Oluwabiyi Shittu, Period 1, 10/23/23

Oluwabiyi Shittu
Period 1
Literacy and Learning
10/23/2023

Learning about different religion’s creation stories included a discussion on the shared quirk on the part of the creation stories to blame women for man's faults. It is no secret that in archaic societies, women were often seen as inferior to men. They were barred from positions of power for cowardly reasons such as curiosity, impulsiveness, and incompetence. This control that was exercised on women by men was not due to actually wanting to control the woman, and rather was a means of controlling her womb, a feature that caused men to be suspicious of their partners.

Women were commonly seen as the life givers in society, as they literally gave life to children out of their wombs. There is nothing more special than the relationship between mother and child as you will always have a special relationship with the person that gave you life itself. The relationship with fathers however, was a different story. It is impossible to have the same relationship with your father as with your mother, as in archaic societies there was no way to verify relation to child on the part of the father. It is due to this suspicion and jealousy that men somehow felt the need to paint women as clueless and inferior in creation stories as a means to control women and their wombs. As seen in the creation story of Christianity, Adam and Eve were living in a perfect garden free from harm and danger, until Eve got too “curious” and ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Women are quite literally painted as the reason why humans do not live in a utopia and are subject to suffering and pain. This exact same phenomenon can be seen in the Greek story of creation where Pandora is depicted as releasing pain and suffering and negativity into the world due to her “curiosity”. These creation stories paint women as irrational and controllers of emotion to give men a justification for their treatment of women. After all, how could you know that child was yours? This justification however was pushed onto women to cover up the faults of man. Men saw themselves as promiscuous and unjustly forced women to take the blame and resigned them to households and caretakers to satiate the fears of men.

These views have prevailed in society to this day and led to the modern feminist movement. When this movement began to gain traction, the same rhetoric was spewed about emotion and irrationality, and women rightfully fought back against these views, gaining many rights and continuing the fight for true equality. While the modern feminist movement has made many strides, rights for women are still a hotly debated topic in modern society. The removal of Roe v Wade and the right to abortions being guaranteed shows that Women are still continuing the fight for true equality in society

Elizabeth Superfin, Period 6, 10/13/24

 Elizabeth Superfin, Period 6, 10/13/24

Modern Mythology 2024

Blog Topic: Literacy & Learning

Persephone, Hades, and Demeter. A tale told in various formats a thousand different times. Recently, we have been introduced to a Persephone who is half of a typical arguing couple in the Hadestown musical; we’ve met a Persephone that pursues Hades of her own volition in Lore Olympus on Webtoon. These reimaginings have captured the public, becoming what many people think of even before the original tale comes to mind. They’ve shifted this myth into a tale that gives Persephone agency. Persephone willingly chooses to follow Hades. Persephone willingly eats the pomegranate seed. Persephone is an equal in her relationship, even if she spends an entire song arguing with her husband. Our modern sensibilities prefer that women choose her own destinies, and there is a comfort in seeing this woman, victimized in ancient times, create a fate for herself. But Persephone is not the only woman in this story– why do we, even in the modern age, never focus on the struggles of Demeter?

When we discussed Demeter’s journey in class, as well as the implications of what the “pomegranate seeds” really meant, I thought about how Demeter’s struggles differ wildly based on the version of the story. In many modern retellings, Demeter is portrayed as overreacting to the circumstances. Her daughter chose to be with Hades– she is an overbearing mother who needs to step aside and let Persephone live with her own decisions. In the version of the myth that we view as the original, however, Demeter’s anger is far more sympathetic. Her daughter, the embodiment of springtime– and the embodiment of youth, in turn, as springtime is associated with beginnings– is distracted by a flower, a very childish thing, and then kidnapped, coerced, and accidentally gives half of her immortal life away by unwittingly signing a contract in pomegranate juice. In this version of the story, how is Demeter not in the right? Her precious daughter had her agency taken from her, was coerced into eating “pomegranate seeds,” and the youthful innocence she embodied as goddess of springtime was taken away in exchange for marriage and womanhood. Demeter is grieving her daughter’s “death” in the sense that she has entered the Underworld, and the “death” of her daughter’s childhood too. And yet, in involving mortals in her grief through her dereliction of duty, she is in the wrong as much as she is in the right. As we discussed these nuances, I was reminded of a certain corner of the internet, expert in evaluating whether someone is justified in their actions. And so, I made one more retelling of this classic tale– one with a focus on Demeter, in a quite unconventional format. 

Here is Demeter’s story, in the format of a post on the AITA subreddit.

(For the uninitiated: AITA, aka “Am I The [Jerk],” is a community on Reddit where people tell a story where they may be viewed as a [jerk] and others reply with their opinions on the matter, explaining why they think the OP (original poster) is in the right or wrong. Acronyms referenced here are “ESH” (everyone sucks here), “YTA” (you’re the [jerk]), and “NTA” (not the [jerk]).)

This is the thread of Comments: 

[AITA for causing a mass famine because my brother kidnapped my daughter?

u/goddessoftheharvest127283   4000 years ago

My brother (10000M), let’s call him “H,” kidnapped my daughter (1000F), “P” in order to marry her. P was distracted by a flower, and he kidnapped her, and nobody even TOLD me for nine days while I wandered the mortal realm in search of her. 

Of COURSE I was too busy to do my job. I was grieving for my daughter! The thing is, I work in agriculture, and because I was distracted, a bunch of plants died and so did a bunch of humans. I didn’t MEAN to cause a famine! I’m a grieving mother, how was I supposed to focus on helping seeds grow when my innocent little seedling was suffering away in the underworld with H???

