Firstly, I want to say that I am excited to begin the course and look forward to reading the course texts. I have been interested in art and literature for as long as I can recall. When I was five, my brother gave me an anthology of folk and fairy tales with a section of various illustrations and I credit this book with spurring my interest in literature.
I am looking forward to analyzing "Goblin Market" again as I haven't studied the text in years and when I did, we did not focus on illustrations. I am also intrigued by The Were-Wolf in how it may subvert traditional notions of the myth. Were-wolves are a popular legend in my region, reflecting our cultural identity. My family has roots in the French culture of River Canard and the legend of the loup-garou of Detroit has always been in the periphery. This past term, I studied Gothic literature and I anticipate some of those themes will cross over into the Housman text given the transgression of the trope of the male were-wolf driven by bestial sexuality, vulgarity, and violence.
I am glad to see The Annancy Stories in the course schedule, as I came across the myth of the Anansi earlier this summer while I was researching myths for worldbuilding. Mythology fascinates me because every region has a unique approach to expressing cultural and moral values.