Prompt 15- Summary of the Journey

I think that I have learned a lot by writing this journal throughout the semester. I had never really noticed how significant and present myth is in our current culture, but it is huge. I see evidence of it everywhere: in people, in politics, media, and even in my sunday morning comics or word searches. It impacts the way we think and see the world. I never realized how much myth has affected me and how I see the world. Even my own family has a myth! Things that we go through as we get older (rites of passage) are essential parts of growing up. By creating this journal and reading the textbook, I have learned how to look at mythologies through a new lens. I can now do different analysis on myths to find the purpose of them and be able to better apply them to my life. Through doing these analysis, I have been able to learn about different cultures and lifetimes, but have also been able to see how humans have always been the same. I can relate to those that wrote or listened to the myths thousands of years ago, because my human psyche is the same as theirs were back then.
Though some of the prompts were difficult to do (the Jungian and Proppian analysis gave me major troubles!!!), I believe I did well on answering the prompts as best as I could. I definitely viewed it as a learning process, where I didn't have to worry about trying and failing. It was a place where I could experiment with different thought processes, which I liked. Overall, I think that the journals were overall very helpful in maximizing what I got out of the class.

Prompt 14- Karen Armstrong's Conclusions

"The myth of the hero was not intended to provide us with icons to admire, but was designed to tap into the vein of heroism within ourselves. Myth must lead to imitation or participation, not passive contemplation... There is nothing new in the godless mythologies of contemporary novels, which grapple with many of the same intractable and elusive problems of the human condition as the ancient myths, and make us realize that - whatever the status of the gods - human being are more than their material circumstances and that all have sacred, numinous value." --Karen Armstrong

I believe that Karen Armstrong is correct when she says that we need mythologies to meet the crises of our current times. The functions that myths had way back when still apply today. We live in a world where we rely on technology and science instead of looking more towards the human psyche and how we used to view the world. We continue to see myths in current novels, where we see a hero that defies the odds and make the world a better place. However, we read these passively instead of becoming inspired to be a hero in the real world that we live in. Myths were never meant to be passive. They were meant to be learned from. If we created myths that tackled some of the toughest issues we face today, and actually acted on those myths, we could make our world a better place to be. Of course, the "lesson" or what we are supposed to get out of the myth would have to be positive, not negative, for this to work. For example, myths that saw everyone in the world as equals, as human beings, could strengthen the idea of a global community. We learned a lot from myths thousands of years ago, and that fact hasn't changed.

Prompt 12- Proppian Analysis

Sleeping Beauty

Villain: Malificent
Helper: Good Fairies
Princess: Princess Aurora (Rose)
Hero (seeker): Prince Philip
Donor: Good Fairies


I couldn't figure out the very beginning of the story, when the good fairies take the princess to hide her away in the forest as a baby. However, this is what I figured out for when she is grown up.

α γ1 β1 δ1 A11 B4  C ↑ F3 G2 HJI K4 W*

γ1 (Good Fairies tell Rose to go pick berries, but not talk to stranger)
β1 (Rose goes out into the forest)
δ1 (Rose meets and talks to Prince Philip)
A11 (Malificent puts a spell on Rose when she pricks her finger on the spinning wheel)
B4 (Good Fairies tell Prince Philip about Aurora's misfortune)
C↑ (Prince Philip goes to rescue her)
F3 (Good Fairies give Prince Philip a magic sword and shield)
G2 (Philip travels on his horse back to the castle)
H (Malificent blocks his path & becomes a dragon)
J (He cuts his arm in battle)
I (He pierces Malificent through the heart)
K4 (Goes to the princess in the tower)
W (Philip and Aurora get married)

Prompt 13- Current national/cultural mythology

The discussion in class about American Exceptionalism was really interesting to me, so I decided to write about that for this prompt. The idea of American Exceptionalism is that the United States is superior to the other countries of the world. At this moment in time, the United States is a hegemonic state, being the number one power in the world. We have been in this position ever since the end of WWII. It seems to be of popular opinion and through public and international policy that the United States is the top dog and is the best place in the world to live. The United States has its foot in numerous international organizations, often holding top positions in those organizations, such as the UN, NAFTA, and APEC. The United States has a history of using its power to get other countries to do what it wants, and it continues to believe that it can continue to do so. There seems to be an idea that the United States can take whatever it wants or do whatever it wants without resistance or consequence, which is not true.
Also, it does seem that the people of the United States believes that they deserve the "American Dream", living in luxury and excess. Despite the incredible debt that the United States is finding itself in right now, the citizens are resistant in giving up anything that they have or expect to have to help get the country out of debt, yet they complain to the administration about the economic crises. The idea that the United States is superior in all aspects of culture, policy, and lifestyle is mythical. We have issues with healthcare, crime, abortion, poverty, obesity, and even education. The United States is not the model country that everyone should idolize. It has its issues, just like everyone else.

