I believe that my work in Modern Mythology so far shows mastery of Power Standards 2, 6, and 7. A good example of my mastery in Power Standard 2 is my blog post. My analysis of Hadestown is structured as a narrative piece, while also attempting to demonstrate to the reader my ability to analyze a form of media that is not regularly analyzed. While implementing transition words in my writing is certainly a skill I can improve upon, my paragraphs are neatly organized into ideas that flow into one another, and ideas transition smoothly (2B). Additionally, my thesis statement, that Hadestown reflects how myths evolve over time to match the needs of society, is thoroughly analyzed throughout the piece, with the help of appropriate vocabulary choices for a blog post (2E & 2F). Furthermore, those ideas reflect the concepts of new-historicism and critical analysis that were introduced in class (2H). Recently, I have found myself applying these specific methods of literary analysis to most pieces of media I consume, including books, movies, and tv shows. Truly understanding how critical theories influence our media culture has allowed me to further appreciate the cultural products of our time.
In terms of Power Standard 6, my fairy tale writing piece perfectly encapsulates my revision and editing process. Aside from my spelling and punctuation being correct (6C), this writing piece also demonstrates my ability to research content-specific terminology (6D). This project required me to do a deep dive into both Jungian and Freudian literary analysis, topics that I was not familiar with prior to this project. As a result, I had to quickly learn how to explain complicated concepts within two paragraphs, which I believe I was able to accomplish. Additionally, this piece did require me to cite the Cinderella story in MLA format, which I was able to do with proper formatting (6E).
Modern Mythology has taught me a lot about how I am as a learner. Most English classes I’ve been in prior to this class have been tedious readings, tedious aim questions, and tedious reading check quizzes. Modern Mythology diverges from this formula, introducing many unique learning strategies that appeal to my style of learning. This class has taught me that I cannot learn from a surface-level content review. I’ve been reading mythology since I was 5. If all I was doing in this class was content review, I would not be learning anything new. What I do learn from, however, is the deeper analysis of the stories. Understanding why people thought a certain way, or what this character’s actions reflect about humanity, is essential for my ability to understand and appreciate a work of literature. Even outside of this course, I have found that I have become less accepting of facts at face value, and have become more interested in the deeper level. Whether it be natural phenomena in physics, the rationale in my research methods, or Oedipus’ thought process when he discovers his sins, the deeper questions are crucial to my learning, and I hope to be able to explore them more in the future.
Since the last Checkpoint, I have accomplished mastery in Power Standards 1 and 3. In terms of Power Standard 1, my second blog post perfectly demonstrates my ability to read and analyze non-fiction texts. In order to write this blog, I had to read several non-fiction sources, in order to weave a narrative that helped support my initial argument (1B). In these texts, the authors used a variety of primary sources, and connected their historical contexts together to further establish their theories (1D). I used these connections in my analysis, overlapping several opinions to make a plausible theory of my own. Furthermore, on top of connecting these opinions, I also draw from personal experiences for my blog, as the entire premise behind the writing piece is a connection I made between a topic covered in class, and a beverage I grew up with (1F). Overall, my use of non-fiction sources in establishing a narrative of my own cements my mastery of this standard.
Similarly to Power Standard 1, I have definitely improved in my abilities to analyze fiction, in accordance with Power Standard 3. This is most evident with my Norse Mythology presentation, wherein I analyzed and taught a story from Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology to the class. In this presentation, we spent a lot of time going over the characterization of the Norse gods in this story, as well as how these characterizations are similar and different from other stories (3A & 3B). Furthermore, because the story I was assigned had much to do with the significance of Nordic poets and poetry, we spent most of the presentation on establishing this significance, which helps frame all the other stories we learned about (3F & 3J). On top of the cultural significance of the story, we also discussed with the class the possible moral significance of the story, and its commentary on deceit, wisdom, and the extent to which one should harm others to achieve one’s goals (3E). Overall, this entire presentation, as well as the reading and analysis associated with it, demonstrates Power Standard 3.
Not much has changed since the last checkpoint in terms of my capabilities as a learner. With college applications finally being put to rest, I can finally start diving deeper into the topics covered in class, and enjoy the texts I am reading without the omnipresent threat of that last supplemental or letter of recommendation. I am still in love with this Modern Mythology course. Since the last checkpoint, we have discussed the Old and New Testaments, The Egyptian Book of the Dead, and Norse mythology. On top of my knowledge of these texts prior to discussion in class, I have used much more of my background to forge a deeper connection to the topics at hand. Being raised in a Jewish household, many of the discussions we held about the Abrahamic God overlap with the discussions we have at home, and to see this overlap occur in real time only strengthened my passion for this subject. In terms of the future in this course, I am stepping into the unknown. The current reading we are on, Beowulf, is the last text in the syllabus I have prior knowledge on. Everything, from now on, is going to be a blind spot for me, and I have nothing but excitement brewing within me at the thought of learning some new stories.
