Post #11 - Brothers Grimm Snow White Version and Blancanieves Comparisons

Read the variations on the Snow White theme and select one version to compare with the film Blancanieves. (Post #11)

The Brothers Grimm version of Snow White and the film Blancanieves have many similarities within their plotlines. Right from the beginning of both storylines, Snow White (also known as Carmen in Blancanieves) is born. In both the Brothers Grimm version and Blancanieves, Snow White/Carmen’s mother does not live after Snow White is born. In both versions, Snow White/Carmen’s father remarries an arrogant, cruel woman. In the Brothers Grimm version, this woman is an “beautiful lady but proud and arrogant” queen. Meanwhile, in Blancanieves, this woman, named Encarna, is Snow White/Carmen’s father’s cruel nurse.

As Snow White/ Carmen grows older, the queen/ Encarna orders someone to put Snow White/ Carmen to death. In the Brothers Grimm version, the queen orders a huntsman to kill Snow White and bring back to her Snow White’s lungs and liver. Meanwhile, in Blancanieves, Encarna orders the chauffeur to kill Carmen in the forest. In both versions, efforts to kill Snow White/Carmen are unsuccessful.

Both the Brothers Grimm version and Blancanieves include dwarves. However, the manner in which the dwarves encounter Snow White/ Carmen in the two versions differ. In the Brothers Grimm version, Snow White finds the cottage in the forest where the dwarves live, eats some of their food and naps in one of their beds. The dwarves come home and find that some of their food is missing and that Snow White is napping in a bed. Hence, that is how they first encounter Snow White. In Blancanieves, the dwarves are travelling bullfighters that encounter Snow White in the forest. In the Brothers Grimm version, Snow White stays in the cottage and cooks and cleans for the dwarves. In Blancanieves, Snow White becomes a great bullfighter.

In both versions, the queen/ Encarna eventually learns that Snow White/ Carmen is not dead. After, the queen/Encarna in both versions get even more angry and jealous of Snow White/ Carmen and try again to kill her. The most effective method of trying to murder Snow White/Carmen in both versions is giving Snow White/ Carmen a poisonous apple. 

Post #10 - Current Cultural Product as a Myth in Due Time

What current cultural product could become a myth in due time? (Post #10)

Many myths explain a 'naturalness' of some object that is undoubtedly determined by history. Many current cultural products could become myths in due time. However, one that in particular stands out to me is smores. To most, smores seems like nothing more than delicious snacks consisting of a combination of graham crackers, melted chocolate and melted marshmallows. While this simple interpretation of smores seems reasonable, smores’ state of being I believe have so much more to them.

One must question, why exactly do smores consist of graham crackers, melted chocolate and melted marshmallows specifically? The reasons vary. Many explain that smores consist of these specific ingredients due to reasons relating to being around a campfire, camping in general, being outside in the wilderness, simplicity and/or bonding with others. The ingredients separately and/or together represent these various themes. I believe also the ingredients’ textures and tastes (gooey, warm, sweet, melty) perhaps could symbolize these themes and American culture in general. The way the smores are created (usually assembled at home/ camping and not at a restaurant and usually made with others) also could have symbolic meanings.

The history we know of about smores’ whereabouts supports these potential explanations about why smores consist of graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows. It is believed that smores were first created by Girl Scouts in 1927. The creation of smores transformed for Girl Scouts being around a campfire from being a blasé experience to being a heartwarming, bonding experience with others. Other Americans slowly learned about and made smores throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. To this day, making and eating smores is associated with spending time with others, fun, comfort, relaxation and more.

Post #9 - O Brother Where Art Thou? Mythological References

Review the movie O Brother Where Art Thou? using mythology as your guide. How many mythological references could you spot? List them and comment on two of them. (Post #9)

The movie O Brother Where Art Thou has many mythological references. One reference I noticed when watching the movie was in the beginning of the movie when the three main characters encounter a blind man. The blind man gives them a ride through the field and tells them about their fate. The blind man also tells them that they must go on a journey to get their “fortune”. This blind man reminded me of Tiresias in Homer's Odysseus. In Odysseus, the main character, Odysseus, must meet wit the dead in order to achieve his goal of returning back to Ithaca. Eventually, Odysseus learns of his fate from Tiresias and of the nature of death. Similarly, the three men, who are trying to find treasure, encounter a blind man. The blind man, who cannot see, in my opinion symbolized meeting with death because blindness causes one to only see darkness. Death is also symbolized by darkness. Also, like Tiresias, the blind man tells them of their fate.

