PBDS 714
NOTE: This is representative of the syllabi
for this course. It is not necessarily the syllabus being used in any one
semester.
Week I
The Start of the Journey
"Religions,
philosophies, arts, the social forms of primitive and historic man, prime
discoveries
in science and technology, the very dreams that blister sleep, boil up from the
basic,
magic ring of myth."
--Campbell
I. Introduction
Self
and Others
Course
Structure
Texts
and Syllabus
II. Star Wars
Assignments:
1. Campbell,
"The Monomyth," "The Adventure of the Hero (Departure),"
3-94
Gadon,
"Introduction," xi-xv; "The Ice Age: The Earth as Mother," 1-37
Morford,
"Myths of Creation," 35-49; Apollo and Daphne, 172-75 (163-89 Back-
upon Apollo); Theseus, 449-60
2. Topics
of Discussion for Week II
What
are Myths? Symbols? Signs?
The
Call (Accepted/Refused; Male/Female)
The
Hero/Hera: Male/Female
Relation
to Star Wars
The
Beginnings of the Goddess
Supernatural
Origins of Myth
Varied
Readings of Myth: Even Opposing
Views
Contemporary
Applications
Week
II
"Dream
is the personalized myth, myth the depersonalized dream; both myth and dream
are symbolic in the same general way of the dynamics of the psyche." --Campbell
*
* *
"Star
Wars changed the way movie-makers
look at film and created a new vision of ancient mythological themes that has
deeply affected a whole generation . . ." †Time
"George
[Lucas] has been able to hook into some very basic universal images." --Kasden
*
* *
I. Campbell's
Heroic Pattern and Star Wars
Film's
Structure and Literature
Civil
War
Supernatural
Aid: Magus/ Guide
The
First Threshold: The Guardian
The
Belly of the Whale
Eternal
Myth, Historical Myth, Cinematic Myth
Raglan's
Examples of Heroes
II. The
Goddess
Paleolithic/
Neolithic/
Gaia,
the Earth
The
Great Mother/ The White Goddess
III. Contemporary
Applications
Some
Advertisements: The Hero, Feet
The
Sun Door, The Goddess, Casablanca
Other
Ideas?
IV. Theseus
Mythic Hero
Historic
Hero/Crete
The
Psychological Maze/Labyrinth
Patriarchy/Matriarchy
V. Daphne
and Apollo
Refusal
Explanation
of Myth
Contemporary
Connection?
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. Reading: Campbell, 97-192
Gadon, 39-56,
69-85
Morford,
Oedipus, 380-395
Cupid and Psyche, 193-197
(171-199 Backup on Aphrodite)
2. Writing: Short Analysis
(about 500 words as a guideline but can be shorter or
longer)
--Isolate, identify, and discuss the aspects of "The Call" or
of "Departure"
in
any specific contemporary context you choose (such as film, literature,
painting, advertising, comics, etc.).
Initiation Through the Road of Trials
II. Return to Campbell: Part II
The
Beast, the Goddess, the Father, the Boon
III. The Goddess † Once More
Paleolithic/
Neolithic/ "Old Europe"
Gaia
(Gaea), the Earth
The
Great Mother/ The White Goddess
Her
"Henges"
Some
Versions of Mythic Woman
*****
Athenian
Hero/ Historical Crete
The
Psychological Labyrinth/ The Beast
Ariadne
as Mother/ White Goddess
V. The Way Less Taken: Daphne and Apollo
Refusal?
--or Defiance
Explanations--"Breathing
Myth into the Leaves of the Trees"
Apollo
vs. Dionysus--"Know Thyself"; "Be Thyself"
Apollo's
Sister, Artemis--Her Way in the Woods
VI. The Spirit that Dared: Cupid and Psyche
Love
Seeking Soul/Soul Seeking Love
The
Renaissance Ladder
Botticelli's
Venus
VII. The Oedipus Cycle: A Myth for the 20th Century
(if time!)
The
Master Tragedy
The Oedipus Complex
Little
Antigone
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. Reading:
Campbell,
"The Return" pp. 193-251
Gadon,
pp. 87-142
Morford,
Demeter and Persephone (233-249)
Orpheus
(273-285)
Perseus
(406-413)
Barthes,
"The Face of Garbo," (56-57)
2. Bring in something
you find relating to myth,an ad, article, reference, object, or? It's up
to
you!
Week-V
The
Face of the Goddess
I. Show
and Tells
Papers
II. "Garbo's
Face" and Other "Echoes"
The Goddess and her
Modern Faces
Some Ancient Faces
The Mystical Marriage
The Coming of the
Northern Gods
III.
