1st blog post

After reading "Aesop, Aristotle, and Animals: The Role of Tables in Human Life" by Edward Clayton i found that Clayton made some very interesting points on the reasoning or reasonings behind telling fables. one reason which he had mentioned that i found rather interesting was where he explained to the readers that people who hold power tell these fables to the inferior in order to maintain their power. i also found it interesting when he tells us about how these animals can portray human like characteristics and show us how we relate to animals. this was a major point in my eyes because he talks about how people with power see themselves as the lion or the wolf in other words the prevailing animal in the fable, as opposed to much more inferior lower class people who are depicted as the weaker animal in the story such as the lamb. Clayton shows us how these fables are often interpreted to teach the lower class and powerless not to intervene with the higher class powerful. 

Another point i found rather fascinating was where he introduced Aristotle. This point was very interesting because Clayton had just finished explaining to us how these animals can be seen as representations of society and now he starts explaining to us the exact opposite. Clayton shows us how the similarities play a very important role in the relationship between people and these fables; on the other hand you can also look at the differences and deem for yourself that these differences may play a key role within this relationship. Clayton goes on to explain that if one is to get a more democratic perspective on this topic, one is able to draw a valid conclusion like maybe these fables are made to show us how we should not act. after all they are animals and we are humans right? in turn these are traits we should not carry with us through life and this is why.