My other brother, “Z,” keeps trying to convince me that I’m overreacting, and has sent some of our other siblings after me to convince me of the same, but I think he’s a fool and he should be more concerned because she’s also HIS daughter and he knows what a basement-dwelling loser H is. They keep saying I should end this famine, but I refuse to do so until I get P back. I don’t think I’m in the wrong, but I want to see what you all think (and whether you have advice on getting her back). 

So, Reddit, AITA?

EDIT: The issue isn’t the incest. Incest is a family tradition. Please focus on the actual issue at hand.

UPDATE: I got my daughter back! Z finally gave up and sent another one of our relatives down to get H to give P back. But H “convinced” her to “eat” a “pomegranate seed” while she was with him, and now my daughter has to spend four months every year with that sleazebag! My sweet, innocent daughter!! Ate his pomegranate seed!!! I’ve let up the famine, for now, but during those four months a year, I don’t think I’ll be able to do anything but grieve. I do feel guilt now, for what I did, but I still don’t think it’s my fault. I taught some people at the newest temple built for me how to grow corn and how to do my secret rites, so I hope that makes up for it.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

u/msfusaroperiod6   2 weeks ago

ESH. OP, you are right to grieve your daughter, especially because she was unjustly taken from you. However, you are not in the right for involving the mortals. It is not their fault that your daughter got kidnapped! You are TA for getting innocents involved, but we hope you get your daughter back soon.

u/ZeusTheThunderGod   4000 years ago

YTA. Z is right, just let go of it already. Women are so annoying🙄

u/EleusianMysteriesOfficial   4000 years ago

NTA!!! You go, queen!!! We think you slayed by convincing Z to get P back, you’re totally not in the wrong. We’re going to reenact you and your daughter’s journey in our cult. Your girlbossing is so admirable, thank you so much for teaching us your rites!!! We’re going to have some visions of the afterlife now, but shhhhhhh, don’t tell anyone. 

u/metaneira    4000 years ago

NTA, I know what it’s like to be scared for your child. Recently this old woman (who was obviously divine in some way) came into my home, and is helping to nurse my son, Demophoon. He is growing really fast, I'm suspicious as to what she is doing with him. I’m going to keep watch tonight to see what’s going on. I hope you get your daughter back.

u/metaneira

So turns out, the woman was a goddess trying to give my son immortal life. But I freaked

out when I saw her put him in the fire and stopped her, and now he will grow old and

suffer. We’re going to build her a temple in apology.

Load 300 more comments]

The post is obviously intended to be humorous (and admittedly the humor makes it slightly unsympathetic to the person I aim to empathize with) but I think it gets Demeter’s story across pretty accurately, and covers that which we discussed in class. In the end, even told jokingly in this Reddit post, Demeter is a mother concerned for her daughter. This is true in any version of the myth. Having learned the tale of Persephone, I can now identify other “pomegranate seed” metaphors in other literature– and in the world around me, I have learned to be more sympathetic to mothers and their concern for their daughters. Maybe, next time that I think my mother is overreacting, I’ll remember Demeter in her grief and rethink the situation from her perspective. 

Maybe.

Kevin Zheng, Period 6, 11/1/2024

Socio-political Consciousness

The United States is often described as a country of freedom and diversity. It is a country that is founded on the principles of freedom, equality, and liberty. It is also one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world and home to people of different races and cultures. So, what possibly could I be afraid of in this country? It is racism and hate crime.

Racism has been an existing issue that began hundreds of years ago. It continues to have an impact on people today and is still a major problem that people are facing. This conflict worsened during the recent years when the pandemic started. At the time, the entire world was affected and suffering from the disease. I had thought that everyone’s priority was to ensure their health and safety, until Donald Trump, the current president of the United States at the time, began to blame China for the start of the pandemic.

I was completely speechless. Rather than focusing on the current issue, Trump decided to continuously address the cause of the issue and direct all the anger at China. When I heard him call the disease “Chinese virus”, I couldn’t bring myself to believe that he was the president of the United States, a significant figure who leads the country. Up to this day, I still don’t know if he considered the consequences of his actions. Simply by calling the disease a “Chinese virus”, he has fueled racism and hate against Asians in the country.

Every often, I would find news of Asians being targeted in the country. Some faced verbal abuse and were called with racial slurs. Others were assaulted and beaten up in the public. According to ABC7 News, on July 31, 2022, a 70-year-old Asian elderly was approached by four juveniles and was beaten up. I couldn’t believe what I saw when I looked at the captured footage. Not only were four males attacking one elderly woman who could barely resist, but they even decided to kick her head and rob her of her property. Three of them were under 15 years old. I even asked myself, “Is this really America?”. Just what kind of education had they gone through that has made them believe that what they did was morally right or justified? When I looked at all the news, I really felt fortunate that none of my family were victims of the ongoing hate crime. My family are my most precious ones and I can’t imagine how I would feel emotionally if I found out that they were assaulted.

Now that I think about it, could it have been education? Is there a flaw within the education system in the country? From personal experience, it shouldn’t be normal for an elementary schooler no older than 8 or 9 to be calling out racial slurs from the school bus, while everyone else laughs. There must have been factors that changed the people in the society as they grew up.

When I reflect on myself in this topic, I understand very well that my beliefs and opinions are due to bias as an Asian American. However, although I have been looking at the issue through the lens of an Asian, I believe that my judgment should be no different than a regular person. Like everyone else, I simply want everyone to be safe and healthy. I want everyone to feel like they are a part of the community. The ongoing conflict right now has made me lose a bit of trust in the society outside, as outer appearance can be deceiving and you never know what someone thinks about you from the outside. Despite this, I continue to believe that as long as there is time, we will be able to get rid of these social issues. As long as there are those who share the same belief and goal in the problem of society, there is hope.


