Chase Dalcortivo, Period 7, 11/30/23

Chase Dalcortivo, Period 7, 11/30/23 

Modern Mythology

    Recently in Modern Mythology, we took time to analyze ways our lives have transformed. I was quick to write about my transition between middle school and high school and what changed during that time. I wasn’t able to completely capture fully what it was that transformed, so I wanted to write it in a narrative way which could better show my knowledge of my transfer:

    Throughout middle school, I was the cool kid, or so I thought in my mind. There was a reputation that I had to hold up to feel validated by myself. If people thought that I was a clown, all my time and energy would be spent trying to make them wrong. If people thought I was the coolest thing in the world, I would spend the longest trying to ensure I stood at the top of their minds. There was a toxic relationship between me and my image. The highs would last 5 seconds. Hitting the game winner in my gym class would be forgotten by the end of the period, while spilling milk on yourself would last weeks. My success quickly became my image's downfall.

    “The answer is 27!” I exclaimed from the back of the class.

    “Shut up nerd!” I heard from the table to the left of me. The person who said it was a close friend of mine that I tried my best to talk to every day.

    While I had been the only one who was able to solve the problem, and I should have spent some moments happy for my success, my image told me I was only to be ashamed for my quick answer. Somehow, being smart and doing what I loved, I quickly became shamed for it and had to pretend that wasn’t who I really was. This lasted all the way until the end of middle school. The end of middle school is truly what allowed me to transform into the person I am today. The chance to make new friends, make a new identity for myself, and erase whatever image I had. Even if people traveled with me to Staten Island Tech, I wouldn’t be afraid to showcase a new version of myself and improve the relationship of me and my image. I no longer had to pretend to be the cool person, because cool could change for me. Thankfully, the environment the school offered me allowed me to be myself, and being smart was actually seen as cool. On top of that, I could transform the idea of happiness for myself. I now was okay with being the clown in certain social situations, so long as it resulted in happiness for the people around me. I didn’t want anyone to feel the burden of being cool, and the best way to do that was to cast any burden of having to change to hang around me. I have truly started to accept people the way they are and make the best of all situations that I am put into. The change of environment and my realization of the horrid place I was in before truly allowed me to set myself free. Now, no matter where I am I understand that things don’t revolve around me as much as I previously thought. People are more worried about themselves than they are whatever it is I can be doing. Being satisfied with myself, and making that my image was the most important thing for me. Spending the time and effort to keep myself in people’s minds, when truly everyone should (and usually did) care more about themselves and getting better. This is not to say I didn’t interact with people around me and try to be cool, it is just to say that I cared less about their cool, and more about mine. Shouting out the answer to a hard question might bring out laughter to those around me, but I know it is best for me. My character has completely transformed and it is now other people that I try my best to champion and worry more about their own feelings and emotions. The burdens I had put on myself before had been lifted by a transformation of my thoughts of myself on the world around me. I now work my best to keep my image out of my own mind and better those around me. It is one of the best transformations in my life, and it has allowed me to become the beacon of joy I strive to be every day.

Menuka Dissanayake, Period 7, 12/1/23

Menuka Dissanayake

Period 7 

12/01/2023 

Modern Mythology 2024 

Danger of one story - Medusa/Stone Blind

    As George R.R. Martin said, "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one." Ever since I was little, I have been interested in reading fiction. The main reason is that when I read, I try to create the world of the story in my head. Places in the setting are not just imaginary; I build virtual representations of them. And characters are people. When they die or disappear, I would have a hard time accepting that. Throughout these experiences, I have come to develop my character by emulating the traits of my most endearing characters from the books. Without the aid of books written in English, I would not have been able to adapt to the United States culture as early as I did.

    As you could expect, I did try to recreate the world of Stone Blind, and even though I knew her ending, I grew to like Medusa as a person. While reading the book, I noticed that while the author maintained a consistent tone throughout, she unexpectedly gave her monologues about how much of a disappointment Perseus is. In the beginning, the story was likable and made me invested in the characters' growth. The story was historically accurate and gave a very clear story of what Haynes wanted to convey through her words. But after her monologues, the book lost all its novelty. Even before her open display of dislike for Perseus, I understood how she wanted the reader to view Perseus. However, after reading through her monologue, the book became another fan fiction I happened to read.

    Despite my growing dislike for this book, I learned many valuable lessons. Before this, I had read many books while only focusing on the journey and growth of the main character. While I paid some attention to the supporting characters, I did not invest time to understanding their motivations. Even though in this story, Medusa IS the main character, I understood that I should focus solely on the hero, but the people around him, maybe also his enemies. I plan to apply my knowledge to everyday life and be mindful of the people around me because they might be having the worst day of their lives in that instant.

Joey Liu, Period 6, 11/30/23

 Joey Liu

Period 6

11/30/23

One of the major driving factors behind the depletion of the equality of opportunity in education is economic status. Children from poorer families are unable to compete with the superior tutors and resources available to wealthier families as their time and energy are forced upon other responsibilities/needs. The child who is preoccupied with their starving parents is in a continuous struggle to find success in their journey through academia. In addition, the expansion of private and charter schools continue to segregate and push students apart with the coexistence of under-resourced schools and geographical distribution issues in government funding. Exams such as the SHSAT and SAT/ACT, standardized aptitude tests at face value available to all, supposedly measure college preparedness or competence in subjects such as reading. While the premise of these tests aren’t completely hogwash, one could argue that by replacing reading “competency” with socioeconomic status, a better correlation may just result. 