Week 11- Rite of Passage

A rite of passage that I have recently witnessed in the United States is the age of 21 celebration. In the United States, the legal drinking age for alcohol is 21 years. Therefore, one's 21st birthday is a monumental one. All of the friends and family help to celebrate with the birthday girl or boy. Generally, these parties are separate. The family celebration is more formal, though still celebratory. The family takes the family member out to a nice dinner, where they pay for the alcoholic beverage of the family member's choice. It seems that the females usually pick out a fruity drink of some sorts, often a margarita or martini, while the males generally go for beer or shots of vodka or whiskey. Afterwards, however, the 21 year old goes out with his or her friends to celebrate the important and long awaited rite of passage. This generally involves the activity of "bar hopping", where the group goes from one bar to another, getting an alcoholic beverage at each one. Many times this includes taking shots of alcohol, while other times it involves less toxic drinks. There is often music at the bars, so the celebration also can include dancing. This ritual can go well into the night and early morning, where the birthday boy or girl does not usually get home until at least 2:00am or later. If there was too much alcohol intake throughout the night, this can often lead to the hangover, which is a sickness of the stomach and head which can sometimes include vomiting. Though their brain my be fuzzy and throbbing, the now 21 year old has gone through the "coming of drinking age" rite of passage, one that, if not too much alcohol was drank, will be remembered.

Week 10- Destruction Myth Sighting

I was scrolling through Netflix's "Watch Instantly" section, and I began to remember all of these movies that talked about the end of the world. I own three of them: The Day After Tomorrow (the world is being destroyed because of the melting polar ice caps that change the currents of the oceans causing huge and deadly storms), Independence Day (the world is being attacked by aliens), and The Mummy: The Dragon Emperor (the world will be taken over be an immortal chinese emperor and his army). There are numerous movies similar to those, such as 2012, Armageddon, The Core, Cloverfield, The Day the Earth Stood Still, I Am Legend, and Transformers.  All of these movies are centered around the world being attacked and/or destroyed by either extraterrestrial/divine/immortal beings, nature, or disease. However, what I did notice is that none of the movies I can think of end up with everyone and everything being completely destroyed. There is always a glimmer of hope that the human race will overcome the odds and survive. Maybe the screenwriters didn't want to depress people. But maybe it shows humans' innate will to survive, the extinct to fight and hopefully win. We don't want to be destroyed, and these movies raise our hopes that we ultimately won't.

Week 8 & 9- My classmates' blogs

I was looking through people's blogs today, and I thought that a lot of them were pretty cool. Some people had a very cool setup of their page, which made it a lot more interesting and fun to look through. I loved how people put up pictures in their blogs. I haven't done that yet, but I am thinking that I might start. It definitely adds a little something extra to each entry.

I liked how diverse everybody's interests and perspectives are. Especially the entries where it's not so much applying a specific analysis to a story or situation, but when it is more of a personal opinion, such as the ages of man in society or how we see mythology in politics or other modern lenses. I also think it is helpful to see what everyone is learning from the class and how they are applying it to the different prompts. I found it educational to read through classmates' entries for applying the Jungian analysis to a fairy tale or comparing a modern movie or story to the hero's journey. It is a good place to find some insight and to get the creative juices flowing for my own prompts.