Source:

Pena, Luz. "Suspects' Ages in Elderly Woman's Beating Are 'shocking,' SF Police Chief Says." 15 Aug. 2022, abc7news.com/asian-woman-beaten-in-sf-attacked-by-four-people-sfpd-arrests-attackers-elderly-kicked-head/12127820/#:~:text=SAN%20FRANCISCO%20(KGO)%20%2D%2D%20San,Francisco%20Street%20on%20July%2031. Accessed 30 Oct. 2023.

Mina Zheng, Period 7, 10/30/2023

 Mina Zheng

Ms. Fusaro

Modern Mythology Period 7

October 30 2023

Upon learning that her brother would not be given a proper passage to death, Antigone buried him herself and openly confessed to her crime. For this, she was to be buried alive, but when King Creon changed his mind and went to free her from her tomb, he found that she had taken her own life. Antigone is the symbol of a martyr, sacrificing her life to protest the injustice of the King’s rule, but also of a tragic hero. She was the daughter of an incestuous relationship, which led her mother to suicide and her father to blind himself in shame. Antigone accompanies her father into exile until his death, before then having to reconcile her brothers, who were at battle with each other. From birth until death, she was a victim to consequences of actions that were not her own.

In that way, a parallel can be drawn between Antigone and many of our youth who also feel helpless in situations they can’t control. As time passes, the pressures and responsibilities we put on our youth increases exponentially, from rising academic expectations (something very relevant in this community) to human rights issues to our rapidly deteriorating environment. The world has not been short of issues. Suicide rates in ages 10-24 increased 62% from 2007 to 2021, especially drastic after the pandemic. This country seems to be backtracking on human rights in the past few years, and marginalized communities have not seen any significant changes to their status. Even more recently, children in the Gaza strip are being murdered in the name of “justice,” while people preach that the “terrorists had it coming.” I cannot pretend to know the extent of the conflict nor feel the pain of its victims, but how can one stay silent in the face of such injustice? Through social media, more awareness is being raised about these issues, with more people sharing their stories and showing empathy to others. And yet, why is it that there is nothing significant being done? 

True myths are timeless, and Antigone’s story is no exception. Oppression has been a constant from the beginning of time, and yet, no one seems to care. When another victim is taken, they would raise their flags and beg for forgiveness, but in the end, they would move on until the next poor child becomes a statistic and another social media post. The cycle continues.

Hasn’t Antigone taught us enough?

Suicide and Homicide Death Rates among Youth and Young Adults Aged 10 ..., 

www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db471.pdf. Accessed 29 Oct. 2023. 

Cye Zhang, Period 6, 10/30/23

Research Paper

TW- Discussion of rape

According to Oscar Wilde, “Everything in the world is about sex except sex. Sex is about power.” For example, the rape of Metis is actually a struggle for power whereas when Persephone eats the pomegranate seed her loss of virginity is heavily implied.

In class we explore how experiences of maturity and sexuality are reflected in stories of Greek gods and goddesses, focusing on the story of Persephone and asking questions such as: What are the Eleusinian Mysteries of Demeter and Persephone? Why is this cult so secretive about its practices? What happens at the initiation rite and why is it so significant?

When we think about what we know about the story of Persephone our minds go towards how Hades kidnapped her and forced her to eat pomegranate seeds. Some might recall this is the creation story for the seasons, Demeter’s despair of losing her daughter leaving the earth barren of crops as she spends four months each year as queen of the underworld but that’s the usual extent of their knowledge about Demeter. The first known telling of this story is the Homeric Hymn to Demeter from the 6th century BCE. Hymn to Demeter, not Persephone or Hades. While the poem tells the story of Persephone’s abduction it highlights the strong mother-daughter relationship she shares with Demeter.

While it is the mortal people’s suffering from starvation that causes Zeus to relent and ask Hades to return her daughter in order for Demeter to go back to doing her duties, this story is also where the Cult of Demeter and Persephone and Eleusinian Mysteries originate from. In the search for her daughter, Demeter finds herself in Eleusis; a misunderstanding occurs between her and the royal family, and in order to repent for their doings (which for the record was a total misunderstanding but that is a whole can of worms for a different day) they build Demeter a temple. This is where the Mysteries of Eleusis come in. Once her daughter is returned, she teaches the people the secrets of farming, aiding them in cultivating sustenance, through rituals and initiations.

Concrete knowledge of the cult and these mysteries are very fragmented– people were forbidden to speak about what went on and without word of mouth, it died with the people. We can highlight the importance of folklore of these experiences– without the passing of such stories, we are left to make assumptions based on what information we do have. These mysteries are birth, death, sexuality, and love; initiations changing the way people view death, teaching them to live thoughtfully and die with hope. The idea that life is a cycle is a common theme in Greek mythology seen particularly through the way they viewed the cycle of seasons. The Greater Mysteries were celebrated once a year in the autumn with participants tracing Demeter's route as she searched for Persephone before viewing and possibly participating in a symbolic reenactment of the death and rebirth of Persephone. Each fall she joins Hades in the underworld only to return in the spring embodying the natural course of life and the earth.

Despite the fact Persephone is brought to the underworld, each spring she returns aboveground and is rebirthed. They emphasize this and Demeter’s persistent, unwavering will to continue searching for her rather than Persephone’s eating of the pomegranate seed and maturity– her abduction and rape. Culture and ideas spread through communication, it’s theorized the Greeks were inspired by the Egyptians' beliefs of rebirth, adopting them into their religious rites. Demeter impact is significantly minimized in modern retellings of the story despite her influence in the religious rites and festivals held. The celebrations of the Eleusinian Mysteries were one of the most well-known religious festivals of the time. Walls were built around Demeter's sanctuary and an indication hall large enough to hold thousands of people. Unlike other religions, rituals were peaceful usually involving grain, pomegranates, and poppies rather than sacrifice of life.

