TALL TALES
What Are They?
Tall
tales are stories written from someone’s imagination. The story can be
funny or silly. They are filled with exaggerations, similes, metaphors,
and lots of descriptive language. It is always told as if it were true,
even though the listeners know that the story could never really happen.
Some of the characters were real
heroes and heroines whose stories got exaggerated a lot, others were characters
such as cowboys, railroad workers, loggers, sea captains, and
firefighters. Tall tales told information that really happened at the
time and combined it with a wild tale full of fantasy.
In general there were some bad
things about tall tales. They were negative towards Native Americans,
African Americans, women, and animals. The tales were about people who
were trying to conquer the American Wilderness. Most of these tall tales
were written back in the 1800s when the pioneers were trying to conquer the
wilderness of America. It was a way for the pioneers to make the taming
of America a little easier to handle.
History
Many settlers originally came west
because someone made many optimistic claims, those which told only of the good
things. They were told the climate was perfect and that there was plenty
of water. They were convinced that crops would spring up overnight.
It was said that the soil was so fertile that even footprints would grow!
In real life, living on the plains
was a lot tougher that the settlers had been told. After they found out
what life on the plains was really like, they had to face many hard
times. It was easier to do that if a person used humor. One farmer
is reputed to have said, “It could be so hot one day that the corn popped, and
so cold the next day that a bucket of water would freeze so fast that the ice
would still be warm."
The settlers loved to exaggerate
when they told tales about the huge animals, the incredible weather extremes
and the monstrous fish that got away. We can thank the pioneers for tall
tales. Tall tales have been associated with America’s past.
Tall Tales are part of our nation’s
oral history. We can make many connections between such tall tales and
events in history. Among these are John Henry and the expansion of the
railroads, Paul Bunyon and the timber industry, and Johnny Appleseed and
agriculturalism. Tall tales were stories told and passed down from
generation to generation.
Myths
What Are They?
Myths are
among the oldest stories ever told. They
are present in all cultures and often explain some aspect of nature or human
existence. According to PBS, “For thousands of years, people all over the world have
told stories to pass down the history, culture, and morals of their society to
each new generation. One type of traditional story is the creation, or origin,
story. Creation stories, also called ‘creation myths,’ describe the origin and
nature of the universe, and often convey particular belief systems or values.”
Your tasks:
1. Read/listen/watch two of the following tall tales: John Henry, Paul Bunyon, Johnny
Appleseed. As you read/listen/watch, make a 2-column list. One column should list the
realistic/historical aspects of the story, and the other column should list the
exaggerated portions of the story. Try to include at least 3 items in
each column for each story.
Title
of Story
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Culture
& Geographic Area
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Explains
the creation of…
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Major
Characters
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Cultural
Values
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Setting:
mostly human, spiritual, or natural world?
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3. Write an outline for EITHER a tall tale OR a myth. See the directions for each below:
Option A: Tall Tale outline: Write an outline for
your own tall tale. The character should be a real person, either historical
or modern who you would consider a hero. The outline should include the
following ideas for your story:
-->a protagonist who is a real person, either
historical or modern, but who you add details that describe him/her as having
super-human abilities in some way that helps people and has to do with their
job (ex. Paul Bunyan's size, John Henry's strength, Johnny
Appleseed's ability to communicate with nature). For example, you may
choose to write a tall tale about Paul Revere's superhuman ability to ride
faster than the wind to warn that "the British are coming," or you
may write a tall tale about Mariah Carey's superhuman ability to break glass
with her voice, or Martin Luther King, Jr.'s superhuman ability to
-->at least 3 historic/realistic details
-->at least 3 exaggerations
-->a story with some sort of conflict that gets
resolved/solved by the protagonist
-->an exposition, rising action, climax
(conflict is at a breaking/turning point), falling action, and a resolution
Option B: Myth outline:
-->clear cultural setting
-->cultural values
-->spiritual elements (gods, etc.)
-->natural elements
-->MUST explain the creation of something
-->an exposition, rising action, climax (conflict is at a breaking/turning point), falling action, and a resolution