Week Seven- Creation of USA

The nation of the United State of America was formed in 1776 when the thirteen colonies declared their independence from the British and won their independence after their victory in the Revolutionary War. The former of this new nation and its government was the Continental Congress, a convention of delegates from the thirteen colonies. The president of the Continental Congress was Peyton Randolph of Virginia, and then later John Hancock of Massachusetts.
 I do not think that the United States has yet to have the Golden Age. In large part because of my Christian faith, I don't believe that the Golden Age will come until Jesus comes back and the world is without sin.
The Silver Age I think was more when we first became a nation, declaring our independence and setting up a democratic system of government. It was a new way of living and thinking about how things should be run, just like how in Ovid's creation story he says that "men sought- for the first time- the shelter of a house."
 The Bronze Age could be seen as the Industrial Revolution, when our nation was prospering, which was from 1750 to 1850, but also held the time of Manifest Destiny in the 1840s, where the United States was prone to warfare with the Native Americans.
In all honesty, I think that we are always in the Iron Age. Human nature is greedy, warlike, and impious. Humans lie and are not always loyal. This age is one that we are constantly fighting against but can never quite escape.  

Week 4- Jungian Analysis of "Enchanted"

Dreamer #1: Giselle

Shadow: Queen Narissa, Nancy
Animus: Prince Edward, Robert Phillip
Self: Morgan, portal

1. Giselle is saved from the troll by Prince Edward (animus)
2. Queen Narissa (shadow) pushed her into the well/portal (self)
3. Giselle meets Robert (animus) and his daughter Morgan (self)
4. Giselle meets Robert's fiancé Nancy (shadow)
4. Giselle eats the apple given to her by Queen Narissa (shadow)
5. Robert (animus) kisses Giselle, waking her up
6. Queen Narissa (shadow) is defeated

Dreamer #2: Robert Philip

Shadow: Prince Edward
Anima: Giselle, Morgan, Nancy
Self: I couldn't figure out who the self was! None of the characters seemed to fit well, accept for maybe Prince Edward, but he was already the shadow.

1. Robert meets Giselle (anima) and lets her stay with him and his daughter (Morgan)
2. Robert meets Prince Edward (shadow) when he finds Giselle
3. Robert goes to the ball with Nancy (anima)
4. Robert kisses Giselle (anima) to wake her up

Dreamer #3: Prince Edward

Shadow: Nathaniel
Anima: Queen Narissa (negative anima), Giselle (positive anima), Nancy (positive anima)
Self: Chipmunk, portal

1. Prince Edward saves Giselle (anima) from the troll
2. Prince Edward and the chipmunk (self) go through the portal (self) to find Giselle
3. Nathaniel (shadow) finds Prince Edward in NYC and attempts to thwart his search for Giselle
4. Prince Edward finds Giselle (anima)
5. Prince Edward and Queen Narissa (anima) have a confrontation after she poisons Giselle
6. Prince Edward goes back through the portal (self) with Nancy (anima), where they get married

Week 6- Norse Mythology Today

Norse mythology, in my opinion, is the most popular and used mythology today. From mythology we get fairies, dwarves, giants, and elves. Some sitings of Norse mythology in the 21st century:

1) Harry Potter- Hagrid is half-giant, though his brother is full.  Harry also has to swim with mermaids for a challenge in the Triwizard Cup. Fenrir, who is one of the monsters born from Loki and the giantess Angrboda, is the name of an evil werewolf in the series. Harry also fights a troll in his first year at Hogwarts.

2) The Inheritance Trilogy- The main characters of this book series are elves, dwarves, and dragons (which are first seen in Greek mythology but are also present in Norse mythology).

3) Thor (the movie)- The entire movie is based on Norse gods and creatures, such as Thor and his hammer, Odin, Loki, Frigg (Frigga in the movie) and the Frost Giants.

4) My Word Search puzzle- In a word search puzzle that I was working on a couple of days ago, a ran across Thor as one of the words I had to find.

5) Everyday conversations- When someone is really tall or big, we often call them a "giant". If someone is really short or small, we sometimes call them a "dwarf".

6) Hairstyles!- Ladies can get a "pixie" haircut.

Week 5- Myths Present Today

For me personally, mythology is a way for me to realize or recognize my desire to be more than what I am. Though my world is boring a lot of the time, I like to imagine that I can have great adventures, or a hero's journey. I think that a lot of people feel the same way. I believe that this is why mythic-based movies and novels are so popular. Within the past couple of years, there has been Twilight (movies and books), The Green Lantern, Thor, Clash of the Titans, Underworld: Awakening, There Be Dragons, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and many more. We love the idea, like Otto Rank stated, that a hero has trials and overcomes them. They have adventures; good fights evil and prevails. Even though we do not experience the supernatural in that sense (we can't fly on dragons or marry vampires), but we can experience those things from movies or books. We can be invited into that world from the safety of our living rooms.

