Topic Research: Legends of the City of Mexico
I decided to look into the Legends of the City of Mexico by Thomas J. Janvier. I found the idea to be the most interesting and appealing to me. I chose three stories that I thought were captivating and researched them to see what else I would be able to find and learn.
The Legend of Don Juan Manuel was the first story I decided to read. The story is about a rich man who every night goes out and kills someone, which he had been doing for years. I would like to include the death of his nephew as a key feature, because it is a turning point in the story. I would also like to keep the idea of the ending, but maybe change a few details. I would consider modernizing it and including details that I found throughout my research. Something interesting that I found is the reason behind the murders has to do with the fact that Don Juan sold his soul to the devil in exchange for some information. I would like to maybe play that part up in my version and somewhat focus on the devil as a character, I think it could help set the scene.
Legend of the Calle de la Quemada is the second story I chose to look into. The legend is about a woman, Dona Beatrice, who beauty led to young men being killed out of jealousy, so she decided to take her beauty away. One feature that I am d=thinking about changing is the ending and give it a plot twist. Something I learned in my research is that she was an incredibly kind woman, which was sometimes overlooked as a characteristic by suitors. I think I would want to modernize but keep most of the original plot and just arrange it around a new setting and a new era.
The Legend of La Llorana is the third story that I chose and the one I am most familiar with. In the telling by Janvier, he writes more about the hauntings of La Llorona. It gave me the idea of telling the tale from an outsiders point a view, with a little bit of modernization as well as a bit more comedic in the beginning. The research showed the different variations in the legend and I think I am going to with the most common version. Then all three of these stories would have one thing in commons, deaths brought out by jealousy.
The Legend of Don Juan Manuel was the first story I decided to read. The story is about a rich man who every night goes out and kills someone, which he had been doing for years. I would like to include the death of his nephew as a key feature, because it is a turning point in the story. I would also like to keep the idea of the ending, but maybe change a few details. I would consider modernizing it and including details that I found throughout my research. Something interesting that I found is the reason behind the murders has to do with the fact that Don Juan sold his soul to the devil in exchange for some information. I would like to maybe play that part up in my version and somewhat focus on the devil as a character, I think it could help set the scene.
(Lucifer By Gustave Doré, via Wikimedia Commons)
Legend of the Calle de la Quemada is the second story I chose to look into. The legend is about a woman, Dona Beatrice, who beauty led to young men being killed out of jealousy, so she decided to take her beauty away. One feature that I am d=thinking about changing is the ending and give it a plot twist. Something I learned in my research is that she was an incredibly kind woman, which was sometimes overlooked as a characteristic by suitors. I think I would want to modernize but keep most of the original plot and just arrange it around a new setting and a new era.
The Legend of La Llorana is the third story that I chose and the one I am most familiar with. In the telling by Janvier, he writes more about the hauntings of La Llorona. It gave me the idea of telling the tale from an outsiders point a view, with a little bit of modernization as well as a bit more comedic in the beginning. The research showed the different variations in the legend and I think I am going to with the most common version. Then all three of these stories would have one thing in commons, deaths brought out by jealousy.
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