Stations
Along the Road of Trials
Theseus
and the Labyrinth
Daphne
and the Meaning of Trees
Cupid
and Psyche--and Aphrodite, of course
The
Terror and the Beauty: Perseus and the Medusa
The
Gorgon
The
Medusa Complex
Athena's
Role/ The Other
Victim
of Rape/ Mother of Pegasus
Andromeda/
Woman as Virgin
IV. Problems of
the Return and Other Sorrows
What
are some of the problems, and how are they solved (or even refused)?
Refusal
Crossing
the Return Threshold
Master/
Mistress of Two Worlds
ASSIGNMENTS:
1
. Next Week-
We will discuss The Wizard of Oz. Please be sure to see or resee
the film. Who is who
mythologically speaking? And what
is the film--and the book, as you remember it--all about? Be ready to discuss it in light of
Campbell's quest theory and Gadon's work on the Goddess.
2. Campbell:
Please read on as you wish hereafter!
3. Morford,
Introduction, pp. -31 (*Important material--Read with care.)
Antigone/ Tiresias, pp. 309-316
Narcissus, pp. 228-232
Jason and Medea, pp. 464-479
Heracles, pp. 416-441 (Glance through and know about Heracles,
especially as "Man,
Hero,
and God," 434-439.
4. Gadon,
Chapter 9 (pp. 143-66) (You may want to refer and compare to Morford, 233-
249.)
5. Malamud's
The Natural--You may read about halfway if you wish (pp.
3-108). You
should
have the novel finished by week after next (October 9)
6.
*** We will have (or begin!) brief (10 minute) oral discussions of the
following myths in
terms of their inner meanings and relation to the Quest. How does each relate to the
monomyth? To Lord Raglan's
ideas of the Hero? And, especially,
to one or more of the
theories of myth as set forth by Morford's Introduction? Do you know any modern uses?
I'll ask two people to consider each myth.
Narcissus
Jason and Medea
Orpheus
Odysseus and Circe
Oedipus
Heracles
Antigone
Demeter and Persephone
Theories of Myth and the Magical Wizard
II. The Wizard of Oz
Symbolic
Qualities
American
Values
Psychological
Underpinnings?
Mythic
Meanings
III. Theories of Myth
Nature
Phenomena (M€ller--Sun Worship)
Historic
Process (Schliemann--Euhemerism)
Symbolic
Statement (Cassirer)
Recreation
of Creation (Eliade)
Ritual
(Lord Raglan)
Expression
of Unconscious (Freud, Jung) Psychological
Social,Legitimizing
Institutions (Malinowski) Sociological
Structural
(Lòvi-Strauss) Intellectual
* *
*
Revitalization
(Camus)
"Myths
are made for the imagination to breathe life into them."
Unconscious
Survival/ Conscious Revival (Levin)
Feminist
Reconstruction (Gadon)
And,
of course, The Monomyth (Campbell)
IV. Or--Another Way of Putting
It: Case Studies and Problems of
the Return
Cupid
and Psyche; Aphrodite; Odysseus and Circe
Assignments (October
16):
1. Presentation
of Case Studies
Narcissus
Jason/ Medea
Orpheus
Heracles
Oedipus
and
Demeter and Persephone
2. Gadon, Chapter 11
1. The
Natural: Please read. We
will see the film and then I'll ask you to write a short
paper
in which you compare/contrast the novel and film in relation to some aspect of
the
use by each myth or symbol.
2. Morford, "The
Trojan Saga" and "The Returns"
3. Look up,
please: King Arthur and the Round
Table--
The Quest of the Holy Grail--
* * *
Paper (3-5 pages) Due
November 6 (4 weeks). Look
over your various bibliographies of myth and myth criticism. Spend some time in the library looking
at some of the texts, reading several articles or sections of books. Other works than those listed may be
consulted. Then choose one myth,
or adaptation of myth (novel, poem, play, film, etc.), related to Greek
mythology, the myth of the Goddess, Arthurian legend, or another mythology you
prefer. Develop an essay analyzing
the myth or work, perhaps showing how it uses symbolism (if it does), and
discussing at least two or more interpretations. Include your own notes and/or bibliography. Please be prepared to discuss your
findings in class.
Theories Concerning Myth
We will follow up on last week's plan, concentrating
on theories and your case studies.
ASSIGNMENTS (October 30)
1. The Natural. (which
we'll see in class on October 23)
2. Jung, pp. 1-94
"Approaching the Unconscious"
3. Gadon, Chapter 11
4. Morford, "The
Trojan Saga," pp. 348-387 and if you haven't read it yet, "The
Returns,"
immediately
following.