With everything stacked against someone, what do we tell kids, give up? “Work hard and someday you’ll achieve your dreams.” This is what children are told. This was what I was told. Even though my curious and intellectually vital nature has aided me in becoming one of the aspiring youngsters that have “made it” (in terms of passing a test), many others weren’t so lucky. In my own experience, there were many who were less unfortunate and didn’t quite make a cutoff to get into a school of their choice. They were hard workers. They were students who took initiative themselves and self studied when there wasn’t a parent offering them the chance to attend prep school. They were dreamers. I guess what I’m trying to say is that they had it in them. In hindsight, I realize that it is students like them who probably deserve that extra push or opportunity the most. I commend and revere pioneers such as Sal Khan (with Khan Academy) who help bridge the gaps for those who look to take that extra step but are unable to financially facilitate their pursuit of knowledge. Personally, I have strived to embody and carry on these values and dreams with my own pursuits outside of the classroom. From free tutoring sessions in physics and mathematics to musical lessons, I have developed a sense of fulfillment by helping students fill their potentials regardless of their economic background. By providing students with the education they need, I hope that one day they use this powerful weapon to change the world. 

Jason Chiu, Period 7, 11/29/2023

Literacy and Learning

As we have been reading Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes in class I recognize the importance of mythology as it has been taught in the classroom. Natalie Haynes takes the classic story of Perseus beheading Medusa and shows it from the perspective of many characters and all of their differing views on the situation. She also uses some of these characters as stand-ins for herself and her views. Through the words of her characters, she condemns the actions of Perseus and calls him a fool for embarking on the adventure to receive a gorgon’s head. Haynes points out the futility of the quest as its purpose may seem noble but once inspected further seems to be misguided. Perseus wants to defend his mother’s honor by preventing her from having to marry a king she does not want to marry but it is implied that this marriage would most likely be temporary as it is the result of sibling rivalry with one vain brother trying to make a pointless show of power over the other. If Perseus were to think more clearly and not act on his emotions, Medusa’s tragic end may have been able to be avoided. His cruel acts of trickery he engages in as he travels to learn more about the gorgons are bluntly expressed with Haynes invoking the reader to reflect on how they might have changed their opinions of Perseus after her explanation of events.

I’ve begun to notice I have similar revelations while looking through media and I also notice when writers employ similar methods to analyze different character archetypes in various forms of media. For example, I have been watching the show Invincible and reading the comic Watchmen, both of which take a look into the minds of the superhero characters they follow. They each serve as breakdowns of the archetype of a superhero and explore what would happen if morally unjust people were to take up the mantle of a hero like Superman. Rather than serving the public out of goodwill, there are ulterior motives present and the fear that these heroes need to be controlled in order for them to be safe to the public. This subversion of the typical superhero story is akin to the way Haynes views Perseus and Medusa in her story. While Perseus has been framed as being in the right by contemporary takes on the myth, notably the movie Clash of the Titans, Haynes’ less sympathetic view feels fresh and offers a female point of view from the perspective of Medusa on what is perceived to be a masculine story of triumph. 

One thing I would like to add before ending this blog is how Haynes’ story shows the importance myths have in the present day. Her use of a familiar myth as a way to tell her story with the themes of womanhood and what it means to be a mother exemplifies how these myths have been interpreted in different ways centuries after they were first told. This would also serve as a reason as to why these myths are still so popular today. Aside from the themes present in them, the reader's own interpretations can explain how these myths have persevered.

John Lee, Period 1, 11/28/2023

Modern Mythology 2024

John Lee, Period 1, Nov 28th 2023

Mythology Vs Modernity

During this unit in class, we are in the process of making a project based on the creation stories of certain cultures. These may include Greek, Norse, Egyptian mythology and more. As we go into our groups and learn about our specific creation myths, mine being the Egyptian creation myth, I find it endearing how all these cultures have a thread that binds them in similarity to one another. They all have hints of animism and they all attribute some sort of unique characteristics to each part of nature. Earthquakes for example, were attributed to the minotaur in the labyrinth under Crete throwing a raging fit. Another example, would be how the whole earth in norse mythology was created out of the dead body of a giant god. When looking at these creation myths, it makes one long for the mysticism of those days as it makes humanity seem like it has a place in the universe. These days as famous physicist neil degrasse tyson puts it, “God is an ever-receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller and smaller as time moves on.” One thing I did find very interesting through both my studies in and outside of class was the prevalence of a flood story in many creation myths. Although not a super insightful or deep analysis of mythology, I do find it very interesting the archaeological implications of something such as a massive flood that wiped out/affected many advanced civilizations.

The new information I learned has allowed me to somewhat unify humanity in my critical perception. In all mythological creation myths, whether it be gods or humans, everyone acts very similar and irrational. It allows the mind's eye to view people as if they were works of art on a canvas, i.e. they are all built upon a canvas but what they portray differs drastically. It allows a learner to perceive people differently as their shortcomings seem more predictable and forgivable. Additionally, clearly the knowledge learned in this class is invaluable as when we look at the creation myths, all gods have a desire to create and be together with something, a very simple truth that has been buried under the life of modern society. It allows one to confirm that they are normal and similar to their ancestors in that there is still a desire to be with other people in a society that is more detached and alienated than ever. This unit has shown me how connection to others has been lost over time and that there is a price to the independence of contemporary life which is basically the loss of humanity.

How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you? Talking to People and mysticising life, appreciation for the uniqueness of life, ownership.

I think this unit is very applicable to real life not just because of what the stories say but also what the stories imply about humanity. I think they are very insightful and I especially have been using the knowledge learned in the class to enrich my interpersonal relationships. After the creation myths and the analysis of Stone Blind we do in class, it is clear that despite what it may seem, people love themselves more than anyone else on the planet. This simple truth has allowed me to carry conversations with new people a lot more as I am able to steer the conversation to have strangers talk more and more. To be quite honest, I think they enjoy talking to me more because of it. In addition I think this unit has allowed me to be sympathetic and take responsibility for helping others. As I have said before, the loneliness of the gods helped put into perspective the loneliness of life in modern times. As I read about the creation stories and such, I feel like the humans who wrote it may have enjoyed some pleasures in life that are completely absent in today's life. (At least the gods had a support network and a purpose). By no means am I saying life isn't good in modern times as we enjoy many things but what I will say is that I feel that life back in the times of mythology was harder on the body yet a little easier on the soul. This absence of soul today and the connection of the god to individuals makes one realize that they themselves can have a profound effect on the lives of others. After the pandemic, I took a more cynical approach to life, but after reading about the gods just creating stuff (out of what I like to think was boredom and loneliness) I felt as if I couldn't just blame society anymore and instead blame individuals such as myself for not taking the responsibility to create deeper connections to those who need them most. In essence, the lessons learned in this class has allowed me an excuse to break out of the cynicism I held onto for so long.

