Discourse and the Construction of Bruce Lincoln’s Argument Myth has developed a negative connotation in contemporary western society that likens it to the word malarkey; Bruce Lincoln opposes this connotation and seeks to provide a more concrete definition. To Lincoln, myth plays a powerful and complex role in human history. In the first chapter of Discourse and the Construction of Society, Lincoln discusses the authoritative role myth has played in shaping social forms throughout the ages. Myth is compared and contrasted to other types of narrative including history, legend and fable. Lincoln recognizes the large impact myth has had on the creation, destruction and continuity of social forms. Lincoln mentions four types of narrative: fable, legend, history and myth. The concept of myth as presented as the only type of narrative that possess truth claims, credibility and authority. The claims made by myth are …show more content…
Social barriers have been constructed, demolished and enforced because of the power myth possess. Lincoln cites the ancient social barrier between the Nuer and Dinka people of Nilotic Sudan as an example of the power of myth. The two society shared a common narrative dubbed The Myth of the First Cattle Raid. Both the societies gave the narrative authority, which constructed a social barrier consisting of a constant life of cattle raiding for the Nuer and life never-ending livestock defense for the Dinka. An example of when myth has broken social barriers is the Nineteen-Fourteen “Christmas Truce” that occurred during the Great War. German and English soldiers took a break from conflict to play football in no-man’s-land before returning to fighting the next day. Although it was only for a short time, the enemies came together to celebrate myth. Religion is a type of myth and by Lincoln’s definition and the social barriers created by religion are as visible in the world as borders on a
In movies, novels, and life, people are named as heroes. The heroes we establish and the heroes we recognize, however, may not meet the criteria for a mythic hero. A mythic hero ventures forth on his journey, and comes forth from the hero’s path to greatness. Joseph Campbell, a mythologist who studied many of the great human myths and religious tales, realized, in studying these myths and tales, that there were certain steps that every hero went through. Campbell called this “The Hero’s Journey”; it is based on Carl Jung's idea that all human beings have an archetype. After Campbell studied a lot of the great myths and realized this pattern, he published his findings in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Ever since then, authors have used “The Hero’s Journey” as an outline to tell their stories. “It is important to note that not all of these individual steps are present in every hero’s tale, nor is it important that they be in this exact order” (Vogler 20). The Hero with a Thousand Faces gives a sense of significance as it looks into the inner mind and soul. The author, Joseph Campbell, performs two extraordinary accomplishments: compelling his readers that myth and dream, those are the most effective and everlasting forces in life and a unification of mythology and psychoanalysis with a gripping narrative. One well-known example of “The Hero’s Journey” from popular culture is the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling. In the novel, Harry Potter, the main character, is the chosen one and “The Hero’s Journey” applies to his life from the moment he is attacked by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as a baby.
The structure of stories, on which Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and Booker’s Seven Basic Plots elaborated, is actually only a portion of the field of study it is under. Comparative mythology not only studies the structure of hero stories, but also origins, themes, and characteristics of myths from various religions and cultures. They study the language, psychology, history, and anthropology in order to identify a common theme or beginning point. Even without delving into religion, many common elements have come to light. For instance, many cultures have tales of people with strange supernatural abilities, others speak of similar creatures that reside in water, air or land, while still others extol the importance of talisman and religious symbols. Despite cultures existing on different ends of the earth and having little contact for much of their existence, they share these common
Main Idea: The importance of Shakespeare, the Bible, and fairy tales is that they are all myths. Myth in this case doesn’t mean that they aren’t true, but rather that they are stories that seek to, as Foster puts it, “explain ourselves to ourselves.” Myths are important and are a part of a culture’s collective memory. Here, in Western culture, we are mostly associated with Ancient Greek civilization and the myths that lie there. We can see references to those myths in all sorts of literature.
The 480 page book is divided into four parts and uses a simple to follow, logical sequenced approach in retelling the events in an effort to separate myth from fact.
David, Adams Leening., ed. The World of Myths: An Anthology. New York: Oxford UP, 1990.