5. Short Paper: Compare/contract the novel and film of The
Natural in relation to some
aspect
of the use by each myth or symbol (or even sign!).
Film--The Natural
1. October 30-- Jung, pp. 1-94 ("Approaching
the Unconscious)
Gadon,
Chapter 11
Barthes,
"The World of Wrestling,"
pp. 15-25
Morford,
"The Trojan Saga, "and The Returns"
Please
bring The Natural to class, and be
prepared
to discuss novel and film.
Also, please bring a sample of a symbol (Think All
Hallows Eve)
to class.
We will begin to discuss symbols both as you see them
and as Jung interprets them.
* And
short Natural paper due.
2. By November 6--Jung,
pp. 95-156 ("Ancient Myths & Modern Man")
Gadon,
pp. 226-283 ("The Way of the Goddess" and The Goddess
Within")
Be prepared to discuss the meaning of
"Symbolism." What was
the
"Symbolist Movement?"
*** Longer Myth Analysis due ***
"We have two lives, Roy, the life we learn with and the life we live with after that. Suffering is what brings us toward happiness."
I. Questions on Papers: Myth and Myth Criticism
II. The Natural: Film, Novel, and Discussion
What is the story of the book? Of the film?
How does the film differ from the book?
Does anything in the book foreshadow the differences in the film?
What are some of the myths behind the book and film? How do those of the film differ
from those of the book?
What are the resemblances to Homer's Iliad and Odyssey?
What light, if any, does Barthes's "World of Wrestling" throw on the story?
III. Layers of Myth Within The Natural
What would Campbell say?
Greek Myth:
Names and Greek Myth
Elements of Greek Myth
Homer
Hercules
The Muses / The Furies
Iris
Arthurian Myth/Legend:
King Arthur, the Waste Land, and the Grail Quest
The Triple Goddess,Morgana, Guinevere, the Lady of the Lake
Lancelot
IV. Symbolism (This Week or Next!)
The Meanings of Symbolism
Poetic Imagery,Simile, Metaphor, Synecdoche, etc.
Symbolist Movement
Dream Symbolism
Personal Unconscious/ Collective Unconscious
Archetype
Dreams: Freud and Jung
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. Please be sure to be up on reading in Jung (Through "Ancient Myths and Modern Man,"
156) and Gadon (Through "The Goddess Within," 283) Do the two seem to correlate? If
so, how? If not, why not?
2. Essay discussing myth criticism as applied to text or texts due. Please begin to give
serious thought to your final projects. We'll discus further.
"The fact is that in former times men did not
reflect upon their symbols;
they
lived them and were unconsciously animated by their meaning."--Jung
I. A Look Forward
to:
1) Final
Projects
2) CommonplaceBooks
II. Symbolism
What
are Symbols? Symbolism? The Symbolist Movement?
Freud
and Jung
[Wordsworth's
"Immortality Ode"
(Expression of the Collective Unconscious?)]
The
Archetype
Dreams
and Dream Symbolism [Interesting Approach,Creative Dreaming by Patricia
Garfield,
1974]
III. The Tarot and "Intimations
of Powers Within"
ASSIGNMENTS:
November 13:
1. Please read Jung,
"Symbolism in the Visual Arts," and Gadon through Chapter 15, page
339.
2. Final Projects: You will need to firm up your ideas if
you haven't yet. Please hand me a
brief
statement of your proposed topic now.
3. Very Short
Paper: Analyze one of your own
dreams. Think about what we have
read
and
discussed. If you prefer not to
discuss your dreams--or can remember none--feel free
to
create an imaginary one to critique.
Symbolic Meanings and Symbol Systems
I. Further
discussion:
Symbolism
Freud
& Jung,Collective Unconscious
Dreams
and Dream Theory,Archetypes
II. Finding Symbolic Systems
What
are They?
The
Tarot and "Intimations of Powers Within"
III. Transitions of the Goddess: This or next time
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. Reading : Gadon,
Chapter 16, pp. 341-368
Jung,
Complete Chapters I, II, and IV
Berger
and Borges Handouts
2. Very
Short Dream Paper,Due. (If you prefer
not to discuss your dreams,or can remember none,please feel free to create an
imaginary one to critique.)
3. Please give me a title or at least the chosen
topic of your final presentation next time.
The
first six presentations will be December 11, the last six on December 18. A written
summary
of the project should be handed in as part of the presentation. I'm anticipating
some
excellent topics!
4. Bring to class: Gadon, Jung, and Barthes texts, please,
as well as two handouts
Dreams, Symbols, and Signs (At Last!)
