Reading Notes: West Africa, Reading A

 How We Got the Name "Spider Tales"

I really liked this story. While I actually used to have some really terrible arachnophobia and how I learned about things I was scared about and did research about them to know as much as I could which would sometimes be helpful while other times actually making it worse. It didn't change much about spiders for the longest time until I got older and while I still will occasionally be terrified of a spider or two it doesn't freeze me in my tracts like it used to. The point I am getting at is that this portrayed a spider in a different light that I was not totally expecting and that surprised me. I like all of the creative ways that the spider completed his tasks that would sound very hard for a spider to do. I have to be honest the spider I was picturing in this story was pretty huge which was definitely gross but it was also cool at the same time. I liked the spin on this creative spider and it made it feel that this spider wasn't necessarily evil which it really feels like they are normally depicted at but just someone who wanted to feel important so he did what he could to get what he wants. I actually found myself kinda relating or rooting for the spider which was an interesting feeling but I also think is a sign of good writing. I also liked that each of the animals made the decision to prove something and that they were so willing to just do whatever was asked of them. It sounded the meanest what happened to the boa.

Anansi the Spider

Bibliography

West African Folktales by William H. Barker and Cecilia Sinclair, with drawings by Cecilia Sinclair (1917).