Chernus: The Meaning Of Myth In American Culture

When the word “myth” is spoken or written in today’s society, the first thing that probably comes to mind is that of a tall, muscular man with a beard holding a sword fighting off some sort of fantastical monster. However, when the word is more deeply examined, one can see that the word does not merely describe a story from some ancient time period, but rather it details a certain type of story consisting of certain factors. Some of these factors such as the ability to teach and the belittling of fears can be seen in John Steinbeck’s “Tularecito”. The story of Tularecito is a full-fledged myth, consisting of multiple key factors required to be so. Although myths are mainly thought of as stories from ancient times, “Tularecito” also falls into

Where do myths come from? What is their function and what do they mean? In A Short History of Myths, Karen armstrong introduces the array of approaches used to understand the study of myths. Armstrong provides various stories about myth meanings and it functions in our lives by introducing different time periods. The concept of myth is central to all cultures because it lives in our stories and every culture in human history has created its own mythologies to understand how the universe works. Myths still have the same meaning no what matter how much people start to evolve and understand the way of life differently. In A Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong, all of myths about heroes and deities struggling and fighting with evil creature

Many readers often have a different opinion upon what makes a great hero. The hero Heracles, and Theseus are two classic myths read by readers around the whole school. The myth of Heracles distinguishes a boy who kills monsters/serpents to protect himself in a young age. However, the myth of Theseus distinguishes the life of an ordinary boy, who tries every day to push a rock to discover the rightful identity of his father. While reading the myth of Heracles, and Theseus we can clearly identify the differences between the two myths. When comparing these two myths, it is clear that Heracles is better than Theseus because he kills monsters/serpents when he was the age of 8 months, he stayed loyal to everyone, and last he completed the 12 labours.

Myths have existed throughout all of human history, explaining how we came to be, why we exist, and how our actions exist to teach lessons. Both myths, “The Story of Corn and Medicine” and “The World on the Turtle’s Back”, explain that humans will make good and bad choices, but these experiences will teach lessons about evil and the choices we must make to change our ways, and to expand our knowledge and advance the world.

Natasha Trethewey was born on April 26, 1966, in Gulfport Mississippi. She received her MA, Master of Arts, in poetry at Hollins University. Later she received her MFA, Master of Fine Arts, in poetry at the University of Massachusetts. Rita Dove, a fellow poet and English professor, said “ ‘Trethewey eschews the Polaroid instant, choosing to render the unsuspecting yearnings and tremulous hopes that accompany our most private thoughts—reclaiming for us that interior life where the true self flourishes and to which we return, in solitary reverie, for strength.’ ” Trethewey has received many prizes for her poetry such as the 2001 Lillian Smith Award for Poetry. Today Trethewey is the Robert W. Woodruff Professor of English and Creative Writing at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia (Poets.org).

Myths can tell a tale of a person, belief, or a group that accomplishes something extraordinary, whether it is good or bad to society. “A usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon”(Merriam-Webster). There is no greater example of an embodiment of a myth than the Italian mafia. Since the culture of mafia became mainstream, there have been two myths in particular that have stand out to people: the Robin Hood myth and the Sicilian Culture myth. Through the years the myths have evolved as they are drawn from a certain period of time: 1870-1950. The Robin Hood myth and the myth of the Sicilian culture have gone on to impact

Here, C.S Lewis explains a experiment as the way one defines a book, as good or bad. He explains that a good book will be read in one way, and a bad book another. Lewis describes the two types of readers: the few and the many. The few are those who read with full attention, passion, appreciation, and tend to talk at great lengths about the text. The literature that the few read is constantly present in their minds, and they tend to repeat lines and stanzas when alone. The many are those who read for emotion, and tend to “never read anything twice”. The many rarely talk

Critics have proposed that Beowulf’s “lofty...beauty” and dignified tone are inconsistent with its whimsical choice of incorporating monsters. Yet rather than being incompatible, the monsters actually contribute to the poem’s poise by capturing Beowulf’s grim theme.

Myths are not dissimilar to fairy tales, legends, and sagas, but its period is distinctly different from usual existential time. It is considered as an expression of childhood experiences, and it also explains the origin and meaning of the world. According to Long (1994), “The term mythology may describe a certain body of myths, for example, Greek, African, or Scandinavian, or it may refer to the study of myths” (p.694). These collections of narratives are superior when it comes to influencing different areas of knowledge. There are numerous types of mythology, but Ancient Greece is the one that has given an immense influence on modern society.

Everyone is familiar with myths. Whether we believe in them or not. Myths are something that people believe in that represents the actual world, an example of the world, but in an interesting story that isn’t true. For example, the famous story about Ulysses causing himself to get tied up on the mast, asking his workers not to unstrap him from the mast. The sirens show up and Ulysses stops his workers ears and his own ears with ear wax so they won’t have to hear the sirens singing their song. That did not work. They heard the Sirens’ song and was enchanted with the song. He lost concentration, he wasn’t focused on anything but the song. Artist, Margaret Atwood, and poet, John Williams teach us a life lesson that everyone needs to recognize about getting carried away with things. Both The Sirens by Margaret Atwood and Ulysses and The Sirens by John Williams use the myth of the

As perfectly displayed through Lee Hall’s article “The Story Disney Dared Not Tell”, Disney has resorted to altering ancient myths based off of overconfidence and arrogance, hence, causing controversy in society. For instance, through its hubris, Disney believes it is able to improve Greek mythology while anticipating commercial success. Although Disney’s anticipation is not place incorrectly, the price for commercial success is payed through the arising controversy established from this action. For example, Disney believes its products have admiration from most of society, therefore, it has decided to alter the Greek myth “Hercules” to fits its vision. In doing so, controversy has arised causing the public to believe the Disney version of

A myth is a false belief or idea. It is usually held within an old traditional story or it is a way to explain a natural or social phenomenon, typically involving supernatural creatures or events. Myths are stories of transformation. Many people are surprised to learn that ancient myth was often at least as violent, if not more so, than the mayhem of our modern fantasies. For example, The Godfather, and its companion, Godfather II, have been justly praised for excellence in such technical matters as acting and direction; their popularity is enhanced by less pleasant preoccupations: a lust for violence accentuated in recent years; an obsession with the details of organized crime; a cynical belief that only small distinctions separate lawless behavior from ordinary business practice.

Though they may appear inconsequential, myths actually can encapsulate aspects of society quite accurately. For instance, in The Jason Legend, the protagonist, with his epic climax yet a lackluster end, clearly exemplified someone who achieved a single feat of high recognition which they would never recreate again; a recurring aspect of our modern society.

Many people know that philosophy and religion were based on mythology. In myths were scooped up inspiration of sculptors, writers and artists, as well as many other figures. But in nowadays, people are inclined to underestimate mythology, mistakenly equating it with children's tales. But it is full of wisdom

Myth is generally thought of as a collection of stories about legendary characters, typically of a divine nature, specific or especially important to a certain culture. Although this is technically correct, the true meaning and definition of myth is much narrower. Myth is the way that a society metaphorically explains