"The semiotic mind asks
not what signs mean but how they mean." --Blonsky
* * *
(Please
give me a title or a working title of your project today.)
Other
Concerns
And
how about your dreams?
II. Symbolic Forms
"The
Circular Ruins" and Other Symbolic Circles
How
does form affect symbol?
Consider: The spiral, Labyrinth, Square, Stone,
Mandala etc.
Twentieth
Century Art--Surface Meaning/ Symbolic Meaning
III. On Signs and Semiotics: Beginnings
How
do signs differ from myths and symbols?
What
are signs? What is semiotics?
What
is its use? (Or what use is it?)
How
do Berger and Barthes seem to see them?
What
questions do you have?
IV. Greek Myth and Semiotics
The
Hero, His Tomb, and the Sign
Achilles,
Patroclus, and Iris
Sema,
Semata
ASSIGNMENTS--
1. Blonsky Handouts
2. Gadon,
"Conclusion"
3. Work on Final
Presentation
4. Please bring Gadon,
Blonsky, and Barthes to class
* * *
Happy Thanksgiving * * *
"Reading the unobvious
meanings borne by signs . . . how to pass from the evident signs to other,
spectral presences: how to
discern the difference between appearance and the secret beyond that
appearance." --Blonsky
I. Getting Up to
Date on Class Business
Topics,
Title, and Needs
Other
Concerns
II. Semiotics and Signs Once
More
III. Signs in Advertising,Decoding
Meaning via Semiotics (not necessarily complete!)
Subjects
and Meaning
Raw
and Cooked Nature
Nature/
Science
Men
and Women
Art
(Surrealism/ Impressionism etc.)
Magic
Alchemy,
Spells, the Crystal Ball
America!
History
and Narrative
Past
and Future
Absent
Person
Multiple
Personalities
Part
for Whole (Synecdoche)
Double
Puns
Optical
Illusion
Looking
Inward
IV. Ellen Shapiro--We'll break for
her talk at 7:00, but please be sure to come to class before,
as
this is an important meeting.
ASSIGNMENTS--
Barthes, "Myth
Today." Beginning on page
109, please read carefully at least to page 127. As you prefer, stop here or read
on. It's up to you! I'm also including a list of key points
and their pages to help you develop an understanding of what Barthes is
saying. But maybe you'll have no
trouble at all.
And Looking Ahead--Presentation
of Projects
December 11: Leah, Tayree, Jen, Gaby, Drew, Michelle
December 18: Lara, Kristine, Lisa, Miranda, Sharyn,
Tammy
Plus:--Written
sections of projects due; Commonplace Books due
--Course Evaluations
--Festivity and Celebration
Please talk and demonstrate
in your presentations, which may be under but not more than 20 minutes
in length. If your project
involves creative writing, you will need to read, of course, but please plan to
explain and discuss your project as well.
And don't forget that there is a written dimension to your project, even
if it is primarily a creative one.
Please be sure to attend both
presentation sessions; we all need mythic, symbolic, and semiotic support!
Roland Barthes
Phrases
from Mythologies
1. "Myth
is a type of speech." (p. 109)
2. ". . .
it is a tree which is decorated, adapted to a certain type of consumption,
laden with literary self-indulgence, revolt, images, in short with a type of
social usage which is added to pure matter." (p. 109)
3. ". . .
one can conceive of very ancient myths, but there are not eternal ones; for it
Is human history which converts reality into speech, and it alone rules the
life and death of mythical language.
Ancient or not, mythology can only have an historical foundation, for
myth is a type of speech chosen by history; it cannot possibly evolve from the
'nature' of things." (p. 110)
4. "Mythical
speech is made of a material which
has already been worked on so as to make
it suitable
for communication. . . . " (p. 110)
5. "Not
facts but significance" -- "Semiology is a science of forms, since it
studies
significations apart from their content." (p. 111)
6. "But
myth is a peculiar system, in that it is constructed from a semiological chain
which existed before it: it is a second-order semiological system." (p. 114)
7. "However paradoxical it may seem
myth hides nothing: its function is to distort, not
not to make disappear." (p. 121)
8. "For this interpellant speech is
at the same time a frozen speech: at the moment of
reaching me, it suspends itself, turns away and assumes the look of a
generality: it
stiffens, it makes itself
look natural and innocent." (p. 125)
9.
"We reach here the very principle of myth: it transforms history
into nature." (p. 129)
10. "Semiology has taught us that myth
has the task of giving an historical intention a
natural justification, and making contingency appear eternal." (p.
142)
11. "For the very end of myths is to immobilize the world: they must suggest and mimic a
universal order which has fixated once and for all the hierarchy of possessions."
(p. 155)