Vincent Chen, Period 7, 11/28/2023

Vincent Chen

Period 7

11/28/23

Modern Mythology 2023

Socio-political Consciousness

       They say that there are two sides to a coin, always two sides to a story, a conflict, a topic. But that’s inaccurate. There are in fact, and scientifically proven possible, three sides to a coin, the head, the tail, and the edge. In fact, the probability of landing on the edge for an American nickel is 1 out 6,000*. Yet we tend to ignore that possibility. 

       We tend to designate ourselves to a side. In doing so, we also designated that the other side is in the wrong, supporting only the extremes. Much like how we only recognize the two sides of a coin, while disregarding the edge. Put into literary terms, we are prone to committing a logical fallacy, false dilemma. Take the political party system in the US as an example. Within the US there are only two political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans. Each side is in extreme support of their party while pushing the agenda that the other side is detrimental to the well-being of the country. As such, we the people tend to be caught within their mudslinging, and deviate to one side, all while being blind to the edge. As such, our country lacks a viable third party, because of our tendency to choose only heads or tails, while being convinced that the other side is completely antithetical, thus refusing to compromise, halting and harming the very country that they wished to advance. They seemed to have forgotten the raison d'être of the political parties — to serve the country. Instead they started focusing on impeding the other side. 

        Perhaps one of the most prominent form of our tendency for extreme partiality comes in the form of the responses to the Israel–Hamas war. The recent conflict has divided the country in two, again. The pro-Israel side has argued that the attack on the Israeli people initiated by Hamas has led to the war. Israel was only acting in self-defense. Meanwhile the pro-Palestine group has argued that Hamas only attacked due to the buildup of resentment of Israel accumulated over decades of suppression of resources. Moreover, the retaliation of Israel, the airstrikes on hospitals and schools made Israel to be the one in the wrong. 

       The people took on two sides, for Israel and against Palestine, or for Palestine and against Israel. Those that supported Palestine were given monikers such as “anti semitic”, and “jew hating”. Those supporting Israel were called “supporters of murders” and “War criminals”. Throughout all this divide, the elites and the leaders seemed to push for even more divide and unrest. Recently, multiple headlines have been made as billionaire “philanthropists” and donors have halted donations to universities where the students had made a stand against Israel. Utilizing resources as leverage, these “philantropists” looked to silence the opposition while promoting their views. As Israel is the US’s door to the middle east, the elites backed Israel, not just because of their personal views or backgrounds, but also for the interest of their businesses. These “philantrophics” influenced the universities to put out statements in extreme support of Israel, to the point of belittling Palestinian people. These actions then created strife within the student body and those that oppose the statements. The protests and retaliations in response of the view became truly anti-semetic. Incidences of religious slurs were exchanged within campuses towards Jewsish students, and they all seemed to have forgotten the real reason why they had opposed the support for Israel in the first place, their wish for peace and end of bloodshed. Instead both sides have now focused all their powers on opposing the other. Just like the two political parties in the US. 

        Perhaps this dilemma comes from the lack of knowledge regarding the history of the topic. As I surveyed many of my friends and scoured the internet, through the rabbit holes known as reddit discussion forums, I have found that many have no real understanding of the recent conflict, and instead, designating themselves to a side based on the media they consumed. The conflict between Jews and Muslims have roots going back centuries. The persecution of Jews had left the Jewish people seeking asylum worldwide, without a true country to call home. Only after the end of World War two was Israel established with the help of the US. But in doing so, Palestine was affected, they were driven out of their home country to allow Israel to be established. Israel’s fear of being persecuted again led to the oppression of Palestine, which bred hatred, leading to the formation of Hamas, a terrorist group. Many group Hamas as the same as Palestine, however, Hamas does not represent Palestine, they are a terrorist group made of Palestinians. Yet because of this, the innocents in Palestine were accused and targeted. 

         It seems that we have diverged from what we should really stand for. We have diverged from standing for peace, for collaboration, to lashing out at the opposite group, convincing ourselves that only one side is right and the other wrong. Perhaps the writer Kate Mosse describes it the best in her book Citadel, ““There's no black and no white, just shades of grey.” Yet we tend to assign one side as black and the other as white without considering the shades of grey. 

         Instead of standing united against war and bloodshed, we stand divided, promoting more destruction and war without realizing it. We forget that there’s a third side of the coin. We forget about the shades of grey. We have forgotten our fundamental ideals, which is to stop inhumane acts, wars, and violence. But we can always relearn those ideals. To realize that you can support the innocents in Palestine without libelling the Jewish population, you can support Israel without dehumanizing Palestinians. We can take both sides into account, and stand against war and voilence instead of picking only one side and opposing the other. And that is what many have failed to realize throughout the years. But it can be realized if we stop and look from the third side of the coin. And I hope we do. 

Sources: 

*Wikipedia Coin Flipping

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coin_flipping 

Selina Chen, Period 7, 11/27/2023

Selina Chen

Modern Mythology, Period 7, 11/27/23

Literacy & Learning

     On October 17, we had our lesson on Natalie Haynes’ exploration of women empowerment through her storytelling, and more specifically, through the story of Metis and Zeus. In Bibliotheca by Pseudo-Apollodorus, in [1.3.6], the events that occurred during and after the rape of Metis by Zeus revealed a distressing pattern of mistreatment and victimization of women in ancient Greek mythology. Metis, despite transforming into various forms to evade Zeus's advances, ultimately faced a tragic fate, swallowed whole along with her unborn child due to a prophetic fear of the child taking over his crown. Metis, a symbol of intelligence and cunning, became a victim of male dominance.

