10/17/19 Kayla Ma Period 8

10/17/19 Kayla Ma #18 Modern Mythology 2020 Period 8

Aim:  How can we explicate the flower myths to derive morals?

For the past few weeks in class, we started the book Mythology by Edith Hamilton in which it illustrates a variety of greek myths that were meant to explain the events happening around them (as Hamilton states, “the unexplainable”). In Greek mythology, most stories connects to humanity itself as well as how it revolves around the central idea of balance. 

Today in class, we continued our discussion on the connection of greek mythology to humanity:

1. Pandora- what can we understand about humanity from Pandora’s story?

Pandora’s story: Zeus gave Pandora a gift as a wedding present and told her not to open the box. Due to Pandora’s unchecked curiosity, she opened the box, releasing all the evils into the world and in the box left hope. 

The class discussed that what we can understand about humanity from Pandora’s story is that:

• Curiosity- evil as well as hope
• Idea of false hope in which it can bring pain and misery (a classmate contradicted this idea by stating that “if there wasn’t hope in the first place then there wouldn’t be the pain or misery)
• Duality of despair and hope- both sides of human
• Connection between Pandora’s story and Eve and Adam’s story from the Bible 
• Pandora- first woman- original sin of humanity 
• Connection to the present- discrimination towards women, subservient (inferiority); women are stuck in the roles of a caretaker until technological advancement and the opennness of education that allows women to be “formal”
• Blaming women for the problems- women as the root of all evils 

In the discussion, Ms. Fusaro explains:

• The reason for why women were to be inferior or subservient is because of maternity, women’s power to give birth. Because there is no legitimate way to determine paternity, a culture of virginity is created that fix women’s into the roles they have as the “caretaker”/ The creation of these myths was for the purpose of dissuading curiosity.

2. What lesson should be explicated about the “sins of the parents” from the tale of Cronus and Rhea?

Tale of Cronus and Rhea: Cronus ate all his sons when they are born in an attempt to prevent the prophecy, told by Gaia and Uranus, that Cronus is destined to be overthrown by his sons. When it came to her last son, Rhea swapped a stone with Zeus and sent him away. 

• The swallowing of his children fast forward Cronus' prophecy 
• Bad parenting leads to bad parenting 
• People write myths to tell humans/the next generation to not replicate what has occurred in the myths but to do better
• Fate (represented as three women- thread represents each human being in which the beginning and end of their life is set).
• Attempting to defy the prophecy leads back to the beginning: can not defy fate

3. Questions About Creation.

In class, we were unable to discuss this question because we ran out of time. 

Reflection:

From this discussion we had in class today, we were able to think deeper into the connection between mythology and the present or history; for example, the inferiority of women. Before today, I never thought of how mythology can have such a great influence in culture and relation to humanity but simply that mythology was a way in which the Greeks used for entertainment or to explain the occurence of events around them. Pandora’s story demonstrates the consequences of unchecked curiosity as well as portrayed women as the “root of evil”, which explains the culture of virginity and setting of social norms with subservient women. Cronus and Rhea’s tale, on the other hand, illustrates the undefiable nature of fate, in which Cronus’ attempt to prevent the prophecy of his overthrow fails: telling people not to replicate the mistakes of myths. Overall, mythology does not only explains science or part of Greek culture but brings valuable lessons to humans as a whole.