WP 2
Annotated Bibliography for “The Quintessential American Myth: An Exploration of Symbolic National Identities Told Through Epics and Folk Tales”
Part 1:
Bailey, Beth and Terry H. Anderson. Understanding the U.S. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. NYU Press, 2015, pp.1-18 & 54-74.
The two chapters discuss the degradation of domestic civil rights in the United States following 9/11. The text describes the paranoia of the American public and how it facilitated widespread federal wiretapping and overzealous immigration policy. The chapter also discussed how the executive branch took advantage of public hysteria to consolidate unilateral power. Most of the evidence used in the chapter are historical speeches and press conferences. The text provides a detailed overview of history with a succinct narrative structure, but is not particularly thought provoking. Facts and events without much analysis added.
(To note: this source discusses a subject separate from the main topic of WP4. It could, however, provide a basis for the introductory preamble/conceit.)
Bifulco, Luca and Mario Trino. The Sports Hero in the Social Imaginary: Identity, Community, Ritual and Myth. Imago Journal, no. 11, 2018, pp. 9-25.
This paper presents a reinterpretation of the mythical hero by drawing parallels between traditional heroes and modern sport figures. The authors argue that sport idols embody the same physicality and charisma of mythical heroes. Moreover, their stories, both real and imagined, have a narrative construction similar to that of traditional myths. The article sources over thirty literary articles adding to the credibility of its main argument. However, the paper’s ideas are shallow. The inciting idea of the paper is novel, but the article ought to critically analyze the connection between sports and classical heroes beyond the superficial similarities it presents.
Calabrese, John A. Elements Of Myth In J. R. R. Tolkien's "Lord Of The Rings" And Selected Paintings Of Paul Klee. Ohio University, Ohio, 1980, pp. 1-37.
This dissertation examines the interpretation of Lord of the Rings series as a modern myth. He argues that the classical conception of mythology is not present in the modern consciousness. Yet, the remnants of mythic storytelling are still prevalent throughout modern fiction. He observes the similarities of modern and classical myths, and explains that these two forms of literature serve to “unfold part of the world view of a people”. The dissertation is highly detailed and bolsters its analysis with scholarly texts analyzing classical literature, but it has a lot of highly niche subtopics that may not be useful for research on broader themes.
Christopher Marlowe. Doctor Faustus with The English Faust Book. Introduction by David Wooton. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc, 2005.
Descamps, Yann and Christian Vivier. “ʻ(Sports) Movies, Magic and Moreʼ: (Re)Telling the Story of College Basketball’s Integration in the Disney Sports Movie Glory Road.” The International Journal of the History of Sport, 3 Feb. 2020, vol. 37, no. 10, pp. 893-916, https://doi-org.libproxy2.usc.edu/10.1080/09523367.2020.1828364. Accessed 21 Feb 2024.
The article argues sports movies celebrate the American founding mythos and ethos. The authors assert that Hollywood and Disney convey political narratives which celebrate a certain view of America and its history. Using a variety of biographies, political science sources, and textual analysis of the films themselves, the authors present a nuanced explanation of the American ethos and how sports films appear to affirm those ideals. Diminishing the paper’s credibility, however, is that many of its historical and political assertions are not provided a source to back them up.
Gordon, Andrew. Screening the Sacred: Religion, Myth, and Ideology in Popular American Film. Westview Press, 1995, pp. 73-93.
Gordon portrays the movie Star Wars as a staple myth for contemporary audiences. He describes Star Wars as an amalgamation of 20th century popular mythology of sci-fi, books, and television. Star Wars reinvigorates the American myth, which speaks to a modern America who Gordon believes has lost its heroes. He uses interviews from the filmmakers and scholarly works from cultural historians as evidence. The chapter draws compelling connections with Star Wars to both classical mythology and modern classics. However, the author tends to assert flimsy conclusions by overanalyzing his selected media examples.
Homer. Odyssey. Translated by Stanley Lombardo. Introduction by Sheila Murnaghan. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc, 2000.