      Another instance of this in Greek Mythology is the rape of Medusa which was much overlooked in the myths. I remember our first discussion in class regarding Medusa and our original thoughts surrounding her and her story. Almost everyone portrayed her as the scary evil woman who had snakes for hair. Although I’ve read various works of Greek Mythology, I didn’t know the full story as well. Medusa was made out to be the one in the wrong who was rightfully punished, but she was really the unfortunate victim of the gods. The transformation of her beautiful locks into snakes and the petrifying gaze were inflicted upon her as a result of her violation by Poseidon in Athena's temple. In Ancient Greek culture, when a woman was raped, the laws mostly addressed the punishments that the husband would be able to issue to the rapist, but almost nothing for the victim. The stories of Metis and Medusa depict women as victims of male dominance and power, mirroring societal attitudes that have persisted through the ages. Both narratives showcase the pervasive tendency to blame and punish women rather than holding the male figures accountable for their actions.

     I would like to say we have progressed as a society but this would be a blatant lie. However, it is not to say that we have not tried. As we transition from myth to reality, a disconcerting parallel unfolds. In my history class, I learned that in 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision in Roe v. Wade marked a crucial milestone for women's rights by legalizing abortion within the first two months of pregnancy. This may seem unrelated to the subject at hand, but it goes hand in hand. Before this legalization, rape victims were forced endure it, carry out the child to full term, and raise it for the rest of their lives, serving as a constant reminder of what happened. This decision was a giant leap toward granting women agency over their bodies and reproductive choices. Yet, over five decades later, in June 2022, the overturning of Roe v. Wade sends shockwaves through the progress made, echoing the cyclical nature of women's struggles seen in mythological narratives.

      This issue's reversal extended far beyond the legalities, instilling fear in women all around the world as they would be forced to grapple with the idea of being forced to carry an unwanted child. This decision, in nature, meant that a woman who received an abortion would receive the same criminal consequences as one who strangled her born baby. Pregnant woman who were raped could not receive abortions and doctors who perform it would be punished legally as well. To further complicate this, abortions are denied even in instances where medical professionals recommend it because the birth would be life threatening. Even in the voting of the overturning of Roe V Wade, there were males voting against this, although it is not their place to do so. They are not the ones who must live the rest of their lives with this decision and reminder of their disgusting act. Now, women are encouraged by one another to speak out about their assaulters, in the #MeToo movement, but even then, they are called attention seekers and people who are trying to ruin the lives of others.

     It is important to recognize the connection between Greek mythology and modern realities. The myths of Metis and Medusa, echo in today's struggles, especially in areas like sexual assault and reproductive rights. This pattern highlights deep-rooted biases that persist through time. Reflecting on these myths show not only the universality of these issues but also the urgency for change. The stories of Greek mythology, rather than fading into the past, remain reflections of our shared consciousness, compelling us to address and challenge injustices that have persisted through the centuries.

Raymond Chen, Period 1, 11/9/24

Blog #2 

Raymond Chen

11/20/2023

Research

While in class, I pondered if Greek Mythology was still relevant during the modern period. The lesson that sparked my interest in this question was Lesson #23 when the question asked was about the perspective of Greek Mythology during the different periods. I would research the relevance of Greek Mythology and to my surprise, it is still quite relevant. It seems that the moment we pay attention to how Greek Mythology influenced our modern life, we can see it everywhere. 

To my surprise, as I was conducting my research, I found out many of the name brands derived from Greek Mythology. Some brands like Dove, Pandora, and Nike are everyday brands you'll see but at the same time connected to Gods from Greek mythology. The dove is a symbol of Aphrodite who was the Goddess of beauty Dove is a beauty company. Pandora represented the first mortal woman in Greek mythology meaning all-gift and Pandora specialised in jewellery to give to others. Nike was named after the Goddess of Victory. Not only did they influence the name of brands but also the logos. Versace’s logo embodied Medusa. The medical logo is represented with Serpents and staff to symbolize the Ancient Greek Doctor Asclepius. 

Not only did they appear in Logos on brands or the names but also in modern works. With books like Percy Jackson, and movies like Hercules and Thor, Greek mythology is present everywhere. Percy Jackson is about a Demi-god Percy who was the son of Posideon and at the same time the son of a mortal woman. Hercules is about him being stripped of his immortality and how he must become a hero to reclaim it and Thor is not exactly about Greek mythology but is related as a scene of him does have him ask for help for Zeus but is rejected. 

The language we speak today is also heavily influenced by Greek Mythology. There is an estimation of more than 150,000 words which were derived from Greek words. Some words were Chaos, Music, Ocean, and Hypnosis. 

So to answer the question of whether Greek Mythology is still relevant in the modern world, I would answer yes. No matter what we look at and where we go we will always happen to find something related to the Greeks. Heck even the food many of us eat for breakfast, cereal derives from the God of grain, Ceres. So overall, Greek mythology is indeed still very relevant to this day.

Kevin Chen, Period 7, 11/16/23

Kevin Chen,  Pd.7
11/16/2023
Modern Mythology 2024
Blog #2 Revised

Parallels Between Greek Mythology and Genshin Impact

    Greek gods having a sense of humanity to them is a topic that has been brought up in class many times so far in the Greek mythology unit. Like recently discussed in class, the gods are flawed in a human way, and that makes their judgment prone to bias. Between the readings of Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes and Mythology by Edith Hamilton, the Greek gods are presented as having their decisions driven by emotion, much like humans, but often on a more amplified scale compared to average people.