The people admired Demeter for how she aided them in her role as the goddess of grain and harvest. At the time it was mainly women who predominantly plowed and took care of the crops as men focused on hunting and fighting therefore Demeter gathered a great number of female followers worshiping her with humbleness and gratitude rather than bloody sacrifice. So why does the focus stray towards Hades’ acts of violence even though we follow Demeter’s distress throughout the entire poem? We can expand on what we explored in class and look at the myth from a new perspective.

So why do we romanticize the myth and other stories with similar ideas such as Beauty and the Beast? There are countless modern retellings of the story of Persephone, many of them falling into the YA and romance genre in addition to the bad boy good girl trope; the beautiful and delicate woman gets swept away by a man and despite getting mistreated she falls in love with and fixes his toxic tendencies in the process. These stories are often aimed at teens and frame the idea of a toxic relationship with excitement and allure altering how many teens might view problematic relationships and changing their expectations to be unrealistic. Moreover, this could be especially dangerous as these ideas will lead readers to turn a blind eye to manipulative traits and other characteristics of unhealthy relationships because it is “normalized” and desired in today's books and media.




Bibliography

• Lincoln, B. (1979). The Rape of Persephone: A Greek Scenario of Women’s Initiation. The Harvard Theological Review, 72(3/4), 223–235. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1509722

• Keller, M. L. (1988). The Eleusinian Mysteries of Demeter and Persephone: Fertility, Sexuality, and Rebirth. Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, 4(1), 27–54. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25002068

• Cantarella, E. (1985). Dangling Virgins: Myth, Ritual and the Place of Women in Ancient Greece. Poetics Today, 6(1/2), 91–101. https://doi.org/10.2307/1772123

• Hamilton, E. (1999). Mythology Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes . Grand Central Publishing.

• Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023, October 27). Eleusinian Mysteries. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eleusinian-Mysteries

• “To Demeter.” Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica, translated by Gregory Nagy, https://uh.edu/~cldue/texts/demeter.html

Jessica Yan Yim, Period 6 , 10/26/23

 Jessica Yan Yim

Period 6

10/26/23

Modern Mythology 2024

Why are women always “the root of all evil”? The idea that women are always “the root of all evil” was a stereotype given to women and it has passed on to many generations. A woman being curious immediately makes her evil, like she is doing something wrong for wanting to know more.

Women are made to be the villains as a way to oppress their power. Women are seen as the root of all evil because of the decisions that they make that could lead to evil. For example in the Abrahamic story of the Garden of Eden, Eve is tempted to eat the apple which she does causing Adam and Eve to be banished from the garden. Now in the story the apple represents more than just a fruit, rather it symbolizes sexual temptation and knowledge. Eve was not supposed to be tempted by that, so she was punished for “eating the apple.” Similar to Greek creation, Pandora being tempted to open the box caused all evil to be released. The box represented knowledge, lust, and temptation, which is not something that she should’ve wanted. The name Pandora translates to all giving. She was supposed to be submissive and not open the “fragile” jar.

The idea that Eve and Pandora were curious to know more in both stories ended negatively. Their knowledge represented as a threat to all humanity because when the rebelled against what they were told to do, they caused suffering to the world.

Luca Gianquinto, Period 6, 09/26/23

 Luca Gianquinto Period 6 9/29/23 Modern Mythology 2024

I never liked reading. In fact, I found it more of a chore, since usually it was just for English class. Just like any other homework, it simply delayed me from playing Xbox which, as a child, was the most important thing to me. It didn’t help that I found most concepts of the books to be incredibly boring, such as ‘Of Mice and Men’ and ‘Charlotte's Web’. I was too young to appreciate those books and I was instead put off by the fact that they were not action oriented, like my favorite games and movies. However, this all changed once I entered seventh grade English class. 

As usual, we had a list of books we would be reading throughout the year. The first book was ‘Percy Jackson’, the infamous and cliche firestarter for most people’s experience with Greek Mythology. The night that we were assigned to read the first chapter, I accidentally read half the book. This is not sarcasm, as I experienced something I had never felt before with reading: I was completely lost in the picture painted by the author, absorbed in the concept and feening to discover what would happen next. Before the year was over, I had already finished the series and began to read it a second time. By high school, I had read the series three times and had expanded into reading other books by the same author, Rick Riordan, such as ‘The Red Pyramid’, which was about Egyptian mythology. 

At first, my favorite character was Percy. After all, he was the cool protagonist, a descendent of Poseidon, one of the big three. He could control water at will and he was known around the camp for being the son of Poseidon, as nobody had ever been discovered as a demigod of such a high status god before. However, as I began to read the series more, my favoritism quickly switched to that of Leo Valdez. After I looked past the usual interest around Poseidon, I discovered a much more interesting and complex god: Hephaestus. Leo was able to make practically anything he wanted, and even ended up fixing a mechanical dragon named Festus that he could fly around on. This was my introduction to Hephaestus, and his ability captivated me like no other.

I have always been a very technical person even since childhood. Like most, I played with Lego constantly, but I began to get bored of following directions and instead freestyled to make my visions come to life. Even with robotics kits, I had a tendency to create what I wanted instead of what was intended. My parents even got me a lego table in my room, given that I was constantly tinkering away. Naturally, being that building is ingrained in my personality, I was drawn to the characteristics and abilities of Hephaestus. Eventually, having read the series a multitude of times, I moved on from the books and quite honestly got out of my obsession with Greek mythology. 

