales and processing my thoughts, I know that students should study mythology. Before working on Tanglewood Tales, I felt that students probably should study mythology. I have become passionate about the subject.
However, writing the introduction was a different level of fun, because I tried to answer the question “Why should students study classic mythology?” Reasons jumped out at me left and right, from “It will help them understand jokes and allusions,” to “It proves how great our God is,” with many reasons in between. I knew “The Minotaur,” and “Circe’s Palace,” only the gist of “The Golden Fleece” and “The Pomegranate Seeds,” and nothing of “The Pygmies” or “The Dragon’s Teeth.” So, even just reading the collection was fun. I laughed out loud I read passages to my husband.ĭespite going through Foundations, Challenge, and The Book of Virtues TV show, I had not truly heard most of the stories in Tanglewood. It felt American, the way Hawthorne does, and it felt ancient, the way mythology does, but it was also whimsical in a way I hadn’t expected from Hawthorne. I started reading.įorget that only after weeks of writing a paper on “Ethan Brand” could I finally, genuinely like something that Hawthorne wrote. As a relatively new employee, I knew I could not raise my hand, clear my throat, and say “Excuse me? I’m sorry, but I mostly hate Hawthorne.” So I dove in. I was tasked with writing an introduction and footnotes for this collection of classic myths rewritten by Hawthorne.
(Though, for the record, I ended up loving “Ethan Brand” and “The Birth-Mark.”) Even in college when I had to read Hawthorne’s short stories, I couldn’t get past a feeling of drudgery in some of his writing. I’m glad I read The Scarlet Letter in Challenge I, and I remember having fun discussing it and working through the symbolism, but…it wasn’t something I got excited about. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to say this or not, but I’ve always struggled to enjoy Hawthorne. “Edit Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Tanglewood Tales,” they said.
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