Lone Ranger Discussion; Masculinity & Mythology
Lab:
Welcome back! I hope you had a restful (if cold) spring break!
TASK #1: This morning we're preparing for our discussion on the short story collection "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" by Sherman Alexie, while also examining some key aspects of those stories and our next unit on Gender: Men & Masculinity.
To start off, take a quick look at one of the scenes from the most recent reiteration of The Lone Ranger (the 2013 pop culture film, starring Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as The Lone Ranger). As you watch, consider how the roles of the Lone Ranger and his "comic" sidekick Tonto enact their male duty or responsibilities.
TASK #3: To read: (I suggest you complete your blog post first--see below...) during the lab, please read the collection of short articles taken from some recent magazine/newspapers about men. After reading, write your reaction to what some of these issues are, how you view them, whether or not you find this important or not (attempt to explain why or what your thinking is in written format--i.e., an essay, a rant, a poem, a short story, etc.)
We've also begun to discuss mythology. We need to draw a connection between the two topics, I believe, to better understand one another and men in our society/culture. So, here's a short review:
TASK #2 - Mythology (a story that has significance and staying power) is comprised of a little bit of literature, a little bit history and anthropology, sociology, psychology, religion, and a smidge of science.
One reason for writers to know a good bit about mythology is that many writers use these stories in a new and creative way to comment on aspects of our lives, culture, and society--spinning these old, battered yarns into golden flax for a contemporary audience. A lot of our stories can be enhanced and improved by referencing or rehashing an old, worn tale.
Myths, in general, tell us something important--something about the way something works or how it came to be (like the world or a tradition) and have helped shape our cultural history.
Campbell's Monomyth: View the 5-minute video: The Hero's Journey (or you can view Netflix's explanation of the myth) (or both in 10 minutes)
Classroom:
We will hold a Socratic Seminar on the short story collection we completed over Spring Break. Please turn your peer assessment/notes at the end of class as participation credit for this marking period.
After our discussion on The Lone Ranger & Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, we will take a Kahoot quiz. You will be allowed to use your cell phones for this exercise. We'll use this discussion next class as you continue your writing projects on gender.
Kahoot: Myth of Masculinity Survey/Quiz & discussion.
With time remaining we will screen Crash Course Mythology #25: The Hero's Journey. If we don't have time in class, we'll view the video next time and add it to our understanding of mythology, masculinity, and using archetypes in our short story writing.
HOMEWORK: None.
Welcome back! I hope you had a restful (if cold) spring break!
TASK #1: This morning we're preparing for our discussion on the short story collection "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" by Sherman Alexie, while also examining some key aspects of those stories and our next unit on Gender: Men & Masculinity.
To start off, take a quick look at one of the scenes from the most recent reiteration of The Lone Ranger (the 2013 pop culture film, starring Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as The Lone Ranger). As you watch, consider how the roles of the Lone Ranger and his "comic" sidekick Tonto enact their male duty or responsibilities.
TASK #3: To read: (I suggest you complete your blog post first--see below...) during the lab, please read the collection of short articles taken from some recent magazine/newspapers about men. After reading, write your reaction to what some of these issues are, how you view them, whether or not you find this important or not (attempt to explain why or what your thinking is in written format--i.e., an essay, a rant, a poem, a short story, etc.)
We've also begun to discuss mythology. We need to draw a connection between the two topics, I believe, to better understand one another and men in our society/culture. So, here's a short review:
TASK #2 - Mythology (a story that has significance and staying power) is comprised of a little bit of literature, a little bit history and anthropology, sociology, psychology, religion, and a smidge of science.
One reason for writers to know a good bit about mythology is that many writers use these stories in a new and creative way to comment on aspects of our lives, culture, and society--spinning these old, battered yarns into golden flax for a contemporary audience. A lot of our stories can be enhanced and improved by referencing or rehashing an old, worn tale.
Myths, in general, tell us something important--something about the way something works or how it came to be (like the world or a tradition) and have helped shape our cultural history.