There is also a scene where the three main characters are found by the police in a barn they are staying in to hide. The three main characters refuse to come out of the barn and surrender themselves to the police. Thus, the police set the barn on fire. The three main characters are in trouble and get very scared about their fate. However, unexpectedly, the young son of one of the main character’s cousin comes bursting into the barn with a car and rescues them all from death. The son reminded me of multiple characters in myths we have read in class that have saved others from death. One character the son that saved them all reminded me of was the angel of the Lord in Abraham and Isaac. Isaac’s father, Abraham, is about to burn and kill Isaac as an offering to God. However, just as Abraham is about to kill Isaac, the angel of God appears to Abraham and tells him not to kill Isaac but to offer a burnt ram instead. The angel of God, just like the cousin’s son, saves a main character from death. Another character the son reminded me of was Hiiaka in the Polynesian myth we read last week. Hiiaka, like the cousin’s son, saves her goddess sister’s lover, Lohiau, from his fate of death.

Post #8 - Tragic Hero of Antigone

Who is the tragic hero in Antigone? (Post #8)

The tragic hero in Antigone is King Creon . By definition, a tragic hero is a character that either makes an error in judgment or has a fatal flaw that combined with fate brings on tragedy.

In the beginning of the story, the audience is introduced to Antigone. Antigone wants to bury her dead brother, Polynices. However, Antigone’s sister, Ismene, tries to convince Antigone to avoid burying Polynices because King Creon does not want him buried. Antigone ignores King Creon’s orders and decides to bury Polynices anyway.

Later on, a guard tells King Creon that someone has buried Polynices. King Creon orders the guard to bring back to him whomever it was that disobeyed his orders. The guard shortly after brings to King Creon Antigone.

King Creon asks Antigone if she indeed buried Polynices and she admits that she did. Polynices explains that "not through fear of any man's resolve was I prepared before the Gods to bear the penalty of sinning against these. But, if I had left my mother's son unburied on his death, I should have given them pain. But as things are, I feel none."

Later on, Ismene also comes before King Creon. Ismene admits to King Creon that she also was involved in the burial of Polynices. However, Antigone protects her sister and denies this revelation. After, Ismene begs King Creon to not punish and kill Antigone for her choice to bury Polynices. However, King Creon refuses this. Ismene asks King Creon, “How could I, apart from her, endure to live?”. King Creon replies, “Speak not of her. She stands no longer here.” Then, Ismene begs King Creon to spare Antigone for the sake of his son, Haemon, who is engaged to Antigone.  Again, King Creon denies her plea by responding that “wives that are vile I love not for my son” and “ ‘tis death who breaks the marriage contract off”. Antigone and Ismene are taken away from King Creon after.

Some time later, Haemon comes before King Creon. Haemon, who loves Antigone, also begs King Creon to not kill her. King Creon refuses once again and tells him that “of this be sure, though shalt not wed her in the land of life.” Haemon warns her that her death will slay “another than herself” (hinting that he will die also if she dies). King Creon still does not change his decision.

After, a prophet named Teiresias speaks to King Creon. Teiresias tells him that if he goes through with killing Antigone, Haemon will die also. King Creon decides to finally spare Antigone and bury Polynices.

However, his choice is made too late. Antigone has already committed suicide. In response to her death, Haemon and his wife, Eurydice, have also killed themselves. King Creon is devastated and heartbroken over everyone’s deaths due to his poor decisions. He vows nothing else but to die.

King Creon is the tragic hero because his errors in judgment, combined with fate, lead to tragedy. His errors in judgment are denying Ismene’s and Haemon’s requests to spare Antigone for burying Polynices. As a result, a great tragedy results. This great tragedy is not only the deaths of Antigone, Haemon and Eurydice but also King Creon’s heartbreak, which causes him to want death for himself.

Post #7 - Journey of the Hero

Select a contemporary T.V. Show or movie and elaborate the construction of the Journey of the Hero (Post #7)

A contemporary movie that shows the Journey of a Hero within its plotline is Evan Almighty.

The Journey of the Hero usually consists of a hero’s: 1.) departure from an environment familiar to him, 2.) initiation into an unfamiliar environment where he must prove his character and 3.) return to his familiar environment. Usually, the hero’s journey into the unfamiliar environment is due to answering a call to the hero from either destiny, god or a “force”.