    The gods display traits akin to the 7 deadly sins, like lust and envy. Lust is displayed in the story of Hephaetsus’ unwanted advances towards Athena. After being turned down, he gives into his desires and sexually assaults her. Jealousy is found in the continuous conflict between Zeus and Hera. Zeus knowingly assaulted many women, cheating on Hera. Hera, in her dismay, proceeds to punish each and every woman Zeus cheats on her with rather than Zeus himself. In the story of Demeter and Persephone, she is very protective of her daughter, and thus is furious when Hades kidnaps her. Demeter in her rage lets the entire Earth become infertile, punishing everyone for her own grief.

    Genshin Impact has been called “China’s largest cultural export”. I like to refer to its worldbuilding as “artificial mythology”-- lore crafted together in a way that resembles real life mythologies. In its world, gods were ordinary beings that were granted a small fragment of elemental power, and then ascended to godhood through various means. Even though they’re not human, they take the form of one, and bear flaws and emotions like people do.

    One god in particular comes to mind in terms of gods with flaws. She has many names, but I refer to her as Ei. In the 500 years leading up to the game’s current events, her closest friends were lost one by one in combat. Unable to bear the loss, she resorts to locking herself in a sub-dimension, and proceeds to pursue the concept of “eternity”, fearing that progress or change will lead to loss. As part of this, she shuts her nation from the outside world, under the belief that if the nation is stagnant forever in an isolated bubble, nobody else will experience loss the way she did. Additionally, she confiscates all the visions in the country. Visions are conduits for elemental abilities granted by higher powers, and a proof of one’s aspirations. The people of the country are forced into unfulfilling and mundane unchanging lives, unable to explore, create, or progress technologically.

    The remaining gods in the game are also guilty in a way of this flawed judgment. Morax, god of Liyue, elects to leave the governing of his nation in the hands of people, rather than himself. When disaster hits the nation, it is in a large part to the player character that the issue is resolved. His choice to give his people self governance can also be read as abandonment. Similarly, in the nation of Mondstadt, its god Venti is often found in the form of a broke, drunk, and unassuming bard. As the god embodying freedom, he chose to leave his nation alone for many centuries. To the citizens, it's the same as abandoning them. His friend- a dragon named Dvalin, became angry at his absence, and this is the root of the game’s main story prologue.

    Lastly, Ei once created a puppet, but cast it aside since it was unable to serve as a vessel for her powers. The puppet, taking on the name Scaramouche, journeyed around without purpose, and bonded with a few humans, but each time they died, leaving him behind. Scaramouche, as a puppet, doesn’t understand the fragility of human lives, and considers them to have abandoned him, like his “mother” did. Ei believes letting him find his own path was the better choice. Scaramouche believes that he was meant to become a god himself by inheriting Ei’s power. He commits many atrocities in pursuit of godhood, including starting wars. Eventually he finds himself with the corrupt officials in Sumeru, a nation that sealed away its own god. The corrupt officials accept Scaramouche as their new god. In order to give him the “wisdom of a god”, they proceed to send the city into a coma/dream state, and harvest their knowledge. In the lore, there are people who’ve come into contact with “forbidden knowledge”, an unknown power that drives people insane. The officials commit atrocities to harvest this knowledge, and feed it into Scaramouche. The process would have killed nearly everyone, if the player character hadn’t saved them.

    The way I see it, video game stories when written well are a form of literature. It’s eye-opening to see just how many parallels can be drawn between Genshin and Greek Mythology, and also gives insight into the inspiration and research the writers of the game did. Being able to use a new lens on the lore of the game is very interesting, and also gives me the opportunity to use parallels to predict the future of the game’s story- something the Genshin community has been obsessed with from day 1.

Ray Chen, Pd 7, 11/15/2023

Modern Mythology 2024

Ray Chen, Pd 7, 11/15/23

    Creation myths are important cultural tales that explain the universe's origins. The

research looks into recurring themes, symbols, and their effect on cultural identity and beliefs.

Comparative analysis shows common human experiences and adaptations over time,

influencing beliefs and practices.

    Common themes found in creation stories from different cultures include the rise of

chaos and the presence of powerful beings, which provide insight into issues that humans

share. A brief comparative analysis of a few chosen myths reveals parallels as well as

differences emphasizing common cultural themes. Common symbols, including divine

intervention and primordial chaos, act as a unifying factor, revealing the deep connections

between diverse cultural narratives and the human mind as a whole.

     Myths are crucial in shaping the cultural identity of a society as they provide foundational

narratives that define its origins, beliefs, and values. These stories contribute to a shared sense

of identity and continuity between past, present, and future generations and influence societal

norms. They add to the establishment of ethical guidelines, influencing one's behavior and

interactions within society. Hesiod’s Theogony plays an important role in shaping Greek culture

by providing a narrative of the origins of the cosmos and the hierarchy of the gods. The myth

themes include cosmic order, the struggle for power, etc which cause them to view authority

differently. In Enuma Elish. A Mesopotamian creation myth it also contributes to cultural identity

as it also portrays a struggle for power between gods which influences their culture by causing

them to value order and the authority of rulers. In Hinduism, The Rigveda’s creation myth

shapes cultural identity as it's about Brahman the supreme god, Atman which is his soul and the

source of the soul in each living creature. It also, talks about cyclical creation which basically

just karma, and the deeds people perform will influence what one faces in the future. This myth

is very important in Hindu culture and influences societal norms by promoting concepts such as

dharma and karma which contribute heavily to the ethics of the people in Hindu society.

    Creation myths are very important in shaping cultural identity by defining a society’s

origins and values. The different narratives in every culture provide a sense of continuity across

generations as parents would tell their children these stories and their children will tell their

children about it continuing on. By studying creation myths we can appreciate the various

cultures and stories and how they shape different societies.