Hornung, Chuck. Wyatt Earp's Cow-Boy Campaign : The Bloody Restoration of Law and Order along the Mexican Border 1882. McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers, 2016.
Keynes, Will. A Suitable Match: Eve, Enkidu, and the Boundaries of Humanity in the Eden Narrative and the Epic of Gilgamesh. Harvard Theological Review, vol. 116, no. 4.
Keynes’ analytical essay focuses on the parallels between two foundational myths, the Garden of Eden and the Epic of Gilgamesh. The paper examines insights the myths provide about the need for human companionship and different cultures’ relationship with the divine. The article’s evidence comes directly from English translations of extremely old myths. The author’s original message may be misinterpreted especially as the article begins to analyze individual words and phrases.
Kerrigan, William. Johnny Appleseed and the American Orchard : A Cultural History. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012.
This book examines the story of Johnny Appleseed as a pivotal myth in America’s national origins. Appleseed is a character much removed from the archetype of traditional mythical hero. He, rather, is remembered for his meekness and generosity rather than masculine aggression. Yet, he somehow remains an integral figure in the pantheon of American mythical heroes. The author sources literary and historical sources to contextualize his discussion of the myth that does, however, focus too much on the unnecessary minutiae of early American history.
Livingstone, Michael. Troy and the Rings: Tolkien and the Medieval Myth of England. Mythopoeic Society, 2013, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 73-91.
The Livingstone article suggests that the classical myth of Trojan Britain informed the creative process of Tolkien’s Lord of The Rings. The author uses personal letters and statements to reveal Tolkien’s deep-seated desire to craft a body of connected legend dedicated to England. The article breaks down the rich tapestry of mythic traditions that influenced The Lord of the Rings in great detail. However, the article is evidently written for people well-versed in classical literature, which may make its contextual analysis harder to understand for laymen researchers.
Montangu, Elizabeth. “An Essay on the Writings and Genius of Shakespeare, Compared with the Greek and French Dramatic Poets.” Henry the Fourth Parts I and II: Critical Essays. Edited by David Bevington. Routledge, 1986, pp. 8-13.
Morris, Robert B.. American Cultural Myth and the Orphan Archetype. European Journal of American Culture, vol. 35, no. 2, 2016, pp.127-145.
This paper examines the impact and underlying causes of American cultural myths. He argues that American cultural myths are deeply embedded within the country’s collective psyche, helping to define America’s national identity. The evidence Morris uses are secondary historical sources and a variety of psychology texts. Many of Morris’ historical and literary arguments are made with the help of concepts used in psychology. However, Morris’ main argument makes a weak connection between his frankly unsubstantiated musings of American psychology and its supposed effect on American culture.
Njozi, Hamza M. The Flood Narrative in the Gilgamesh Epic, The Bible, and The Quran: The Problem of Kinship and Historicity. Islamic Research Institute, 1990, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 303-309.
Plato. Phaedrus. Translated by Alexander Nehamas and Paul Woodruff. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc, 1995.
Ramet, Sabrina P.. Dead Kings and National Myths: Why Myths of Founding and Martyrdom are Important. The Norwegian University of Science & Technology, vol. 11, no. 2, 2020, pp. 32-46.
Ramet’s article discusses the impact of national myths on the cultural identity of medieval Christian Europe. It focuses on ostensibly fictional kings who were later canonized to establish the legitimacy for succeeding monarchs. The provides an in-depth analysis on broad topics such as culture and religion, to individual biographies. The text only uses secondary revisionist sources for evidence. There might be doubt regarding how much the author can definitively glean only from reading material from this and the previous century.
Snyder, Howard A.. Jesus and Pocahontas: Gospel, Mission, and National Myth. Lutterworth Press, 2015, pp. 1-17.
Snyder’s book reexamines one of the national founding myths of the United States, Pocahontas. It focuses on her relationship with Christianity and the insidious social dynamics in the story’s true historical setting. He raises questions about the authenticity of her marriage and conversion to explore broader themes of evangelism and colonial exploitation. The article incorporates a healthy mix of primary archeological and written sources, and secondary revisionist sources. As a scholarly source, the book may have too many pages irrelevant to research if its topic does not primarily revolve around Pocahontas or Early American History.