In the movie, Evan Baxter is a newly-elected Congressman and former news anchor that lives in a big house in Virginia with his wife and kids. As a new Congressman, he has a political campaign to “change the world” and help his community. To help him achieve these political goals, Evan prays to God.

God appears to Evan and tells him that he must push all of his responsibilities aside to build an arc outside because a flood is coming. Evan first resists. However, God tells Evan that he must build the arc because this will be the only opportunity Evan will ever have to truly “change the world” and help his community.

Evan leaves his large home to be outside instead. Outside, he works tirelessly day after day to build the arc. As he goes to Congressional meetings each day, people sneer, and Evan gains a reputation as someone that is going insane. Eventually, Evan is thrown out of Congress. Thus, he spends one-hundred percent of his time outside.

More and more people believe Evan is going crazy (including his wife) as he continues to work on building the arc. He eventually finishes the arc and shows it to everyone in his community (his family, reporters, politicians) outside. The community mocks his arc and even threaten to destroy it.

However, a nearby lake starts to swell and suddenly, the community realizes that Evan is not so crazy after all. As the lake yields a giant flood, the people in the community flock onto the arc. They are saved by Evan’s arc.

After the flood is over, the members of the community get off the arc and deem Evan a true hero. Not only is Evan given back his position as a congressman on Capitol Hill, but also he returns to his large home with a proud family supporting him. In the end, Evan truly does “change the world” and helps his community.

In Evan Almighty, Evan’s story demonstrates the Journey of a Hero. In the beginning of the movie, Evan departs from a familiar environment, which is his large home and Capitol Hill. He departs his familiar environment to answer a call from god (which is to build an arc). Evan goes into an unfamiliar environment, which is the outdoors. In the outdoors, he proves his character by continuing day after day to build the arc despite the ridicule of his community. At the end of the movie, Evan returns to his familiar environment, his large home and Capitol Hill.

Post #6- Spirited Away and An Alternative Pantheon

Spirited Away presents an alternative pantheon that combines elements from many mythologies. Select two characters from the film and compare them to two mythological entities previously discussed in the class or in the readings. Provide examples from both the film and the pantheon readings. (Post #6)

Spirited Away tells the story of Chihiro. Chihiro, a ten-year old girl, and her parents are on their way to move to a new town. They accidentally take a wrong turn and end up in an abandoned amusement park. Together, they find tons of food. Excitedly, Chihiro’s parents eat tons of the foods. However, Chihiro gets a funny feeling and avoids eating the food. Meanwhile, Chihiro encounters a young boy, named Haku. Haku warns Chihiro to return across the river before dark. Chihiro is unable to leave the themepark and go back across the river before dark. As a result, her parents later turn into pigs and Chihiro is trapped in a spirit world where she has a crazy adventure trying to escape. After a series of events, Chihiro and her parents, all in human form, are able to eventually escape the spirit world.

The character of Haku in the film has similar qualities to the goddess Hiiaka in the Polynesian myth included in the Pantheon readings. Haku in many parts of the movie is associated with the river, which often symbolizes resurrection/new life qualities. Haku warns Chihiro in the beginning of the film to go across the river in attempts to save her from the spirit world. Chihiro also tells Haku later in the movie that when she was younger, she fell into a river. Chihiro tells Haku that she believes he was the river that prevented her from drowning. All of these instances with Haku and the river show that a major purpose of Haku in the story is to help to save others from harm’s way. In the Polynesian myth, the goddess Hiiaka and her goddess sister, Pele, go into the mortal world. Pele falls in love with a mortal prince, Lohiau. However, Pele must leave Lohiau and Lohiau dies from heartbreak. Hiiaka, by the end of the myth, brings Lohaiu back to life. Both Haku and Hiiaka save and resurrect their stories’ major characters.

The characters of Chihiro’s parents and Persephone in Greek mythology are similar. Chihiro’s parents thoughtlessly eat food they find in the abandoned themepark. As a result, they turn into pigs, are stuck in the underworld and are only able to return to human form/ escape from the spirit world with a lot of effort on Chihiro’s part. Meanwhile, Persephone is involved in a famous myth where Hades kidnaps Persephone in attempt to make her his wife. Hades takes her to his underworld and thoughtlessly, Persephone eats pomegranate seeds. This thoughtless eating leads to her being stuck in his underworld and only with contract, is Persephone able to leave the underworld for half a year. Both Chihiro’s parents’ and Persephone’s thoughtless eating leads them to be stuck in a dark world. For Chihiro’s parents, this dark world is the spirit world. For Persephone, this dark world is Hade’s underworld.