Ayad Alghaithi, Period 7, 11/9/2023

Modern Mythology 2024 

Ayad Alghaithi

Period 7

11/09/2023

Love can be expressed in many different ways. I used to think of love as only caring and spending time with someone, but it is a lot more than that. Everyone has a different definition of how they perceive love. Love is blind. Loving is commitment. Love is a battlefield. It is a dynamic feeling that can be felt by everyone whether its good or bad. 

Love is always one of the main themes in mythology, and in any story. In the tales “Cupid and Psyche”, and “Orpheus and Eurydice” their love for each other is tested and in the end, without trust, there can never be any love. Like the phrase “love is blind”, truly loving someone requires you to openly trust them. Trusting someone means you need to be “blind” to some things and put your faith in them, rather than letting your curiosity take over. 

Not only in stories, love is everywhere. The most important thing everyone in love requires is trust. Trust is the pillar of all relationships, without trust, conflicts will build up. If instead, you have your “walls” up, it is impossible to love and build any type of relationship with anyone because it prevents or breaks any type of connection. Being able to let your guard down and be vulnerable with your loved one allows for you to connect with each other. It helps loved ones understand you better and have a deeper connection, like emotional intimacy. 

Love is a battlefield. Trusting your partner ensures that you are always on the same side, instead of fighting each other, your relationship should be fighting everything together. Throughout my years in high school, I have learned that love always has ups and downs, but true love is showing what you are willing to do for someone. Love is not always easy, like in mythology, there are different types of love from family love, to romantic love. All of these show different journeys and levels of commitment that they are willing to take for someone they love. 

In the grand scheme of life, love isn’t just a simple feeling that you get in your chest, it is much more complex. Love has many different aspects such as trust, vulnerability and commitment. The understanding of love through mythological stories and gaining a new perception of love will help shape my approach to relationships. Helping me truly appreciate the connections we have with other people. 

In class group effort about our understanding of love:

Morgan Lee, Period 1, 11/27/2023

 Morgan Lee, Period 1, 11/16/2023, Modern Mythology 2024

Literacy & Learning

In this blog I would like to discuss the creation of mankind, as was told in Greek Mythology. As a recap, this is how the Greeks believed mankind was created: After the Gods overthrew the Titans and cleared the world of monsters, they delegated the task of inhabiting the world with creatures to Prometheus and his brother Epimetheus. Epimetheus (whose name means afterthought) impulsively gave all the best gifts, such as shells, wings, speed, strength to the animals, leaving nothing for man that could help them survive. Prometheus (whose name means forethought), made up for this by making humans walk upright, more similar to the gods, and used the sun to light a torch, and then brought fire down to the humans. This allowed mankind to thrive, using the fire as protection and also as a way to make crafts. At the time, called the “Golden Age,” there were no women. To further help humans, Prometheus tricked Zeus into picking the fatty part of the meat over the good, edible, parts of the animal. Thus leaving the humans with the best parts of an animal to consume, while only having to burn the fatty parts as offerings. It was because of Zeus’s rage that women were created, he used them as a way to punish mankind. He created Pandora and gave her a jar, and bid the other gods to put something harmful in it. Zeus forbade her to open it. Eventually, curiosity got the better of her and she opened it, releasing all the evil into the world.




While I have heard of this myth as a child, and have rediscovered it multiple times as I was growing up, it was only now, when I could look at it through a more analytical lens, as opposed to just reading mythology for entertainment, that I realized that this myth is still relevant in today’s day and age. Essentially, the story pits Pandora (and all women) as the sole reason why mankind has to suffer. If women didn’t come along, then man would still be thriving, living a life without hardships and sorrow, where they would never have to worry about having food or being attacked. While this exact belief would be rare to find in today’s day and age, other, similar beliefs are much more prevalent in society presently. Our society is a patriarchal one, where women have to struggle more compared to men, even though they are just trying to live. This struggle is so inherent and deep rooted in our society that inequalities are often overlooked due to them being so normalized. Even people who are actively trying to fight for women's rights, can sometimes act misogynistically without even realizing it, because of how it is ingrained in our upbringing. Myths such as the Pandora myth can help us become more self-aware.

Even though it is unfortunate, the fact that myths are still so relevant presently, despite being written/told centuries ago speaks to why the study of them is still important. When people think of mythology, typically they just think that they are childish stories, and they brush them off. However, the reason that these myths still survive to this day is because of the fact that they are so relatable and applicable to us. Reading, analyzing, and studying these myths can help reveal truths about ourselves and the world around us, especially ones that maybe we haven’t realized yet. The myth of Pandora is just one of the most obvious examples of this. These myths can allow us to better understand ourselves, personally and societally, and can help us make changes that can reduce the faults in our society. Myths are an especially powerful tool and I hope that more people can appreciate them, and apply what they learn from these myths into their everyday lives.

Hao Chen, Period 7, 10/14/2023

Hao Chen

Period 7 

11/14/2023

Modern Mythology 2024 

Research Paper

Recently in class we discussed the idea of the evolution of heroes from Greek mythology to contemporary times and what is the difference between them. Such as that Greek heroes are born special( child of gods or kings), suffer physical damage,  are noble characters with a fatal flaw that will end their life, and much more. Whereas in current times the hero is most likely to be born from a humble background, is usually noble with little to no flaw, and suffers mostly from psychological damage. 

For example, let's compare two famous heroes, one from Greek mythology, Odysseus from the Odyssey, and a superhero from the current times, Spiderman from Spiderman. Odysseus has two backgrounds, one that is not known by most is that he is the great grandson of Hermes and one that is known by most people which is that he is the king of Ithaca. He suffered from a lot of physical damage from the way it took him to go home, and he has a fatal flaw of hubris over his intelligence. Although in the poem he didn’t die from the flaw his crew member suffered instead as he is the only to return from the journey. Now when we turn back to Spiderman, he is a normal student from a normal family until he was bitten by the spider which gave him the super power. He suffered a lot of psychological damage from the death of his uncle Ben knowing that he could have said his uncle if he stopped the criminal. Due to the death of his uncle he developed a sort of noble characteristic and followed the code of greater power equal to greater responsibility. 

