Honors
HNRS 174-01: Myth of the Hero: The Individual and Society
In this course we will explore myths of the hero in prose and poetry. A fictional work, The Tao of Pooh, and a concise non-fictional work on Taoism will serve as an introduction to our study of myth as a timeless representation of universal truth. We will then consider myth as the expression of the collective beliefs of a given society by comparing creation stories from around the world, including the Sumerian Enuma Elish, the Egyptian legend of Isis and Osiris, and the Popul Vuh of the Quiché Mayans. We will also consider tales of the creation as related in Greek myth and in the Old Testament, along with contemporary interpretations of these stories.
Using the framework outlined by Joseph Campbell in The Hero With a Thousand Faces and Bettina Knapp’s Jungian interpretation in Women in Myth, we will interpret the role of the hero/heroine as an archetype of the Self, considering his/her role in relation to society, to nature and to the divine. We will examine the hero figure in the Epic of Gilgamesh, Hesse’s Siddhartha, Gibran’s The Prophet, and selected works of poetry. These readings will allow us to explore models of the Self as they are reflected in Western culture in archetypes of integration, or wholeness, such as the child, the creative artist, and the couple.
Students will prepare frequent short presentations and papers, a reasearch paper, a midterm in-class essay and a final presentation on a hero story relevant to today's society. The final presentation will then be revised and submitted as a final paper, which will take the place of a final exam.
Spring Term: 2008
Credits: 4
Fulfills: GE Requirement in Humanities (U)
Meeting times: 10:30-11:20 MWF
Instructor: Judy Cochran
Open to: First-years/Sophomores Only