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.