Campbell's Monomyth: View the 5-minute video: The Hero's Journey (or you can view Netflix's explanation of the myth) (or both in 10 minutes)
- The male hero journey involves:
- A departure from status quo (a problem is introduced; the hero must attempt to solve it)
- He usually is aided in his quest by a mentor, teacher, or guide--sometimes he is further aided by a magical weapon or item of power
- He usually travels away from his secure home (village, city, world, etc.)
- He must face ever increasing problems or difficult trials
- He may fail at first (his first approach), but he will find a way to succeed
- He will face his greatest threat, enemy, or solve his biggest problem
- He will be rewarded for doing so
- He will return a different, stronger, wiser, more resilient person
- This is important because the myth involves a male who attempts to save someone or something weaker than himself in order to prove his power, bravery, strength, cunning, talents, etc. He is then rewarded with the object of his quest--often winning the favor of a female.
- In the COMMENT section of this post (on my blog), please identify one story (book, short story you have read recently, film, game, or play) that uses Campbell's hero's journey. Explain what the journey entails (mention how the story uses some of the steps above), and how this might be a positive or negative role model for a person in our culture. How does the story reinforce or challenge our beliefs about men and masculinity in our culture? Complete this question during period 1.
With time remaining in the lab, please prepare for our discussion by reviewing the stories in the book The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.
We will hold a Socratic Seminar on the short story collection we completed over Spring Break. Please turn your peer assessment/notes at the end of class as participation credit for this marking period.
After our discussion on The Lone Ranger & Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, we will take a Kahoot quiz. You will be allowed to use your cell phones for this exercise. We'll use this discussion next class as you continue your writing projects on gender.
Kahoot: Myth of Masculinity Survey/Quiz & discussion.
With time remaining we will screen Crash Course Mythology #25: The Hero's Journey. If we don't have time in class, we'll view the video next time and add it to our understanding of mythology, masculinity, and using archetypes in our short story writing.
HOMEWORK: None.
Comments
The Hero's Journey is a model plot structure that essentially a positive or negative influence as it is. It is the way that people use this structure that creates the capabilities of positive and negative in our culture. Take, for example, "Shrek" which uses this plot structure. One can argue that "Shrek" has a positive influence in our culture as its moral essentially summarizes into accepting one's self for who they are, inside, than externally; it's a morally good lesson. The only thing bad about the movie itself is how it took away from much grander projects, such as "Megamind", through Dreamworks fervent need to make sequels out of its... less than stellar materials.
However, there is equal opportunity for this structure to be negative in the way that most action films "rewards" within this structure are girls, and how many people who use this structure tend to objectify women in the way that it enforces masculinity in the majority of its toxic forms. Take "The Emoji Movie" for example, and in the way that the female main character is basically guilt tripped into a relationship with the main male character without having reason to do so other than fulfill a little checkbox in movies like that. In fact, the character loses more than she gains, essentially foregoing her right to what is basically Paradise.
So, yes, the Hero's Journey, in the right hands, can create a positive impact in our present day culture, but that means there are equal opportunities for the bad.
Disney Pixar's Finding Nemo is a prime example of Campbell's monomyth. Protective father Marlin must venture outside of his comfort zone and his safe coral reef in order to rescue his son Nemo (separation). He goes through many trials along the way, such as battle sharks and outrun an anglerfish. Upon finding Nemo in the films last few plot points, Marlin learns that Nemo needs support rather than control--a little freedom and adventure is healthy thing. Marlin returns to the coral reef a new fish and a better father open to new possibilities. Despite this being my favorite childhood movie, Finding Nemo reinforces gender roles. For example, Marlin is the one who leads the journey rather than his female counterpart, Dory, a lovable yet forgetful fish. Although Dory has become one of the most beloved cartoon characters in pop culture, she symbolizes the insistence of female inferiority. The truth of the matter is that Dory was the one with short term memory loss while Marlin--the male--was mentally perfect, making him Dory's superior. Furthermore, even if Nemo's mother was alive for the journey, Marlin most likely would have still been the dominant figure in the rescue.