Major Essay 1

Myths hold the wisdom of a culture. They are stories that explain the creation of the cosmos and the reasons for the characteristics of the Earth, animals, plants, and human beings. They pass on a culture's supernatural traditions, its gods, and its heroes. They reflect how the individual relates to his or her culture and to the universe. Myths come into our consciousness as revelations, and their stories are reenacted through ritual. Human beings use myths, fairy tales, and folklore to explain life's mysteries and make them bearable. Jesus explained his teachings through parables, giving his followers difficult problems in easy-to-understand form. Plato communicated abstruse philosophical concepts through simple myths and allegories. Myths have the mysterious capacity to contain and communicate paradoxes, allowing us to see through, around, and over the dilemma to the real heart of the matter. Without myths, a society decays.

Keeping in mind our in-class readings and discussion, compose a 4-7 page argument which explores the role mythology plays in the lives of individuals and society. For a model, you should follow the basic requirements for a classical argument as discussed in class. You may pick one of the following options as the general topic of your paper

Option 1: Creation Myths

• Develop an essay in the form of an extended comparison between two or three creation or flood myths, each of which illustrates fundamental values and beliefs about gods, humans, and the natural world. How do the differences reflect the particular cultural and social values of the community in which the tale was told?
  
  
• Contrast the two stories of creation in Genesis 1 and 2. What differing ideas about God, humans, and the world do they reflect?
  
  
• Creation myths make significant comments on the roles and status of the sexes in various cultures. Write an essay in which you compare and contrast the roles of sex and gender in two or three different creation myths from different cultures.
  
  
• Compare the ways that two or three different creation myths from different cultures show the relationship between humans and nature. How harmonious a part of nature or how much at odds with nature do humans seem in the various myths? How are animals involved in the act of creation? Does part of the natural world need to be destroyed for creation to be completed?
  
  
• Why do you think flood stories are so popular? What events or religious tenets might flood stories explain?
  
  
• Why are humans generally destroyed in flood stories? Why are the flood heroes picked to survive? What do your answers reveal about each culture's concerns and its view of the relation between men and gods?
  
  

Option 2: The Psychology of Myth

• Psychologist Carl Jung asserts that the similarities among myths are the result of the projection onto the external world of the "collective unconscious," mental patterns or memories that are shared by most, if not all, human beings. Critics argue, however, that the concept of the collective unconscious is not scientifically grounded because it is not empirically testable in any meaningful way. In short, it is not scientific at all, but pseudoscientific. Write an essay in which you support or refute Jung's theory of the collective unconscious.
  
  
• Mythology, Jung claimed, bases its stories on "archetypes," primordial images passed down from humanity's ancestral past; symbols such as birth, death, the sun, the moon, the wind, power, magic, and the elements, and traits embodied in the Hero, the Judge, the Sage, the Child, the Trickster, and the Earth Mother, among others. Write an essay in which you discuss several reasons why you think that understanding the archetypes or symbols presented in myths (or dreams) can be important.
  
  
• In his attempt to understand man's unconscious, Jung extends Sigmund Freud's interpretations of the meaning of dreams. Write an essay in which you contrast Freud's ideas with Jung's theories. Which approach to interpreting dreams and myths do you find more useful? Why? Begin your research with Jung's essay "The Importance of Dreams" and Freud's essay "Erotic Wishes and Dreams," both of which are on reserve in the library.
  
  

Option 3: Mythology and Modern Culture

• In his essay "Mythological Themes in Creative Literature and Art" (course packet), Joseph Campbell states that both the cosmological and social functions of mythology have been weakened through modern advances in science and technology. Write an essay in which you either support or refute Campbell's assertion that the reliance on science and technology have diminished the power of the human spirit that myths embody.
  
  

Writing Requirements

Length: 4-7 pages.

Sources: Four. Of these four sources, three must be academic library sources.

You must have your topic approved in advance; I will not accept your essay otherwise.

Objectives

• To understand how societies use mythology to create, preserve, and transmit their cultural values.
• To use source materials--particularly specialized academic sources--correctly and effectively.
• To learn to write example-based arguments.
• To practice the essential skills of essay organization.

Due Dates

Submitting Your Work

Unit essays must be submitted in a plain, 2-pocket folder with your name clearly written on the outside. Plastic folders or folders containing school logos will not be accepted. The following items must be included inside your folder:

• Final draft of essay, stapled, in a pocket by itself.
• First draft of essay I reviewed.
• Complete copies of all outside source materials used.
• Peer review evaluation forms.

Folders missing peer review evaluation forms will be docked one letter grade. Folders missing any other of the above-mentioned items will be considered incomplete and will be docked 1/2 letter grade per day late until all the items have been received.

Remember to submit copies of all your research materials.

Grading Criteria

When assigning grades, I reserve "A" for exceptional papers; you do not get an "A" simply by addressing the topic in a standard way and avoiding mechanical errors.

I will assess you in three areas: 1) your ability to read and write critically; 2)your ability to summarize, compare and analyze argumentative essays; and 3)your ability to form a logical argument in a written format, which includes establishing an argumentative thesis, supporting your thesis with convincing reasons and relevant evidence, establishing your ethos by accommodating your audience and refuting opposing positions, and drawing upon outside texts to support and/or refute your argument.

Your essay will be graded according to the following three criteria:

Invention (50%)

• Introduction and Thesis: Are these components of your essay clearly written, easily identifiable, and effective in presenting the topic, providing direction to the paper as a whole, and discussing the significance of the topic?
• Accuracy, Wording, and Research: Have you used the required outside sources to support your argument, and when using these sources, do you express their concepts fairly and accurately? NOTE: Failure to meet research requirements may result in an 'E' for the essay. Have you integrated quotes smoothly? If you are paraphrasing, do you use your own words yet still remain faithful to the author's original meaning? Have you expressed your ideas clearly and concisely? Is the essay in your own words?
• Criteria/Lines of Argument: Have you clearly and extensively defined necessary terms? Have you illustrated your criteria with specific examples and, if necessary, contrasting examples? Have you established ethical, logical, and emotional reasons (evidence) in support of your thesis, in order of importance?
• Conclusion: Have you summarized your argument, leaving your readers with ideas that they can think about in the future?
• Revision: Are there substantial changes between the final version and the draft of the essay? (Click on the following links for a definition of draft version and final version.) Does your final version meet the length requirements?

Organization (25%)

• Beginning: Have you followed the organizational plan discussed in class? Have you offered an introduction in which you explain the issue and show why it is relevant? Have you presented a clear thesis that guides and unifies the essay?
• Middle: Are your paragraphs focused and well developed? Do your paragraphs contain topic sentences? Have you revised for clarity and worked on eliminating wordy, unclear, and/or repetitive areas in your essay? Have you included transitional words between sentences and paragraphs to make your ideas flow more smoothly?
• End: Do you offer a conclusion which does more than merely repeat your major ideas?

Style (25%)

• Format: Does your paper adhere to MLA format, including font and point size? Have you correctly cited from your sources and inserted a parenthetical citation after each quote? Have you introduced the quote in an effective way? Have you correctly used MLA formatting and included a "Works Cited" page? NOTE: Failure to observe proper MLA format may result in a zero (0) style grade.
• Tone: Is your tone appropriate for the chosen audience?
• Grammar/Sentences: Is your paper free from grammatical errors such as sentence fragments, fused sentences, comma splices, mixed constructions, apostrophe errors, subject/verb and pronoun/antecedent disagreement? Is the essay free from spelling errors? NOTE: Five (5) or more grammar/sentence errors may result in a zero (0) style grade.