To my surprise, I was reintroduced to Hephaestus this year in class. I discovered his backstory, and my knowledge of him was furthered by things that I never knew just by reading Percy Jackson. For example, I learned that, although being the best creator amongst the gods, he was renowned as “the ugly god”, as he was ugly from birth. Effectively, he was thrown from olympus, the damage of the fall causing his face to be disfigured even further. After coming back to Olympus, he was rejected by most, except Hera. Furthermore, I also learned of his role in the creation of Athena. He was tasked with helping Zeus, who was experiencing splitting headaches. With his eye for detail, Hephaestus was able to see “something” moving around within Zeus’ forehead, and was prompted to strike down with his axe to release it. He did, and subsequently Athena was born. I was surprised at this, as I never knew that Hephaestus had a role in the birth of the goddess of war and wisdom. 

What I learned is deeper than just the backstory of Hephaestus. Looking deeper, I learned that there is always more to learn. I have to look past the surface and truly research what interests me in order to grasp it fully and completely. What I know is just what I know, and will never be everything that I can know. However, at the same time, I cannot know everything, leaving me in a hopeless pursuit of knowledge. Although this presented itself through the means of Hephaestus, I discovered my curious nature and expanded upon a part of myself that I was not very familiar with.

Anton Yanaky, Period 6, 10/27/23

The Big Bang Theory is a theory that describes how our universe was created and how it grew. The theory states that 13 billion years ago, our universe was a singularity, an infinitely small point that is infinitely dense. Then, for a reason still unknown, the universe suddenly underwent rapid expansion, for a fraction of a second, it expanded faster than the speed of light. After this initial expansion, matter and light were formed, however, due to the extreme temperature of the universe at that time (18 billion degrees Fahrenheit), matter existed as a hot soup of plasma (NASA). During this time, the universe was opaque, light could not pass through space and matter. Close to four hundred thousand years after the Big Bang, the universe cooled to a point where matter could fully form and electrons could finally bind to nuclei (NASA). This emitted the first light in the universe. In fact, specialized telescopes can still see this light, more commonly called cosmic microwave background radiation. However, this light was temporary, and since there were no stars or galaxies during this time period, the universe fell into another darkness (NASA). Finally, once the first stars formed, the universe became fully transparent and transformed into what we see today, or more accurately, tonight.

Much of what we know about the early universe comes from intricate telescopes and satellites that were made for the sole purpose of observing the vast cosmos. We are constantly learning more about the universe through new observations. Recently, in 2022, the James Webb Telescope became operational. It is currently the largest telescope in space and dwarfs the Hubble Space Telescope, being one hundred times more powerful than the Hubble (NASA). Even though the James Webb Telescope only became operational a little over a year ago, it has already given us new data on the furthest reaches of space and the origin of our universe.

One billion years after the Big Bang, the universe became fully transparent. Before that, the universe was fully opaque, and there was no light. How exactly this transformation happened was not known until recently. With new information from the James Webb Telescope, a research team led by Simon Lilly was able to accurately describe how the universe became transparent. Galaxies largely drove the change from opaque to transparent, the energy that the stars inside the galaxy produced created a bubble of energy around the galaxy that gave it transparency. This “bubble” around galaxies expanded over time and merged with other bubbles until the whole universe became transparent (NASA).



The Greek creation myth has many parallels to the Big Bang Theory, at first, there was nothing, then, inexplicably, something came from that nothingness that was. For us, the universe sprang up out of a singularity, while for the Greeks, Chaos was born. The universe was opaque at its genesis and only later gained light, this is strikingly similar to the order in which the gods were born, Night came first, and Day and Light were born later. Day and Light could be likened to the cosmic microwave background radiation, it was the first time the universe displayed any light, just like how they were the first gods that represented light. However, the universe was only fully illuminated once the stars and galaxies were born, this can be a parallel to Prometheus granting humanity fire. Both of these events are transformative for the world, the cosmos lighting up brought the universe into the current state it is in, and Prometheus giving us fire brought innovation and civilization.


Works Cited

NASA. “Basics | Universe – NASA Universe Exploration.” NASA Universe, 25 October 2023, https://universe.nasa.gov/universe/basics/. Accessed 25 October 2023.

NASA. “NASA's Webb Proves Galaxies Transformed the Early Universe.” NASA, 12 June 2023, https://www.nasa.gov/universe/nasas-webb-proves-galaxies-transformed-the-early-universe/. Accessed 25 October 2023.

NASA. “Overview.” NASA Science, 25 October 2023, https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/about-overview/. Accessed 25 October 2023.

Christopher Salguero, Period 7, 10/27/23

     For many years, video game developers have been using their games as a form to tell stories, many of which get inspiration from mythology. One video game franchise that does this is Pokémon, many aspects of these beloved games can be related or are even fully taken from mythology. This series of games in particular also goes above and beyond by creating its own mythology and story of how the world came to be.

The world of Pokémon is a large and very populated one with over one thousand different species of Pokémon and counting.  Many of these Pokémon are inspired by mythology and mythological creatures. Some examples of these Pokémon include Gyrados, Ninetails, and Trevenant. Gyrados and Magikarp were inspired by the Japanese waterfall legend in which koi fish who are able to swim upstream turn into powerful dragons, Magikarp goes from a practically useless Pokémon to one strong enough to fight alongside you. Ninetails is inspired by a Japanese mythical creature known as the kitsune, they share many attributes such as their many tails and immense wisdom as they live for many years. The last example, Trevenant, is inspired by haunted trees and forest spirits. Within the world of Pokémon, he is known for protecting the forest and harming those who attempt to harm their homes. 

      These however are just “regular” Pokémon, there are other Pokémon known as legendary who can be compared to gods in mythology. These “legendary” Pokémon tend to have control over specific parts of the world or have god-like abilities that put them in a different league from regular Pokémon. Unlike other Pokémon, legendaries are unique and there is commonly only one of each legendary pokemon in the world with few exceptions. Two examples of this are Kyogre and Groudon, one controlling the seas and the other controlling the land. Both of these Pokémon are opposites and rule over separate parts of the world, but much like many gods in myths we’ve learned about, they fight as they are not content with the power they currently hold and just want more. One of these legendaries is known as the god of the Pokémon world, Arceus, who created the world and every Pokémon in it.