Sophocles. Theban Plays. Translated by Peter Meineck and Paul Woodruff. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc, 2003.
Tallman, Marjorie. Dictionary of American Folklore. Philosophical Library/Open Road, 2018.
The Bible. Authorized King James Version, Oxford UP, 1998.
Tschachler, Heinz. George Washington and Political Fatherhood : The Endurance of a National Myth. McFarlane & Inc. Publishers, 2020.
This book examines the national iconography and enduring legend of George Washington to argue how the American psyche has internalized him as an ideal role model. The book is well researched, applying primary sources such as speeches and political documents, as well as secondary biographical sources. Unfortunately, much of the book is spent on justifying his main conceit that George Washington is a metaphorical paternal figure, which takes the focus away from the book's equally important supplementary arguments.
Part 2: Jack of All Trades, Master of None
My academic advisor in high school once called me “a jack of all trades, yet a master of none”. It still rings painfully true today. I know a little about a lot of subjects, but not a lot about one in particular, which severely affected my initial planning stage. If anyone had seen my browser history, they would have thought I had debilitating ADHD. They would have at least been confused about why I started reading an article on how Batman would theoretically be ineffective at stopping crime just twenty seconds after I Googled, “what did Saddam Hussein do?”
I was still reluctant when I finally settled on a topic to write about. I didn't know much about myths or classics, but it had been hours since I started my research and I was beginning to hear things. Fortunately, this was a blessing in disguise. As someone who barely had a foundational understanding of mythology, I learned a lot whilst building my bibliography. Had I chosen a more familiar topic instead, this assignment would have been far less valuable or illuminating.
I read about founding myths from ancient Greece and articles from sci-fi film scholars, from the origins of the cowboy to the Epic of Gilgamesh. It sent me down a rabbit hole that answered all of my initial questions and questions I didn’t know I had. I learned that akin to state-sponsored propaganda, most national myths tell a romanticized story about the country’s long-forgotten past to engender patriotism among their people or to legitimize power structures. Ok well, this one scholar says that England’s national myth is King Arthur. (Neat.) This other one writes about Iceland’s mythical history which has giants and a guy named Eirik Bloodaxe? (Of course they do.) Does America have one? (Oh, apparently that one’s complicated.)
The debate of America’s national myth piqued my curiosity because it does not have a foundational myth nor do they claim a singular definitive cultural narrative as such. The founding of America is well-documented and has largely been cemented as history rather than myth. Moreover, the American pantheon of heroes and cultural icons is prodigious. Equally diverse are the stories in which they inhabit. It would be nearly impossible to encompass the entirety of America's cultural tradition with only one example. However, national myths do not have to be limited to the nation's most important historical anecdote. They can be any highly regarded work of fiction that best conveys their nation’s ethos. And, while they might not be as obvious or homogenous as those of older cultures, American myths are no less indicative of their nation’s collective values. For America, they could be anything from the leadership of a high school football captain to the rugged individualism of the cowboys in 20th-century westerns, and even the rebelliousness of a humble moisture farmer fighting against a tyrannical empire in a galaxy far, far away.
At the beginning of my research, I wasn’t sure what a national myth was or what purpose it served. I didn’t think they had much value to us today. , while they may be important to classics professors or German grandmas who wanted to scare young children into eating their soup, they hardly impacted modern society. But, national myths serve as an important reminder of what values a country upholds and what values they may have lost. National myths are deeply embedded in our societies and help to define our national identity and influence how we perceive the world. They are the stories that are the most important to us and the most indicative of who we are.
This preliminary research has opened my eyes to what a national myth is and the cultural impacts they have on us. My immediate thought was to write about this topic as an informative essay similar to the ones I have written throughout my college career. After all, much of my research consists of historical and literary texts that have complex themes that would be easier to synthesize in a scholarly paper. But, if I want others to understand the importance of the national myth I would also want it to be easily accessible. So, while an editorial or a magazine profile might simplify the message somewhat, it would be the most apt style of writing for a wider audience.