Modern Languages

Document Type



The Appalachian region of the United States encompasses fourteen states, ranging from southern New York to northern Mississippi. Despite the thousands of miles separating the mountain region of Appalachia within the United States and the small, diverse country of Ecuador, the two areas are decisively similar in their values. These values are clearly demonstrated in the traditional children’s folk stories, passed down orally between generations, in both Ecuador and Appalachia. Having surveyed anonymous subjects in both areas, four stories from Ecuador and seven stories from Appalachia have been collected at random in order to draw on comparison and contrast of narrative features. These traditional stories share similarities in six distinct areas, with slight differences throughout: the values of nature, family, agrarianism, poverty, magic, and communal friendship. By analyzing the values held to a similar esteem within the two distinct cultures, we are able to better identify the common thread of morality and values within the world-at-large.

Advisor(s) or Committee Chair

Dr. Sonia Lenk


Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Latin American Literature | Spanish Literature