Within the mythology of many cultures there is typically a creation story of how the world came to be. The creation myth of the Pokémon universe begins with a small egg containing the first ever Pokémon, Arceus. Once emerged from his egg, Arceus begins to shape the world starting by creating three Pokémon to rule time, space, and antimatter. These three Pokémon go by the names of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. These three are known as the “creation trio” and they are responsible for maintaining the balance in the world. Giratina follows a kind of fallen angel trope in which he strays away from god and rules a realm of chaos known as the distortion realm. There is also a trio of lake guardians that Arceus creates in order to provide knowledge, emotion, and willpower within the world; their names were Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. Despite creating so many legendary pokemon, one of the most important of Arceus’ creations is Mew. Mew is known as the ancestor to all Pokémon and it is believed that Mew contains the genetic information of all Pokémon. This can be related to Adam and Eve and how they are believed to be the ancestors of all human life. 

In conclusion, video games as a whole play a huge role in teaching the younger youth about mythology and serve as a modern way of storytelling. Pokémon does a wonderful job at adding aspects from many different culture’s mythology and even creating its own mythology based on them. Despite the fact that this is done within many video games, I personally believe that Pokémon does it best.

    

Mohammad Shaheer, Period 1, 10/20/23

Mohammad Shaheer

I believe that we live in a society that is not that power based as ancient times, however money does tend to run the world. On an ordinary day, as long as one is not bankrupt or homeless, they live a rather happy life. However, there can be some instances where one with much more money/power would be able to take advantage of them. For example, if the two get into a court case, the man with more money can obviously afford a better lawyer, leading to the man with less suffering due to this difference in money. The way modern society is, money equals power.The actual government is rather fair and doesn’t act as a dictatorship.

I believe that my perception of life/values differs from others due to my religion. Not to get too into religious beliefs, but it just proves a structural support in how I live my life and view things. For example, it shows that loyalty and kindness in this world will always be rewarded, which i believe to be true due to the fact that the saying what goes around comes around actually does come to truth majority of the time. On top of this, family tends to be above all which I wholeheartedly agree with as this is the foundation of how my life started and how it will be for the rest of it.

Jacqueline Yu, Period 1, 10/26/23

Jacqueline Yu
Period 1
10/26/23
Modern Mythology 2024

Socio-political Consciousness - What it Means to be a Woman

I went to stay at Barnard College—a women’s liberal arts college—at the beginning of the week as a part of their fly-in Barnard Bound program. Approximately 80 women gathered in one event center that was a place like no other—a room full of anticipated female (and non-binary) leaders. They proudly embraced their gender and identities but it made me wonder what exactly does it mean to be a woman?

Women are often described as objects, and that concept has been emphasized throughout literature—with a prevalent example of stories of Greek mythology illustrating females being toyed by male gods. They are seemingly defenseless but reportedly act as a force of evil that prey upon men’s temptations. In male dominated works of literature, the usage of the feminist critical lens to analyze the implications of gender stereotypes makes it further apparent that there is a forthright pattern–women have been oppressed.

Today, women are often limited conventionally through means such as the glass ceiling, even if they have the necessary ambition to seek greater heights. It has been constantly observed that women are at a disadvantage compared to men–women’s median salary is less than that of men and women are more likely to be victims of sexual assault compared to men–but women are attacked when they publicly speak of these issues (Smith, 2017).

Still, women (and people in general) should speak out amidst the possibility of being silenced. The true expression of voices is crucial to simply have a conversation and promote further discussion. Women should be able to proudly exercise their First Amendment rights without fear of ridicule. Further, the ability to express weaknesses should be encouraged, as it can prove to provide invaluable experiences. The support from others can act as motivation and bolster growth.

Women should be willing to take risks intellectually and within moderation should be pursued. Risk taking allows for women to not only challenge themselves, but the world around them. It has played an indirect role in Barnard’s unofficial mantra of ‘major in unafraid’. Fear should act as a guide but should not end up as a force of consumption and oppression.

Being able to accept your identity while willingly challenging and transforming it if necessary plays a role in finding some form of belonging in a community. A collection of distinct identities provide the framework for uniqueness where individuals make up a community, and communities make up a society. In such societies, differences should be celebrated and accomplishments should be welcomed with open arms.

Now, just what does it mean to be a woman?

I still believe that there is no one set definition, as humans are dynamic; even though my remarks have emphasized women, it does not mean that the aforementioned chronicles should be restricted solely to women. They are in fact applicable to humanity as a whole, regardless of gender.

Yet, the history of the oppression of women is nevertheless alarming. I remember many instances where I was forced to conform to the conviction that women should act “feminine”. Frankly, women should not be defined this way and should exercise the freedom to choose their own path.

At Barnard, the community profoundly shared one burning commonality–passion and ambition. These women acted for themselves rather than opt to be defined by stereotypes. Even though this seems cliché, my experience at the program as well as my overall, gradual journey have allowed me to come to accept myself and feel invigorated although there are still drawbacks of being a woman.

I see no other way to end this other than iterating that I am proud to be a woman. I am proud to be me. My experiences as a woman have become part of my identity, and encouraged me to unconventionally address stereotypes. Although paradigms may define women, the ability to challenge these paradigms can define women too.

Sources:
Smith, Sophie. “Limitations to Equality: Gender Stereotypes and Social Change.” IPPR, 22 June 2017, www.ippr.org/juncture/limitations-to-equality-gender-stereotypes-and-social-change.

