Analyze a re imagining of your myth in a piece of art or a poem.

MYTHOLOGICAL CHARACTER IN PAST AND PRESENT (worth 25% of overall grade)
Due: Monday, September 28 by 10 AM in my EMAIL cowanjl@sfasu.edu
This course emphasizes the ways in which Greek and Roman mythology inform current popular culture and cultural phenomena. We see Dionysus/Bacchus in the music of Drake, Narcissus in our selfies, and Artemis/Diana in The Hunger Games. Myth allows us to understand our contemporary moment in richer, more nuanced ways. When mobilized creatively and analytically, ancient mythology can also propose solutions to current issues.
In this assignment, you will pick one mythological figure from Ovid’s Metamorphoses – either one we’ve read to date or a new one whose story you find compelling—and identify where, how, and why they have been re imagined in today’s cultural phenomena or icons.
If you pick the myths read in class, you MUST come up with NEW PIECES OF ART and NEW CULTURAL PHENOMENA or ICONS to address (eg., if you pick Narcissus, you cannot talk about the selfie)
In a 5-6 double-spaced page paper in 12 point Times New Roman font, please address the following in complete sentences (no point form):
Give a brief biography of your mythological figure (~1 paragraph)
Who are her/his/its parents?
What powers are associated with this figure?
What are some of this figure’s important personality traits?
Summarize the plot points of the myth you have chosen (~1-2 paragraphs) (Bacchus, for example is involved in a number of myths; pick the myth were the issues you want to address are the easiest to identify)
Analyze a reimagining of your myth in a piece of art or a poem (~1-2 pages)
Research through the library and/or through the internet to find a piece of artwork or poem that reimagines your mythological character (eg. the Narcissus lecture and Salvador Dali).
Explain how this particular artist changes or adapts the myth from the way it is depicted or told in Ovid.
Given the way your new artist/author depicts the myth, how does their adaptation change the way we understand the myth and the characteristics of the mythological figure?
On the final page, provide either a scanned image of this piece of art or a link to where I can find it. If you’ve chosen a poem, please provide me with the full title, author, and other bibliographic details so that I can find the poem. (This does not count towards page length)
Analyze how this myth is appropriated or adopted by a current cultural phenomenon or popular icon (real or fictional) (~2-3 pages)
Brainstorm ideas about how our own culture picks up the ancient myth.
Provide a brief explanation of this cultural phenomenon (Who participates in it? what rituals or behaviors does it encourage? What values does it promote?) OR Provide a brief biography for this pop cultural icon (what personality traits does this icon exhibit? What role in society does this icon fulfill?)
How does this cultural phenomenon or icon adapt your chosen myth?
How do these adaptations force us to rethink or reevaluate the myth?
Why do you think your cultural phenomenon or icon chose to appropriate this particular myth?
What cultural function or work does the reimagining of this myth perform for our society at large (this is the hardest question of the assignment, so do spend some time thinking about it)
Writing and Organization:
This paper should be written in complete sentences (no point form). Each section should begin with a sentence that links it to the preceding section. If you use outside sources (not necessary), you must cite them. You are welcome to use any citation style you choose (APA, Chicago, Turabian, MLA etc)
A Papers:
Weave together a narrative that links 1-4 in coherent, incisive ways by identifying a common theme or thread that runs through the myth, the piece of art, and the current cultural phenomena or icon.
Contain accurate information and make well supported argumentative claims.
Ideas are organized in a coherent fashion; links between ideas are explicit.
Are written with elegance and without significant grammatical errors.
Identify the legacy of a chosen myth in an unexpected cultural phenomena or icon today.
Explain why a chosen myth is still relevant today and how it frames, challenges, or resolves current issues.
Identify what cultural work the myth performs for us today and explain why this work is important.
B Papers:
Successfully address each of 1-4, but address each without identifying a particular theme that links them all.
Contain accurate information and offer evidence for argumentative claims.
Ideas are organized in a coherent fashion.
Are written with clarity and without significant grammatical errors.
Identify the legacy of a chosen myth in an unexpected cultural phenomena or icon today.
Explain why a chosen myth is still relevant today and how it frames, challenges, or resolves current issues.

C Papers:
Address each of 1-4, but do not provide a sustained or profound analysis.
Contain accurate information but do not offer sufficient evidence for argumentative claims.
Ideas are disorganized and lack a coherent structure; ideas are not well connected to one another.
Almost half of the paper is marred by grammatical errors and other sentence-level issues.
Identify a cultural phenomenon or icon where the appropriation of the myth is immediately visible (ie. If you pick the Achilles myth, do not pick the movie Troy and analyze Brad Pitt).
D Papers:
Fail to address some of the assignment prompts 1-4.
Contain some inaccurate information and do not offer evidence for argumentative claims.
Lack a coherent organizational structure; ideas are not connected to one another.
Are consistently marred with grammar errors and other sentence-level issues.
Contain some insightful comments about the meaning of the myth, the piece of art or poem, and the cultural phenomenon or icon.
F Papers:
Fail to address most of the assignment prompts 1-4; Incomplete assignments.
Contain many instances of inaccurate information and do not offer evidence for argumentative claims.
Are difficult to understand because of overwhelming grammatical and sentence-level issues.

***If you have any questions or you get stuck, please see me in my office hours. I am happy to listen to your ideas, help you refine your arguments, and share tips on how to strengthen your writing.***