These changes occur because as we discussed in class in the times of Greek the ruling class want to display themself as these divine people appointed by gods to rule over them and they are qualified because they have completed these impossible tasks as a display of their power. They also wanted to put ideas into the common people that even these divine heroes died for their kingdom in wars and so the common people should do the same. Now the idea of a hero is more toward the entertainment side with movies, comics, cartoons, and much more. They are more so there to set a moral standard for people to follow and show the good qualities appreciated by society especially for children. That is why most of the heroes come from humble background ;to show to the people that they can do the same even with the humble background. 

As we progress through the Greek unit and in the future the Norse unit we are going to encounter more of these ancient heroes. From these ancient heroes we can identify more differences and even similarities between them and contemporary heroes. We can even spot the differences between the Greek heroes and the Norse heroes due to the changes in location and culture between these two different civilizations. Together we can understand how these myths, folklores, fantasies, fairy tales and legends depicting heroes let us understand the culture from the civilization it came from. 

Sources 

1 Heros teacher’s resources 

https://www.cam.ac.uk/system/files/heroes_teacher_resources_.pdf

2 Forgeard, Author Valerie. “Traits of Modern-Day Heroes: Beyond Superpowers and Capes.” Brilliantio, 29 Sept. 2023, brilliantio.com/what-defines-a-hero-in-modern-society/. 

3 Tolentino, Cierra. “Odysseus: Greek Hero of the Odyssey.” History Cooperative, 15 Aug. 2023, historycooperative.org/odysseus-greek-hero-of-the-odyssey/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20unlike%20many%20Greek,a%20famous%20trickster%20and%20thief. 

Charles Gian, Period 1, 11/14/23

Charles Gian
Period 1
11/14/2023
Modern Mythology 2024

Socio-political Consciousness: Chat GPT

Is The Terminator saga less of a sci-fi film and more of a reality show? In the future, will Skynet and robots that are practically impervious to damage as well as infinitely knowledgeable exist? Maybe.

Of course, certain things from the film are likely to never exist, like the shapeshifting metal in Terminator 2 or time travel in The Terminator. However, I believe in the next 5 years, we will have most of the technology shown in the film. Facial recognition and information on every single person? Very plausible. China already has facial recognition, as well as social score. AI that can carry out a specific task using a replica of the human body? Well, we've already built the physical AI robots. One massive company over the production of these robots?

Definitely.

Chat GPT, and AI as a whole, has made a scarily fast progression. In much less than 2 years, we already have AI tools which can create essays for us, solve our math problems, give us illegal information and recipes, chat to us as our therapist or as a friend, create art and images either abstract or very similar to human work, create ultra-realistic portraits, and even stitch on faces to videos with it looking practically seamless. There are hiccups, and all of their functions are not absolutely perfect to our human eyes. However, if AI has come this far, imagine what it could do in the next year, or the next 5 years. We already have experts who warn that AI will lead to human extinction, and say combatting this, “... should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.” In modern culture, we acknowledge these risks, but we don’t actually believe in them. We joke Ai will be our overlords, and that we must start posting praising messages about AI so they don’t murder us when they do become sentient and look through our chat or post logs. We jokingly dream about what the world would be like with sentient robots patrolling our neighborhoods, with our AI leaders keeping a close eye on us, reminiscent of 1984 but with a robot Big Brother.

If AI continues advancing how it has been, we could easily see worldwide shortages of human jobs, being replaced by the AI counterparts. You would no longer need to pay money for a therapist, but there would be many AI therapists free online you could talk to, with the payment being your data. An underground search engine that allows you to use the infinite expanse of knowledge of AI to search up anything you ever wanted to, illegal or not. Unless extreme action is taken immediately about AI to remove it completely, I believe it will be here to stay and it will shift the world dramatically, more for bad than for good. We must take some kind of action to prevent AI from spiraling out of control, and allowing bad actors to exploit it, and to stop AI from becoming the bad actors themselves. There must be some guidelines, restrictions, or way we can leash AI. If we don’t, according to the experts, it could cause the end of society. Elon Musk, the ChatGPT Founder, Google DeepMind CEO, and countless other important and noble figures acknowledge this, and it’s not a coincidence. With all of this said, there remains only one more question.

Are you ready to bow down to our future overlords?

Bibliography

Darcy, O. (2023, May 31). Experts are warning ai could lead to human extinction. are we taking it seriously enough? | CNN business. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/30/media/artificial-intelligence-warning-reliable-sources/index.html

Statement on AI Risk: Cais. Statement on AI Risk | CAIS. (n.d.). https://www.safe.ai/statement-on-ai-risk#signatories

Chloe Chen, Period 6, 11/13/2023

Chloe Chen 

Modern Mythology 2024 

Period 6

11/13/2023

Research Paper

Love is a universal feeling and a language that has no limits or barriers. Most people dedicate their entire lives to finding and experiencing it. Although love may seem like just a pounding heart, scientists have researched the chemistry and biology behind it. So what exactly is love?

According to Dr. Helen Fisher from The Science behind Lust, Attraction, and Companionship1, the three components of love are lust, attachment, and attraction. Lust, driven by hormones like testosterone and estrogen, is based on the human need to reproduce offspring. Attachment, through hormones like oxytocin and vasopressin, creates a feeling of bonding and comfort. Attraction is an increased level of dopamine and norepinephrine hormones that the reward center of the brain fires off. Love, with these three components, is like a chemical reaction inside our bodies. Love is similar to a drug; when these hormones are taken too far, people become addicted to the temporary 'high' feelings. However, love is more complicated than just a few simple hormones firing off because these feelings will fade, leaving people craving more and unable to survive without them.