Throughout the year, I have shown mastery in Power Standard 5, but the project that best exemplifies this mastery is my Creation Myth Project. For this project, I had to discuss a culture and pantheon of deities with notoriously difficult names to pronounce. To prepare for this presentation, I spent a lot of time researching the proper pronunciations of the names of these deities, as well as teaching my team how to properly pronounce them (5G). Additionally, I spoke loudly and clearly, articulating the main story my group was trying to convey (5D & 5E). Generally, throughout the year, I try to speak as actively as possible in class, while still trying to bring new perspectives into a discussion (5C). During the presentation, I attempted to lead the class in discussions that attempted to answer questions about the origin of the Aztec pantheon, why they prioritized certain deities, and what historical and socio-economic factors affect the development of a belief system in general. Throughout the presentation, I used hand gestures to indicate gods of particular note, and I used proper articulation in order to perfect the pronunciation of the names, as well as the parts of the story I wanted to highlight (5A & 5B). This class has taught me that I am a very auditory learner, and I tend to understand a text better when I have the opportunity to talk to my peers about the material.
In terms of the other projects I have accomplished in the past cycle, this class has opened me to several new interests and learning styles. For my Grendel culminating project, I was tasked with utilizing a style of artistic expression I have never before used: creative writing. In order to successfully complete the project, I had to intimately understand the plot of the story, the characterization of the Dragon, and the writing style of John Gardner. I spent a significant amount of time bouncing ideas off of my teammates, out-of-class peers, and even my parents, to have the most nuanced and creative take on the character as possible. To develop a backstory for an omniscient, nihilistic beast like the Dragon was certainly a challenge, but I believe that writing this project has taught me a lot about Grendel and the process of writing in general, as well as convincing me that creative writing is an interest I might want to pursue in the future.
Alongside the Grendel culminating project, I also wrote my third blog entry. This blog entry forced me to confront thoughts and topics that I had never before spent a significant amount of time pondering. Sure, I have always liked art, but not to the extent that I would spend hours learning about the beginning of the Dada movement on my weekend. Recently, however, so many of the people around me are artists, and my general fascination with history, as well as the interests of my peers, collided. Modern Mythology class has been the perfect outlet for these fascinations, as I am able to pursue and write about topics I would not be able to discuss in a STEM class, or even a normal English class. This past cycle has taught me a lot about my interests, my fears, and how I converse with others on topics of interest. As we move into the final phase of my senior year, with my college choice almost set and my monster project looming before me, I hope to continue on my path of self-discovery, and learn more about cultures, communities, and activities that I have never had the opportunity to explore.
I have shown mastery in Power Standard 4 through writing the script for my Monster Video project. Due to its nature as a script, the piece of writing is rife with common features of a script, including stage directions, dialogue, and monologue (4C & 4E). Because Miles and I worked on this together, with input from the rest of our group and Ms. Fusaro, the script underwent several modifications and revisions, to the point where we were adding lines of dialogue in real time (4A). Furthermore, literary techniques such as allusion and symbolism were directly added into the script, in the form of characters and the ways in which they interact with the world around them (4G, 4F, & 4D). For example, the character of Joe, played by me, is plagued with self-hatred and guilt after the death of his friend, a very common symptom of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. His arc, therefore, is meant to represent how people struggling with this type of trauma tend to blame themselves, and how sometimes the best thing to do is seek help. The tone of the film, as shown through the cinematograph and acting, is meant to reflect how serious this issue is, and how scary life can be for someone going through trauma. Furthermore, the arc begins and ends with Joe playing football with his friends, which is meant to symbolize Joe’s growth as a character. Finally, the editing and transition between scenes and ideas in the script and end result leads to a satisfying and clear narrative (4B).
This class has been the highlight of my senior year. Alongside having an outlet for years of pent-up mythology knowledge, I have learned and done extraordinary things as a result of this class. I made a two day D&D-style zombie game with my friends. I got to write and act in a 15-minute long student film. I got to read about tragic heroes, romantically-charged vampires, and blowing up zombie heads, all within a span of a couple months. I have been trying all year to justify why I like mythology. I have now realized that I don’t need to. This topic brings me joy to a degree unmatched by other subjects, and I really hope I can continue studying this in my future. Thank you to Ms. Fusaro, Mr. Luu, and my entire Modern Mythology class, for making 8th period my favorite part of the day.