English 3009  Myth and Culture (3 Sections)

Section 001   CRN 31602
Knight
Myth and Culture    0930-1045 TR

Joseph Campbell said, “Mythology is not a lie, mythology is poetry, it is metaphorical. It has been well said that mythology is the penultimate truth—penultimate because the ultimate cannot be put into words. It is beyond words. Beyond images, beyond that bounding rim of the Buddhist Wheel of Becoming. Mythology pitches the mind beyond that rim, to what can be known but not told.” In this course, students will engage in discussion inspired by readings and films in an effort to pitch their minds “beyond that rim,” to discover something more about their own personal mythologies. This course will require dedicated daily work, lots of reading and class discussion, and a final paper. (Group 5)

Section 002   CRN 31603
Leddy
Myth and Culture    1200-1250 MWF

The poet Muriel Rukeyser wrote that “The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.” Myth and Culture is a course about such stories, stories so powerful that they shape the ways in which people come to understand the world and its possibilities. Our work will range from the distant past to the near present and will focus on journeys—out from, into, and across cultures. From the ancient world: Gilgamesh and Homer’s Odyssey. From more recent times, two stories of women making lives for themselves in patriarchal cultures: The Life of Elizabeth Ashbridge and Negaesh Kukunoor’s film Dor. And from modern times, two stories of Americans on the move: John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man.

The course will require dedicated daily work (reading and talking), several essays and short pieces of writing, and a final examination. (General Education Program; Group 5)

Section 003    CRN 31604
Panjwani
Myth and Culture     1530-1800 R

This course will involve an in-depth look at the myths and culture of three Asian countries, namely, India, China, and Japan. In the Indian segment, we will read the Hindu and the Buddhist (the Hinayana or the Theravada) myths. The study of Hinduism will include the Vedic and Puranic (The Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita) Mythology. The Chinese segment will include the study of Confucianism and Taoism. Finally, the Japanese segment will focus on Zen Buddhism and Shinto Mythology. The primary orientation of this study will be to develop a clear understanding of (a) philosophical and religious interpretations of the concepts of creation/origin of the world, death, divinity, fate, the ultimate goal(s) of human life, etc., and (b) social systems and moral/ethical values of these cultures. Whenever possible, we will also compare the commonalities and differences among these three Asian cultures and mythologies. Course requirements will include mid-term and final exams, one research paper, and active preparation and class participation. (Group 5)