As the highs begin to fade, people start using their five senses (touch, sight, smell, taste, hearing) as a guide for a desirable relationship. Dr. Philip Stieg from The Science Behind falling in love2 states that touch fuels oxytocins and can evoke pleasure or disgust. Sight creates the initial spark and fixation on a love interest, playing a vital role in triggering feelings of lust. He notes that smelling pheromones signals the brain when someone could be a potential love interest. Taste, influenced by sugary treats, increases the chances of desiring a relationship, as the sugary high becomes associated with that person. Hearing specific phrases or sharing similar music tastes can stir romantic feelings and form a verbal connection between two individuals. From what I learned, when feelings deepen and emotions settle down, people begin observing traits of their partners that make them want to stay together. Love is not solely about the good qualities but also about accepting their less-than-perfect traits.

Throughout all the Greek stories we read, the idea of love is involved in most of them. Persephone and Demeter represent maternal love, while Cupid and Psyche represent romantic love. However, in many stories, there is a fine line between love and power. Did Poseidon love Amphitrite, or was he obsessed with the power he had over her? Did Hera love Zeus or the power he had? According to research, most of the idea of 'love' in Greek mythology isn’t really love in modern standards. The Gods falling in love with mortals was simply lust and power. The mortal girls were not necessarily attracted or attached to the immortal gods; they were forced into 'loving' them because they didn’t have the power to refuse. Perhaps knowing the death that will soon arrive from mortals, the gods quickly abandon humans to prevent themselves from feeling hurt. Perhaps the gods view humans as disposable creatures. Whatever the reason is, many “love stories” were not love but a play on power. 

Like Harvard professor Richard Schwart stated in Harvard Gazette3, “I think we know a lot more scientifically about love and the brain than we did a couple of decades ago … But do we think that makes us better at love, or helping people with love? Probably not much.” With the advancements in technology, our perception of love is easily influenced by others. It becomes easier to compare personal relationships with others and the pressure of being the perfect partner can force two people apart. So despite being a scientist of love, I am not better at it than anyone without this knowledge. 

Sources: 

1. Wu, Katherine. “Love, Actually: The Science behind Lust, Attraction, and Companionship.” Science in the News, 19 June 2020, sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/love-actually-science-behind-lust-attraction-companionship/. 

2. Wirchin , Jason. “Your Brain and Five Senses: The Science behind Falling in Love.” NewYork-Presbyterian, 12 Feb. 2022, healthmatters.nyp.org/the-science-behind-love-how-your-brain-and-five-senses-help-you-fall-in-love/. 

3. Powell, Alvin. “Scientists Find a Few Surprises in Their Study of Love.” Harvard Gazette, 9 Nov. 2023, news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/02/scientists-find-a-few-surprises-in-their-study-of-love/. 

Ethan Cadotte, Period 7, 11/13/2023

Ethan Cadotte, Period 7, 11/13/2023

Modern Mythology 2024

Inequity by definition is the lack of fairness or justice, which is prevalent in American society today, it can be seen directed at almost everyone in American society in some shape or form. No matter who you are, there is usually some sort of bias placed on your people, whether it be about race, religion, sex, beliefs, etc. Thankfully, I have personally never been seriously judged on any of these bases to the point where I would feel offended or endangered, but I see all over the news people being attacked and all over social media people being put down for any sort of reason. Seeing these events happen has opened my eyes to some of the injustices that occur in America, but also all across the world. 

One primary basis of discrimination I have seen to be the most prevalent is race. Throughout some of the more recent years, there have been many occurrences of racial discrimination, whether it be in violent acts or something as simple as a comment on an instagram post. Some of the bigger things I have noticed was the Black Lives Matter movement, attacks on asian people, and more recently, the protests against Jewish people. These events are terrible, and nobody should feel that they are less than or could be harmed at any moment because of the color of their skin or the way they look. The one that scared me the most was the random attacks on asian people, as I myself am half Chinese. When I saw news of these attacks on the streets, I was too afraid to go outside or take the subway during the night for fear that a random person would run up behind me and hit me in the back of the head with a hammer. One that I felt more second handedly was the protests against the Jewish in their position of Palestine, as I have some Jewish friends who themselves were protesting for their rights as American citizens. They were being targeted in protests because of the events that were happening in Israel, whereas they had absolutely nothing to do with what was happening in a land thousands of miles away. Seeing these acts of discrimination has taught me to be socially aware of events and how they may be affecting people around me.

Another basis of discrimination is sex, being a part of the LGBTQ community is bound to make you receive some sort of criticism somewhere in America. I don’t often see people discriminated against for being bisexual or transgender around me, however I do see it very prevalent on social media in the comments of posts. Many call members of this community several derogatory terms that can affect someone’s mental state. This basis of discrimination comes from deep roots in history where people considered anti LGBTQ to be the way things are. In recent history, there have been many hate crimes against this group of people, many of them violent. This caused many people to hide the fact they are who they are, and it is also part of the reason that some people choose to hide that they want to be a part of this community. It feels wrong to belittle people just because they choose to be a slightly different version of everyone else. The difference is so small that you might not even be able to tell that someone associates themselves with this community unless they told you directly. I personally have had no idea that family or friends have been apart of this community until they told me that they were. Hopefully things will get better in the future between this community and whoever may disagree with their beliefs.

As for my personal beliefs, I believe that people shouldn’t be afraid of being who they are, whether it means having a certain skin color or identifying as something that others may disagree with. I believe that everyone should have equal rights in this country and all over the world, but unfortunately sometimes the views of others prevent that. Many problems of discrimination root from the way we were brought up, whether that be experiencing a traumatic event that we could tie to a group of people, or just being taught that something is good or bad, it roots from our preconceived notions that some of us grow out of. When we don’t though, it creates violence among our people. I hope that someday, the differences between people is not what separates them, but what connects them.