The whole idea of predator versus pray is seen a lot in world politics throughout history. I was watching a documentary in my International Relations class called Faces of the Enemy. It was all about how we dehumanize the enemy to justify killing others in war. It reminded me a lot about the book that we have looked at in class about how humans used to be prey and how that has affected mythology. In propaganda and editorial cartoons, the enemy was often portrayed as a monster of some sort: pointy teeth, crazy eyes, sharp claws. They were something to be feared. First feared, and then terminated. First they are the predator, and then they become the prey.

Noticing how mythology is present in our world today helps me to form more questions about mythology because it shows just how prevalent they are. That is because they are part of the human psyche; they are part of who we are as the human race. Mythology is the product of the social norms that have developed over time, our fears and dreams, and the complicated things of life that we are still trying to figure out. They are eternal.

A Hero's Journey- Star Trek

The Call to Adventure

At the bar, Jim Kirk is called to join Starfleet by Captain Pike. The challenge: “up” his father.

Refusal of the Call

Jim resists joining Starfleet, but eventually decides to take the challenge.

Supernatural Aide

“Bones” (aka Leonard McCoy) helps Jim get on to the Enterprise to help his fellow students respond to a distress signal. 

Crossing the First Threshold

Jim tries to beat a simulation. Spock challenges him with the idea of a “no win” situation and staying calm in the face of certain death. Jim does not believe in “no win” situations.

In the Belly of the Whale

Jim sneaks aboard the USS Enterprise for a mission by Bones giving him injections to make him sick.

The Road of Trials

Jim has to destroy the jamming signal on planet Vulkan.

Belly of the Whale

Jim gets banished to an Arctic planet/wasteland

Supernatural Aid

Jim is rescued from a wild beast by the future Spock

The Road of Trials

Jim and Scotty beam back to the USS Enterprise

Atonement with the Father

Jim stands up to Spock; becomes captain of the Enterprise

Crossing the Threshold

Jim and Spock beam aboard the Romulan ship

The Road of Trials

Jim and Spock rescue Captain Pike

The Ultimate Boon: Elixir Quest

Jim becomes the permanent captain of the USS Enterprise (in a sense steps into his father’s shoes)

Atonement with Father

Jim and Spock reconcile and become friends

The Return

Jim returns to Earth, but goes back out into space to have more adventures (aka exploring new worlds)

Am I or have I ever been a mythical figure?

Out of all the mythical figures that I know about, I feel that I relate the most to Orpheus. He was gifted with music, and none but the gods could surpass his power of music when he sang and played. Some stories say that he was the son of the Olympian god Apollo and got his musical talents from him, while others say that his mother, one of the Muses, gifted him with his musical abilities. As one version of the story goes, Orpheus fell in love with a woman named Eurydice, and they married. However, shortly after the wedding, Eurydice was bitten by a poisonous snake, died, and was taken to the Underworld. So stricken by grief, Orpheus went down to the Underworld, where he sang and played his lyre, so moving Hades that he agreed to released Eurydice to Orpheus on the condition that he did not turn to look back at her until they had reached the upper world. They were almost to the top when Orpheus looked back at Eurydice, who was then taken back to the Underworld. He spent the rest of his life wandering the earth and playing his music until he was killed by Maenads.

First of all, I love music and am constantly singing or playing songs in my head, so I am similar to Orpheus in that way. I can also have the same issue with trust, or doubt. He loved Eurydice so much, but he didn't have faith that Eurydice was behind him. He gave into that doubt, and it cost him the thing he held most dear. He got in the way of his own happiness, and I have found that I can do that also. Sometimes I let my doubt get in the way of success. I can come so close to achievement, but I allow it to slip through my fingers. Another way that you can look at the story is the intensity of his love and how it helps him to do something that most others would not have even dreamed of. How far would I go for my loved ones? How far would I go for the things I care about most in the world? Would I be able to face my fears and tread into the unknown? I hope that when that time comes in my life, I will be able to say yes.