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Getting Ready for the Final Exam

Getting Ready for the Final Exam. Course Summary. The Functions of Myth. The nature of the world Code of behavior Life Stages Relationship to the divine. Function of “Telling Stories”. Rehearsing ideas in a social context Presenting culture specific realizations of mythic themes

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Getting Ready for the Final Exam

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  1. Getting Ready for the Final Exam Course Summary

  2. The Functions of Myth • The nature of the world • Code of behavior • Life Stages • Relationship to the divine

  3. Function of “Telling Stories” • Rehearsing ideas in a social context • Presenting culture specific realizations of mythic themes • Critiquing the problems of society

  4. Stories have two levels • Literal • The plot • The setting • The characters • Figurative • Metaphors • Symbols • Allegory

  5. Example: Gilgamesh • Be brave • Serve your people • Don’t fear death

  6. Example: Beowulf • Be brave • Serve your people • Don’t fear death

  7. Example: BhagavadGita • Be brave • Serve God • Don’t fear death

  8. Sundiata • Be brave • Serve your people • Don’t fear death

  9. Implied Social Critique • Stories address some crisis • Tension makes them interesting

  10. Knowing cultural background • Myths are about the human condition: • Fear (be brave) • Selfishness (serve others) • Mortality (accept death)

  11. We tell myths to do specific cultural critique as well • Kings should not abuse their people or blaspheme the gods • People shouldn’t steal gold from other people’s hordes • Kings shouldn’t invade other people territory and interfere with the line of succession

  12. Power of Myth • Speaks to human condition • Applicable across time and culture

  13. Speaks to individual cultures • The reader must also understand the implied cultural critique • The reader must also understand the cultural context • History • Religion

  14. Myth and social critique of our own culture Superheroes

  15. Superheroes: Historical Context Real history Fictional history

  16. Superheroes: Religious Context • Judeo-Christian underpinning • Modern ecumenical • Global crisis of faith • doubt and conflict • Nietzsche: God is dead • unsettling of shared belief • Separation from the traditional divine • Superheroes are not in direct contact with the divine • Rise of personal agency

  17. Post Modernism • A pastiche of conflicting genres • The only constant is change

  18. Humans still need myths and heroes • Star Wars • Classic hero’s journey • Bad guys have to be faceless (and ultimately non-human) • Wall-E • Classic hero’s journey • Bad guy is a computer • Avatar • Classic hero’s journey • Bad guys are corporate eco-busters

  19. Frank Miller’s Batman • Batman and Superman • Classic hero • Modern hero (flawed) • Frank Miller’s Batman and Superman • Social critique • Hero critique

  20. As you read: • Keep a chart of behavior for Batman and Superman • Heroic -- Not Heroic • Note social critique • what is Miller upset about in his culture. • Age? Justice? Politics?

  21. How to Read a Graphic Novel • Look at how the panels are arranged and how they relate to each other. • Note the emotion evoked by the drawing style • Read the word balloons and panel action from right to left, from up to down. • Don’t think this will take less time to read than an all-word novel! You have to read the pictures as well as the words.

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