Essay Writing: Creation Stories

Compare and Contrast!
The student will read two short Creation stories (included). A list of relevant themes for a ‘compare and contrast’ essay is included. The student will choose three topics that they feel are interesting (list provided), and write an essay in which they briefly address how those topics differ in each story. Detailed guidelines are given. This assignment will take at least one week to complete.

Stories:

‘Grandmother’s Creation Story’, by Muskeke Iskwew

A Creek medicine woman shares her grandmother’s telling of the creation of the earth, the animals, and humans, and subsequent events. (Note: this is a personal story and not the Creek creation myth as is found on Wikipedia.)

‘The Garden of Eden’ by Walter de la Mare

A renowned children’s author writes a vivid description of the ‘creation of man’ and the ‘fall from grace’ as described in the book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. (Note: this is not a children’s version of the story, but a vivid ‘retelling’ in contemporary English.)

TIP! This may be a good choice for a student with an interest in religion or anthropology.