Kevin Feldman, Period 7, 9/28/22

 Literacy and Learning

To be honest, when I first heard of my enrollment in “Modern Mythology”, I wasn’t too excited. I prematurely considered the class a boring and useless waste of time. I had unjustly ridiculed the course without any consideration of the knowledge and perspective I could obtain from my engagement. 

What I found most insightful were the depths of many works of literature I had previously considered dull and meaningless. A direct example would be when Mrs. Fusaro dug into the fundamentals of fairy tales such as Cinderella and Pinocchio. These were two stories which I had previously considered childish and generic. Yet Mrs. Fusaro was able to elaborate the depth of the plot to reveal potential hidden messages and plot points hidden beneath the shallow surface of childish language. However, those two stories alone add no meaning or change my life in any way shape or form. It was only when I applied the same psychology and way of thinking that Mrs. Fusaro showed me, to other aspects of my life, that I began to unveil the true layers of the world around me. 

For me, “Modern Mythology” is more than a course on ancient mythology. It is a much deeper class whose enlightenment surpasses those of the other courses found in Staten Island Tech. It is a course which is rooted in perception, and not basic formulas or pre-determined facts. The same knowledge that we uncover as we delve into ancient mythologies or even “modern” fairy tales, can be used to advance our understanding of the world we live in, and enhance our perception of those around us. Although I’m sure that my experience in this class was somewhat unique, and other classmates may not agree with my connection of modern mythology and human psychology, I believe the two to be closely related. As we dig into ancient mythologies, we uncover not only prehistoric ideas, but also a now forgotten method of thinking. Humans are easily manipulated, and current day social media, and modernization has inadvertently led to new methods of understanding and new outlooks on ourselves. Understanding ancient ways of thinking may open our eyes to unique outlooks on the world that were forgotten with time. Similarly to how “thinking outside the box” requires a person to attempt to develop a new outlook on a situation in their thought process to surpass natural barriers that have developed through repetition, understanding new outlooks and perceiving life in new ways, may result in personal growth and enlightenment other unbeknown.