10th Post

Myths are the topic focused on, in my classical cultures class, and we compare them to todays society. The myth that caught my attention the most, and I will be focusing on in this blogpost, is a translated version of, The Illiad, by Homer. It is an epic poem, with a dactylic hexameter which means that is has a beat, and it explains the Greek Trojan war. Honor is emphasized in many Greek myths. This is called the Homeric code, and it can be done in four different ways. The first way is by winning an argument. The second way is by killing the enemy in the battlefield. The third way is by an exchange of gifts. The fourth way is by stripping the armor off of a dead warrior and ransoming the family for the body. The final way is be selling someone as a slave. 

This myth is encountered in many different aspects of life, one specifically being in war. Whenever there is a war, in any part of the world, the main goal is to gain honor in defending the nations viewpoints. The country who wins is considered the stronger nation, at the end of the day, by accomplishing whatever goals they had. The significance of this myth is, to show the reason behind war. The Greek war happened many decades, but not much has changed throughout time. History repeats itself, but why does todays society accept this and lets this continue to occur? When will we learn to create peace? I am aware that war is a very controversial issue, but it is not ok to accept it. In my opinion, no mature adult should have to experience deaths, destruction, and economic instability in order to feel like they have "honor." 

Are todays world leaders immature? This is a question I will leave here, and am looking forward to reading others perspectives about this issue. 

9th Post- "The Female Individual and the Empire", by Feng Lan

In the critical essay, "The Female Individual and the Empire", by Feng Lan, the writers research approach reminded me of the final research paper my classmates, and I, are writing in our English 1012 class. Lan focuses on different interpretations of the poem, Mulan, with two different claims. "First, initially a hybrid product of multicultural... Second, Kingston's English rendition is a "reconstruction" of Chinese history..." (Lan, 230) According to Lan, throughout the many years different aspects in each version were altered, one influence being political influence. Many writers write stories according to what is historically happening in their society. This is one suggestion as to why, Mulan, has been altered. Being a female myself, this essay caught my attention because it explains the different viewpoints the Chinese society had for women.

8th Post- Makeup post

In the graphic novel, Tales from Outer Suburbia, by Shaun Tan, a majestic world is found hidden inside of the new home of an immigrant family. This new world reminded them a lot of where they originally came. It created a source of comfort for them in a country they were brand new to, and this influenced them to not question its existence. This also influenced the family to keep it a secret. The mother later overheard the neighbors conversing about something that sounded familiar. She eventually found out that many other homes had this majestic world. This section of the graphic novel lead me to believe that it was an immigrant community because several homes had this majestic world, which was considered their safe haven. "...they would come to soak up the summer sun during the coldest, wettest part of the year." (Tan, 60) The weather is only part of the process in becoming accustomed to the American lifestyle. This family could have possibly been from a European country.
After reading the graphic novel I read the essay, "Graphic Journeys: Graphic Novel' Representations of Immigrant Experiences", by Michael D. Boartright. This essay helped me realize why graphic novels, specifically about the immigrant experience, are assigned to students. "...English language arts teachers in the United States have a unique opportunity to seize upon this highly political and fiercely challenged..." (Boatright, 468) This controversial issue sparks up conversations in class. Those who are immigrants themselves are able to make a connection and have something to relate to during stressful situations. Those who are American citizens are given the opportunity to understand the immigrant experience, and the legal aspects of it. This ongoing controversial issue is constantly found on newspaper articles, so including these graphic novels in the classroom help inform students of what is currently happening in their country.

7th Post- "Trickster Tales" by Matt Dembicki

In the, Trickster Tales, by Matt Dembicki, two graphic novels are presented, Raven the Trickster, by John Active and, The Wolf and The Mix, as told by Elaine Grinnell. Active's graphic novel caught my attention the most because I had made a prediction, and the conclusion was completely different from what I had expected. After reading the panel, when the raven flew into the beluga whale's mouth, I predicted that the bird was going to die. Several panels later, I was informed of a "whole new world" that was inside of the beluga. A question I had about this section was, what was the writer trying to accomplish in this section? As I continued reading I realized that the raven was indeed very mischievous. He continued on placing himself in many life treating obstacles. Was the raven supposed to represent a thrill seeker, and the dangers of being one? Since my original prediction was that the raven was going to have a short life, in my opinion, this graphic novel appeared incomplete. Am I the only one who interpreted it this way?

