World Mythology

Daniel Kevins

0 comments

Format:

  • Your paper should be 3-4 pages long.
  • Double-space your paper, with a single-spaced header.
  • Use Times New Roman font.
  • For the essay options, make sure to include an introduction paragraph, body

    • paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph.

    . For the essay options, consider using the “by examining…we can see…” thesis

    statement.

  • Please proofread your paper carefully, paying strict attention to spelling and

    • grammar.

    Instructions: Choose ONE of the following paper prompts.

    1. Of the myths we have read so far this semester, choose two from the same culture.

    Identify TWO binaries in each myth, and compare those binaries. Make sure to

    synthesize the results of your analysis to clearly explain the meaning of one of the

    myths.

    2. Of the myths we have read so far this semester, choose two from the same category

    (creation stories, flood stories, apocalypse stories, gods and goddesses). Identify

    TWO binaries in each myth, and compare those binaries. Make sure to synthesize

    the results of your analysis to clearly explain the meaning of one of the myths.

    3. Create your own myth of creation, flood, apocalypse, or the gods. Then, of the myths

    we have read so far this semester, choose another that you think would make a good

    comparison with your myth. Identify one binary in each myth, and compare those

    binaries. Make sure to synthesize the results of your analysis to clearly explain the

    meaning of the myth you created.

    If you choose this option, your myth can be in poetry or prose, opaque or clear, filled

    with characters or more focused on abstractions (especially if it is a creation myth).

    Set it in a fictitious culture, but consider where that culture might exist. For

    example, is it a Mediterranean culture? If so, does the myth contain themes similar

    to other Mediterranean myths we have read? Is it on Mars?

    The myth you write should be at least 1.5 pages, leaving at least 2 pages for your

    analysis. Do not skimp on the analysis. Make sure to explain the meaning of the

    myth you have created in full detail.

    Originality. Do not regurgitate lecture. Instead, build on the class lecture and
    discussion in order to make a new point about the myth you have chosen or created.

  • Thesis. Your paper should make a nuanced, provable argument about the myth you have chosen or created. Avoid repeating yourself: do not prove one point many times. Prove one complex point once.
  • Analysis. Do not summarize. Remember who your audience is: someone who knows

    • what happens in the story, but not why it matters for your thesis. Write to them. Base your analysis on quotations from the text; they are the evidence that proves your thesis.

  • Appropriateness. If you choose the third option, in which you create your own myth, make sure to make it mythic. For instance, we have rarely encountered in-depth characterization (of the sort one finds in a novel) in the creation myths we have read. Therefore, if you are writing a creation myth, avoid in-depth characterization.
  • Clarity. Write well: Use transitions to connect ideas. Define difficult terms. Explain

    • why a quotation matters. Format your paper neatly. Proofread for typos and errors.

    (Notes) We have read

    The Creation in World of Myth (pages 15-41), The Flood in World of Myth (pages 43-59) and The Apocalypse stories in World of Myth (page 71-84).

    Author Image

    About the Author

    Daniel Kevins

    Follow me

    {"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}