The assigned readings in this course are not easy to interpret, mostly due to the different culture and mind set the texts were originally written in. However, I enjoy the readings based on this very fact. I like interpreting the texts because I also learn about the period they were written in. Some are more straight forward and are concerned around more interesting topics, but the challenging ones are where I gain most of my knowledge. I feel encouraged to read the texts, not just because it will help me become a better student, but also because I like to know what is going on in class discussion.

Medieval literature fascinates me in the sense that it paints a very typical portrait of women. Although it does not surprise me, women are always the passive characters, allowing the man to be their hero and their voice. Which is why I found some of the stories by Marie de France so interesting because she took this stereotype and turned it into humor, making a satire out of the belief that women were only as good as the man they stood by. I also liked the whole idea of karma she used in her themes, as if to imply that no good deed goes undone and no bad deed goes unpunished, no matter who you are.

I have just begun working on my research portfolio, which is something I wish I started earlier in the semester. I have not gotten very far in my research but hope to begin studying as many different approaches of literary theory as well as critical approaches I can. I always find it interesting to learn the various angles in which people take to view and interpret texts.