6th Post- "American Born Chinese" by Gene Luen Yang

In the graphic novel, American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang, the author uses irony, for the readers, to interpret the moral of the story. In my opinion, the moral of the story is, to be humble and appreciative of our talents. Many college students can relate to the Monkey King in this graphic novel because sometimes we may become overly confident, and let that hinder our judgement. Young adults can also be very humble, and believe that their ways are the only correct ways to carry out certain situations.
The Monkey King first started off by discovering his kingdom. He eventually discovered that he was capable of ruling the land, and he started to focus and better himself. After feeling highly about his position he attempted to attend a dinner party. The denial caused him to become physically violent because he was furious. This spontaneous decision caused him to build an even better version of himself. The Monkey King thought he was the all knowing, powerful, almost God-like animal in all of the land. He tried so hard to prove himself to strangers. In my opinion, this is a sign of weakness because if someone knows their true worth, they will not bring others down in order to make themselves feel better. After building up his self-esteem, a God representation figure appeared in front of the Monkey King in order to remind him where he came from. Wanting to prove the God figure wrong, the Monkey King tried to outrun him, but the reality of it is that he was with him all along because he is his creator.
This graphic novel reminded me a lot of a modern philosophy course I took during my first semester in college. The "God debate" surfaced in many philosophical arguments. This story touches the topic as well, but not very directly. In my opinion, this is a genius way in getting people to converse based off of several pictures and words.

5th Post- "Sandman"

In the critical text, The Sand/wo/man: The Unstable Worlds of Gender in Neil Gaiman's Sandman Series, by Ally Brisbin and Paul Booth, the idea of sexuality and sexual orientation is mentioned throughout the entirety of the essay. Being a man is classified differently than being a woman because of societal roles and rules. Although we are taught to act a certain way due to our gender, according to Brisbane and Paul Booth, these social expectations should be reevaluated when categorizing the sexes. "The idea that reproductive organs should be the basic distinction among a race of creatures places undue value on these organs. Consequently, biological distinctions between male and female become instrumental in the classifications and delineation of difference (after all, why is it that sexuality and not, say, hair color that we culturally use to distinguish groups of people from each other?)" (24) There can be many other features in order to categorize men and women. Another topic that this essay touches is, sexual orientation. A friend of mine considers himself a homosexual, but truly believes that he was meant to be a woman. When reading this essay, I thought about many of the experiences he has shared with me. I was able to relate his life to what the authors were trying to prove. The writers offer their interpretation of the "Sandman" story. With this dual representation, Gaiman seems poised to offer both a critique of gender norms as well as a realization that our society is still a long way from universal acceptance." (Brisbane and Booth, 25) Gaiman is mentioning a huge controversial issue in his comic book story, and in my opinion, I agree with him. Many of the times these issues are avoided because of religious, economic, political, and social reasons. Due to personal experience, I believe that many ignore this issue because one side may not agree to the counterargument and vice versa. At the end of the day, we are all human beings in the big world and we shouldn't categorize each other as being completely different beings.

4th Post- American Indian Myths and Legends Ed. by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz

American Indian myths have been altered throughout the centuries due to orators who try to make them relevant to society. In the article, American Indian Myths and Legends, by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz, the writers include background information about the purpose of American Indian myths. They also include their interpretations of carefully selected myths. Although many of these stories have been altered, they continue to relate to similar issues because the symbols are used to show political and social problems.
It is believed that American Indians have had their history destroyed when the English settlers arrived. "The effects of white culture on many other regions, with the notable exceptions of the Southwest and the Plains, and to a degree the Northwest, have been devastating, with whole bodies of Indian literature erased, or warped beyond recognition in their contemporary representations." (Erodes and Ortiz, 2) A question that I have is, is this why fables/ myths/ fairytales were created? Since these cautionary tales are told by mouth, from generation to generation, the American Indians had nothing to loose since they weren't physically written down on paper. Did the American Indians trust that their stories wouldn't be modified? In my opinion, I believe that these people had no choice if they wanted their legends to continue on for many centuries.
The myth, When Grizzlies Walked Upright, caught my attention the most because it depicts everyday life experiences. In this story the bears weren't acting accordingly to the social rules, when they were walking on two legs instead of all fours, were denied the right for individuality, and forced to conduct themselves a certain way. I can relate this to my life because I know when my actions are different, when compared to the actions of my older siblings, I am looked down upon because I am acting out of the "norm." I find that young adults experience this the most because it is a time in our lives where we try to figure out our individuality, and along with social rules comes the desire to fit in.