In Thomas King's short story "Borders," a Blackfoot mother struggles with maintaining her cultural heritage under the pressure of two dominating nations. Storytelling is important, both for the mother and for the dominant White society. Stories are used to maintain and pass on cultural information and customs from one generation to another. Furthermore, stories can be used both positively and negatively. They can trap individuals into certain ways of thinking, but they can also act as catalysts that drive social change within society.
Tindall, G.B. & Shi, D.E. (2010). America a narrative history 8th edition. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p.205-212.
In the journal article, "The Frontier Army and the Destruction of the Buffalo: 1865-1883, Smits asserts that the United States ' post-Civil War frontier army was the driving figure in the near extermination of the Great Plains buffalo. This process, which was orchestrated at the highest level of command ,and carried out throughout this ranks, was launched in order to drive the Plains Indians tribes into reservations. This paper will dive into the rationale of the army for their systematic eradication of the buffalo, how it was accomplished, and the major consequences of their pursuit.
The article was about using the idea of myths and comparing it to TV shows to help explain the idea that America was built on the myth of unity and diversity. A myth is a story that is shared among people of the
Loewen defines heroification as “a degenerative process (much like calcification) that makes people over into heroes” (Loewen 11). During this process, negative or controversial facts are often ignored or altered in regards to these heroes, which create “perfect creatures without conflicts, pain, credibility, or human interest (Loewen 11). When one changes or omits facts concerning figures in history for this type of glorification, we are left with an invented story of the event or person; in other words, history has become a myth. History textbooks are filled with these types of glorifications, especially older texts. The purpose of heroification is to present events or people in a favorable light and to give ideal role models in which to follow. In my own words, I call Loewen’s heroification an effective form of brainwashing. For example, I was always taught that the Civil War was fought to free slaves, but later learned this war was about states succeeding from the Union. Many people still believe the Emancipation Proclamation’s purpose was to free the slaves; however, it was actually the last resort Lincoln used to win the Civil War. Of course, this is not how these events were portrayed to most of us in History class. Heroification alters the purpose of these events so that we, as citizens, can feel proud that America did away with slavery because our forefathers felt it was morally wrong. Loewen also points out how heroification can lead to role models in the case of Helen Keller, “the blind and deaf girl who overcame her physical handicaps, as an inspiration to generations of schoolchildren” (Loewen 12). The problem with Keller being used as an exemplary model for American schoolchildren is that only her early life is portr...
Introduction: All of the three texts explore religion and its practises, but each approach it from a different perspective. Whilst Owen and Brecht refer directly to the idea of God and Jesus, Vonnegut uses a far more ambiguous approach; the opinion of God in ‘Slaughterhouse 5’ has to be read allegorically, as Vonnegut’s mentions of Christianity are seldom stated. Religion does not have to be seen as only an ideology and references to God are not the necessity needed to create the theme of Religion – it appears through spirituality and communities which follow the same belief. The Thirty Years’ War of 1618 in ‘Mother Courage’, which emerged from a disagreement between Protestant and Catholic believers, is a distinct example of religious communities
When the first white settlers arrived at their territory, the Apaches greeted them and made a treaty with each other. We could not understand them very well, for we had no interpreter, but we made a treaty with them by shaking hands and promising to be brothers” (Geronimo Geronimo). Later, american troops arrived and the Apaches again made a treaty between them and treated equally. But, the american broke the treaty and killed many Apaches as they wanted the territory of the Apaches. This event made the Apaches to never trust a white ever again.
According to Boutot & Hume (2012), the four common myth are: (1) “ABA and DTT
Wilentz, Sean. "WHO LINCOLN WAS. (Cover story)." New Republic 240, no. 12/13 (July 15, 2009): 24-47. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed February 26, 2011).
Although objects, gestures and practices have a certain utilitarian function, they are not resistant to the imposition of meaning. Barthes wants to suspend consideration of function, and concentrate rather on what things mean and how they function as signs. Mythologies is a study of the ways in which mass culture constructs this mythological reality and encourages conformity to its own values.