Kayla Pollio, Period 7, 10/24/2023

 Kayla Pollio

Period 7

Oct. 24, 2023

“The difference between comedy and horror is the music.” -Jordan Peele

Although comedies and horror/tragedy are two of the most distinct genres of media out there, this quote is true in a way: the only difference between them is the way we perceive them. It’s got a great deal to do with how they’re presented to us, of course, but as the reader, our interpretation of a text has just as great an impact on its meaning as the content of the text itself does.

Around a week ago, an animated pilot was released on YouTube by the name of “The Amazing Digital Circus”, a “psychological dark comedy” about a colorful group of characters trapped in a virtual world. Typically, I’m not into psychological thrillers/horror shows—I prefer light-hearted comedy stuff—but my friend recommended it to me, and as soon as I started watching, the animation style and character designs (and the humor!) drew me in. By the end of the weekend, I had rewatched the 25-minute pilot in full at least three times.

All the character designs are based off of toys and other things typically found in a playroom, including a ragdoll, plastic chattering teeth, and a king from a chess set. There was one character in particular that stood out to me who goes by the name of Gangle. She’s made of ribbon, and her face is represented by a pair of classic drama masks (the comedy and tragedy masks that are commonly used symbols of theater as a whole, and are also attributed to Dionysus). However, barely a minute into the pilot, someone bumps into Gangle and her comedy mask breaks, leaving her with only the tragedy mask. Because of this, throughout the episode, she’s constantly on the verge of tears, and even is referred to as “crybaby” by another character. While Gangle is crying over the destruction of her comedy mask, something amusing happens: another character walks past and steps on it seemingly without even knowing, shattering it even more. Gangle is equally shattered and is seen breaking down further into tears, but the camera doesn’t even focus on her—it’s clear that this was only done for comic relief; the audience was meant to laugh at this interaction. Simply put, Gangle’s tearfulness is treated as no more than a running gag throughout the pilot.

I interpreted this to mean that there’s essentially no difference between tragedy and comedy—just the label you use, as represented by Gangle’s masks. Her masks are the lenses she uses to see the world in different lights, just like the critical theories we learned about in class. This is specifically an example of reader-response theory; the masks representing different possible interpretations that a reader could have to a text. Every person has a different response to a given piece of media, and their interpretation adds just as much meaning to the text as the actual content of the text provides.

While Gangle still had her comedy mask, she was cheerful and smiley, despite being trapped for eternity in a virtual world with no hope of getting out, every day forced to take part in the leader’s absurd adventures as the threat of “abstracting” (going insane from the endless pursuit of an escape) grows harder to ignore. But once she lost the comedy mask, she saw everything in a completely different way: every challenge seemed insurmountable, every plot development was the worst-case scenario. I thought it was fascinating how they used the drama masks to represent this, suggesting that when it comes to situations that you have no control over, the only thing you can do is choose whether you want to perceive it in a positive or a negative light.

Returning to the original quote: the difference between seeing an experience as a comedy or a tragedy is simply the way you interpret it.

Works Cited:

Gooseworx. (2023, October 13). The Amazing Digital Circus: Pilot. YouTube. https://youtu.be/HwAPLk_sQ3w 

Noah, T. (2022, November 11). Jordan Peele - “Quiet part loud” & “nope”: The daily show. YouTube. https://youtu.be/WJDV7D6Swq4 

Staff, O. B. (2020, June 21). The origins of the comedy and Tragedy Masks of Theatre. https://www.onstageblog.com/editorials/comedy-and-tragedy-masks-of-theatre#:~:text=People%20often%20relate%20the%20masks,two%2Dfaced%20god%20of%20beginnings.

Maggie Yang, Period 1, 10/25/23

Maggie Yang, Period 1, 10/25/23
Modern Mythology 2024

Literacy & Learning

Going into Natalie Haynes’ version of the classic tale of Medusa, I knew I would be learning about Medusa’s story as a survivor of sexual assault. I did not expect to become familiar with the stories of Sthenno, Euryale, Metis, and the other figures in Greek mythology, retold in a way where I can sympathize with their characters and the actions they take. Usually, myths are told in a more objective view, never delving deeper into the more human aspects of which they are based. Monsters are monsters, and gods are gods. But in this version, we can clearly see the good in the Gorgons as sisters, caretakers, and gentle beings. And the gods, who have always had flaws, have had them truly laid out. Ruthlessness, indifference, and arrogance: caused by the greatest hamartia of hubris.

In class, we talked about transformation and how it will always affect you no matter how hard you try to erase it. From the way that Medusa’s story was written, I could see it in the way that she was raised. Despite the way she is treated by them, she loves mortals. She sees beauty in the ways that Poseiden, the Earthshaker, can’t fathom. She is unshakable in her values, even throughout her rape. But, almost as if she was changed into another shape, again and again, she can’t escape from her traumatic experience. She can’t go back to the way she was before. And, like Metis, who kept on changing until she found no choice, she will face downfall because of her rape.

We see so many parallels between these different figures–Poseidon to Zeus, Amphitrite to Hera, and Metis to Medusa. And they all go through different transformations despite having similar “roles” in the story. Outside of Greek mythology, people in the real, modern world have gone through similar situations. I hope that from now on, I will be able to see deeper into the human psyche by looking at these human-like gods and monsters. Instead of seeing the surface of the story, I want to understand how people have changed, what caused those changes, and how those changes will lead to their actions.

On social media, I’ve become aware of Medusa’s head as a symbol of surviving sexual assault, but now I feel like I understand more about what she stands for. On a shield in mythology, she represents Athena’s protection and inked onto skin, she represents survival, strength, and power. While still seen as a vicious monster by the general population, I feel content knowing that she is able to bring power to people who need her.

