Sharing Tradition Exercise

Answer the following questions.

a. According to LaPena, what is the importance of the oral tradition? To what extent do you agree with his opinions and why?
According to Frank LaPena, oral tradition is very important. He believes that the traditions followed by our elders should be passed from one generation to another through spoken words. Oral tradition helps to protect and continue our cultural heritage.
I agree with his opinion because oral tradition helps the younger generation to understand the lifestyle, social life, and cultural background of their elders. It also helps them to know about their family history. Our culture is our identity, and oral tradition plays an important role in preserving this identity.

b. Who preserve and pass on the oral tradition?
Oral tradition is preserved and passed on by elders, parents, and experienced people in society. They share their knowledge, culture, traditions, and ideas with the younger generation through stories, songs, and conversations. It is the responsibility of everyone to protect and pass on their traditions to future generations.

c. What is the danger of not passing on information from generation to generation?
If information is not passed from one generation to another, our cultural environment will slowly disappear. Traditions like festivals, religion, customs, and values may be forgotten. As a result, people may lose their identity and moral values.

d. What is the difference between oral tradition and literary tradition?
The main difference between oral tradition and literary tradition is the way information is shared. In oral tradition, knowledge and culture are passed through spoken words from one generation to another. In literary tradition, information is preserved and shared through written texts like books and documents.

e. How does LaPena establish a relationship between art and the oral tradition?
LaPena explains that both art and oral tradition are forms of communication. Through them, a message or idea is shared with others. He says that oral tradition inspires art by shaping how artists imagine stories, characters, designs, and colors. Thus, oral tradition plays an important role in the creation of art.

Reference to the Context

a. LaPena states that the oral tradition helps maintain the values of a culture. If you believe that the oral tradition is important, how would you maintain it?

It is true that oral tradition helps in maintaining the values of a culture. I believe oral tradition is very important, and I would maintain it in the following ways.
First, I would record interviews of elderly people and also keep written records of their stories.
Second, I would carefully listen to the elders and respect the knowledge they want to share with us.
Third, I would start small projects related to the preservation of oral tradition.
Fourth, I would take part in street dramas and cultural programs that focus on our traditions.
Finally, in my old age, I would share my own experiences, ideas, and knowledge about tradition with the next generation.

b. “Not everyone is capable of fulfilling the roles of the elders.” Explain this statement with reference to the essay.

It is true that not everyone is capable of fulfilling the roles of elders. An elder is not only a person who has lived for many years. To fulfill the role of an elder, a person must have proper knowledge and understanding of past traditions. Some elders have followed traditions since their young age, while others have not. Those who have not followed traditions do not have enough knowledge about them. Such elders cannot properly guide the younger generation.
Therefore, to fulfill the responsibilities of elders, one must have deep knowledge, experience, and respect for tradition. Hence, not everyone is capable of fulfilling the roles of elders.

c. What is the controlling idea or thesis of this essay?

The controlling idea or thesis of the essay is the importance of preserving and protecting our traditions. The essay explains that traditions should be continued from one generation to another.
In the present time, many people have forgotten their traditions, and some traditions have already disappeared. Therefore, the essay is written to make people aware of the need to protect and preserve traditions for future generations.

d. How do topic sentences guide the reader through the essay? What would be lost without them?

Topic sentences help guide the reader by clearly stating the main idea of each paragraph. They are connected to the main theme or thesis of the essay. All other sentences in a paragraph support the topic sentence. Without topic sentences, the paragraph would not be clear. The reader would not understand the main idea or purpose of the paragraph. As a result, the essay would lose clarity and direction.

e. What are the four major problems developed by LaPena with regard to maintaining the oral tradition? How are they used to structure the essay?

The four major problems related to maintaining oral tradition are as follows.
First, some elders played special roles in preserving traditions, and it is very difficult to replace them.
Second, young people do not show enough interest in listening to elders.
Third, modern technology and changing times make it difficult to protect traditional values.
Fourth, there is a lack of proper and true sharing between generations, and wrong information once published is hard to correct.
These problems help structure the essay by explaining different challenges faced in preserving oral tradition.

Reference Beyond the Text

a. Write a paragraph or two explaining your attitude toward the oral tradition of passing along information.

Oral tradition is one of the most effective ways to preserve culture and traditional values. Through oral tradition, people learn about the lifestyle, skills, beliefs, and knowledge of their ancestors. Stories, songs, customs, and experiences shared by elders help the younger generation understand their roots. Both elders and young people have an important role in this process. Elders must share true and meaningful information, while young people should listen carefully and respect their knowledge.

I strongly believe that oral tradition helps us understand our culture, which is our true identity. Culture connects us with our past and guides us in the present. If oral tradition is ignored, cultural values will slowly disappear, and people may face an identity crisis. Therefore, my attitude toward oral tradition is very positive. I believe it must be preserved and passed on so that our culture and identity can continue to exist for future generations.

b. Our culture is our identity. Write a few paragraphs explaining how you intend to preserve your culture, values, and norms.

It is true that our culture is our identity. Culture shapes our behavior, thoughts, and way of living. It teaches us how to respect others, follow traditions, and live together in society. If culture is lost, people lose their sense of belonging and identity. Therefore, it is our responsibility to preserve our culture, values, and norms for the future.

I intend to preserve my culture in many ways. I will actively take part in cultural ceremonies and festivals related to my tradition. I will try to create awareness among people about the importance of culture and traditional values. I will also support and promote cultural programs in my community. In addition, I will share cultural knowledge and traditions with younger people so that they can understand and follow them.

In conclusion, preserving culture is very important for unity and harmony in society. In today’s busy and modern lifestyle, cultural heritage is at risk of being forgotten. The best way to preserve culture is by practicing it and sharing it with future generations. Cultural heritage must be protected so that future generations can live with pride, confidence, and a strong sense of identity.