Final answer:
Reading folktales from different cultures, such as African American folktale 'The People Could Fly', provides valuable cultural insights and moral lessons, offering a deeper understanding of historical experiences. The correct answer is c) Both a and b.
Step-by-step explanation:
The importance of reading folktales from different cultures and times, such as The People Could Fly, an African American folktale, lies in their rich conveyance of cultural insights and moral lessons. Folktales like this provide a unique perspective, offering diverse interpretations of human experiences, especially in the context of historical and informational texts about the same cultures. For instance, they can depict how enslaved individuals used storytelling as a tool for survival, imparting wisdom through tales filled with trickster characters who used intellect to overcome adversity. Furthermore, they serve as cultural treasures which pass down the legacies of bravery, morality, and resistance against injustice from one generation to the next. Thus, the answer to the question is c) Both a and b.
Folktales foster a deeper understanding of the past, offer critical insights into the values of different cultures, and challenge the myths and misconceptions that have historically been spread about those cultures. Furthermore, they serve as a means of preserving history through narratives that express the complexities of human emotions and societal struggles, which may not be fully captured in factual historical accounts.