Benjamin Cavallaro, Period 6, 09/15/23

 Benjamin Cavallaro

Period 6

9/15/23

     Throughout my life I’ve always found myself attracted to Greek mythology. Ever since my second grade Greek mythology unit I’ve been fascinated by the stories and characters within these myths, and as I’ve learned more about them my interest and perspective has only grown. With what I know now I think my interest lies largely in how subversively human the world of Greek mythology is. Many religions mythologies have felt off putting to me because of how cold and inhuman they are. Greek mythology isn’t like that. Every Greek god is rooted in human flaws and virtues, every story is rooted in a part of the human condition, and the stories often include levity. So, naturally, I was excited to revisit Greek mythology as part of Mythology class this year. 

     One of my favorite aspects of Greek mythology in our modern culture is the retellings. A benefit of the humanity of Greek mythology, and the malleability of folk stories in general, is that it lends itself to reinterpretations with modern themes or novel ideas. In elementary school the Percy Jackson novels were some of my favorites, and I found myself empowered by the way it showed characters persevering and even being special because of their learning disabilities and not fitting in. Just last school year I was enthralled by the way Hadestown used the dramatic irony of how well known the original story is to its advantage. Throughout the show it pushes the audience to hope for a happy ending, part of our human nature, even though we know it could never happen; just like how Orpheus’ human nature forces him to look back at Eurydice despite knowing it will kill her. These stories catered to elements of the human experience that I found personally impactful using stories I was already familiar with to make something impactful.

     When we were asked in class who our favorite Greek gods were I naturally leaned towards Dionysus. At the beginning of that lesson when we were asked to rank a list of virtues I found them to be kind of joyless. Being kind, or strong, or smart, may be important, but something I value just as much, if not more, is expression and social interaction. I thought beauty fit this idea the best, so I ranked it as one of my highest virtues. Once we were prompted to connect our list of virtues with the god we picked the reason I liked Dionysus started to make more sense. His association with art, and the joyful and social parties he brings, are the closest to my idea of beauty out of any of the Greek gods. I think that makes him, in my mind, one of the best examples of the humanity of Greek gods. The more we talked about Dionysus in class the next day the more that idea was affirmed.
    The next day was a lesson on Dionysus, Demeter, and Persephone. This lesson pointed out some things that I’d never noticed about these gods and the myths about them that I didn’t really notice before; the connection to coming of age, lifecycles, and rebirth. For example, although I understood the changing of the seasons as a metaphor for aging, I never really connected the pomegranate seed in the Hades and Persephone myth to sex and coming of age. I also didn’t really know that Dionysus was widely portrayed as a god of rebirth, dying every winter and returning every spring. Once this was pointed out to me I started to notice this theme across other myths following Dionysus, like how in the myth of king Midas after realizing his mistake Midas begs Dionysus for forgiveness and after having it granted to him is metaphorically reborn as a better man. In these stories the changing of the seasons and the literal death and rebirth they bring is used as a symbol for growth, often through failure. This realization made me think a little bit more about one of my favorite retellings of Greek mythology ever, the 2020 videogame Hades. 

    Hades follows the story of a teenage, at least in development, god Zagreus, who is the secret son of Hades and Persephone. The story perfectly replicates the humanity of Greek mythology because it essentially follows the story of a rebellious teen struggling with the divorce of his parents and failing to live up to the expectations of the adults around him. Hades and Persephone split up after a perceived miscarriage, and after Zagreus turns out to be alive his father is harsh to him and hides who his true mother is all to do what he believes would be in Zagreus’ best interest. Zagreus eventually finds out the truth about his mother and sets out to escape the underworld, setting the scene for the game. The conflicts and characters of the plot are human and realistic, like what I’d imagine the themes of a Greek myth about a modern topic would be like, but they also connect back to the symbolism of the deities like Greek mythology. 

     Although I didn’t know it at first, Zagreus is not a wholly original character, but rather a kind of reinterpretation of  Dionysus. Dionysus does exist in the game, but he exclusively serves as a god of partying and wine, and strays from the Dionysus of myth because he lives in Olympus rather than the surface world. Zagreus represents the part of Dionysus that I learned about in our lesson on Dionysus, and acts as a god of rebirth. In the beliefs of Orphic legend, one of the “mystery” cults which revered the poems of Orpheus, Zagreus is the name of Dionysus’ first incarnation of Dionysus who died in the war with the titans. In Hades Zagreus follows this idea because despite being a god he can die, and after death will be reborn in the river Styx. The connection is also thematically relevant to the story of Hades since Zagreus must fail over and over again in attempting to confront his father and bring his mother back to the underworld with him. Only after repeated failure can his relationship with his family, and how he feels about himself, be reborn into something healthier. Zagreus also helps or witnesses many mortals being literally and figuratively reborn in the Underworld throughout the course of the game. For example, he finds Sisyphus in Tartarus, and sees that rather than fighting or resenting his punishment Sisyphus has learned to appreciate what brings him joy in life and have a jolly outlook despite the situation. The player through the gameplay is also forced to interact with this theme on a personal level because of its structure. Hades is a roguelike, a game genre based around singular playthroughs of the game being relatively short, but also being difficult and making you restart from the beginning when you die. Because of this as a player you too are improving through multiple failed attempts just like Zagreus is in the story. Additionally, in order to finish the game’s story you have to beat the game 10 times. By the time I was done with Hades I went from feeling awful at the game to confidently beating it every attempt which instilled a sense of personal growth that made Zagreus’ story of growth all the more believable. 

     Being able to face failure head on and grow from it is something that I’ve slowly gotten better at over my life. I used to be so terrified of failure that I could barely live my normal life while stressed, but now I think adapting around failure is one of my strongest traits. Greek mythology, and retellings of it, give me a venue to reflect on myself like few other stories can because of the universal human expression and emotion that underlies every element of the stories. Retellings of Greek mythology have the opportunity to be particularly powerful because they can use new ideas and techniques to enhance the messaging, and taking time to understand the original myths can make these new stories even more impactful.