4 Functions of Myth; Workshop

By -
Classroom:

 In his book Pathways to Bliss, Joseph Campbell defines four functions of myths:
  • Evoke existential thought (answer: what is the meaning of my life?)
  • Present an image of the cosmos (and your relation to it)
  • Validate society or culture (& its rules)
  • Make sense of a person's stages of life (birth, adolescence, adulthood, old age, death)
Let's read. As you read The Epic of Gilgamesh, look for these 4 functions of myth in the epic. We will discuss the epic next class. You should be able to discuss how you understood the 4 functions of myth while reading Gilgamesh.

 Please watch the end of the video on Mesopotamian Culture. Complete your graphic organizer notes.

LIBRARY LAB: 

Please return to the library lab. Prepare your workshop. You will want to share your original work (items in your writing portfolio) with at least 2 other students. If you used Google docs to write your drafts, then share your work with other peers. They will be able to comment on your work online.

You can also print out physical hard copies of your writing drafts and share these with your peers. Complete at least 2 of the handouts for workshops. Give feedback. With time remaining, go back and edit/revise your draft.

HOMEWORK: Please read The Epic of Gilgamesh. Look for the 4 functions of myth in the text. Be able to summarize each chapter during our discussion about the story.

Feel free to revise and prepare your work for your portfolio. Portfolios are due Nov. 1.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Namesake Analysis/Discussion Chp. 1 & 2; How It Feels To Be Colored Me

By -
Image
Let's go back to examining  The Namesake , Chapter 1 this morning to continue examining the writing style going on here. Take a closer look at these passages: Pg. 3 (1st full paragraph) to 4 (end of 1st full paragraph): How is Ashima's character compared/contrasted with the American women in the hospital? What do you notice about the sentence structure of this paragraph? What does the use of dialogue in this paragraph provide for the reader? What literary devices do you notice? Can you find figurative language/metaphor/alliteration or other elements of imagery? How are the sentences similar to a contraction (the action in the scene)? Pg. 10-12: how is Ashoke's character presented? How does his story parallel or contrast with his wife's? How is Ashoke different from the other American men in the waiting room? What details do we learn about him?  Pg. 13-14: Nickolai Gogol and the short story "The Overcoat" is alluded to here. Just notice it for now. This al...
Read more

How It Feels to Be Colored Me & Writing Prompts

By -
Image
"How it Feels to Be Colored Me" is an essay by  Zora Neale Hurston . Take a moment to read a bit of information about Zora Neale Hurston, then we'll read the essay in class. Look closely at how the article opens (the hook, lead-in, thesis), and how it develops (the body, topic sentences, argument), and notice the sentence structure (length, diction, syntax). After studying some of these elements respond to the article in writing. ESSAY PROMPT: What defines you? What single physical, mental, emotional trait defines you? Why? What is the significance of this trait?  ESSAY PROMPT: Think about your own educational experience. How multicultural has your experience been?  ESSAY PROMPT: Is there value in having a common culture (for example stressing the idea that we are all 'Americans' over fragmenting our culture)? Why or why not? ESSAY PROMPT: Does this idea of multiculturalism need updating? Is this issue still important--and, if so, why? ESSAY, PLAY, or M...
Read more

Mythology Prezi Projects

By -
Myths. Watch the following short videos concerning mythology. W hat makes a hero ? Anti-hero of One's Own A Host of Heroes Due at end of class , please complete your mythology Prezi project.  You should know the major gods/goddesses of your chosen mythological subject. Create a slide or two where you discuss/list who are the major gods/goddesses in your chosen mythology and what they represent You should know the creation myth that goes with that tradition. In a few slides tell the story of that creation myth through videos, pictures, text, etc. [note: most cultural mythology traditions have more than one creation myth. Pick the one you'd like to use.] You should identify key cultural traditions/beliefs that are represented in the myths of this culture: for example: arête (strength) is a common cultural quality examined in many hero myths. Find examples of some others. At least one slide should include the cultural tradition--note that this slide could come before ...
Read more