Major Mythic Stories and Archetypal Themes

EN294: Mythology Summer 1
Instructor: John Kivari Contact information: RM 4108a; [e-mail] ; Ph: 270-5964; Office Hours: By appt.
Course Description: A study of the major mythic stories and archetypal themes which continually reappear in literature as subject matter, symbols and allusions.
Course Objectives:
Students will understand the following by the end of the course:
Myth is a shared heritage of ancestral memories, related consciously from generation to generation.
Myth is a telling of events that happened before written history and that myth is the thread that links together past, present, and future.
Myth’s unique use of language.
Myth is the basis of identity for societies.
The origins of our moral conduct are found in myth and religion.
Myth is a pattern of beliefs that give meaning to life.

Some questions we will be asking:
What is and what is not myth?
What are the purposes and functions of myth?
How did myths originate and form?
Why and what ways do people believe in myths of their culture or group?
How have myths been analyzed and interpreted over centuries?
What are the connections between oral and written narratives and the visual expression of a culture or group?
Texts: Mythology by Edith Hamilton
Parallel Myths by J.F. Bierlein
These will be the primary texts used throughout the semester. The reading list will, at times, be augmented with supplemental reading material that will be provided to you in print or online.

Grading
Quizzes: 30%
Class Participation: 15%
Oral Presentation: 15%
Exams: 40%
Quizzes will be mainly based on the week-to-week reading. You should expect a quiz on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. For the most part, they will not be interpretive or analytical type questions, but questions based more on plot, characters, and other elements found in the myths.
Class participation is an essential part of this class. You need to come to class prepared and ready to engage in discussion. Attendance will be a factor in formulating this grade, but also how actively involved you are on a day-to-day basis.
An Oral Presentation is required for each student. Presentations will involve researching particular gods or goddesses, myths, archetypes or any combination of the three and presenting a report to class. Topics will be presented to you in class and chosen by you on a first come basis.
Exams will be given at midterm and at the end of the semester. They will be written and you will be given approximately one week to complete before submitting on the required due date. The two exams given will consist mainly of essay questions based on our study of mythology up to and including the date of assignment.
Grading will be calculated as such: A= 94-100 A-= 91-93 B+= 87-90 B= 84-86 B-= 80-83 C+= 77-79 C= 74-76 C-= 70-73 D+= 67-69 D= 60-66 F= below 60
Attendance:
Attendance will be taken every class day and used toward your class participation grade. Missing one class can affect your grade. If you need to miss class for any reason, contact me as soon as possible. Assignments are still due on due date regardless of attendance and quizzes cannot be made up due to absence for any reason. For online classes, log ons will be monitored in lieu of attendance and counted towards class participation.
Late policy:
Late assignments will only be accepted up to three days after due date. For each day an assignment is late a letter grade will be dropped from the total grade for the assignment.
Blackboard: This class will function using Blackboard for web-assisted and online versions. Most of the course materials can be accessed by clicking on Content. Please view the Blackboard tutorials available to you for assistance.
This class will mainly consist of reading, writing about, discussing, and viewing stories that have helped define our civilization. My main concern and interest in teaching this class is the study of mythology as a way to help explain how we live today. Myths signal something from our unconscious minds—something that we all share as human beings. Through our study of the actual myths, along with viewing various interpretations through film, it is my hope that we will find some answers and ultimately raise our level consciousness.