Individual Presentations

Luke's presentation was on Lysistrata, men, and sex. Women need men for security, which they usually deny (and men usually deny that they need women.) He works as a bank teller, because he likes people. "I will have life." He was once told a story/given advice by a man older than he, and he hopes that he will be able to pass stories on to someone someday, too.

Ashley read the book The Homeric Hymn to Demeter and presented on it. The Eleusinian Mysteries are women's initiation. Death marks the female quest; but, both male and female quests are lacking in today's culture. Individuation is different for girls, because their relationship with their mothers is more fluid. And, she read her poem "Tiger Lily."

Melissa gave her presentation on scapegoats and gave the five ways to escape being a scapegoat. The book The Scapegoat by Rene Girard is the authority on the subject.

Brian also presented on the scapegoat, focusing on the Bacchae and Pentheus and Jesus' crucifixion. He pointed out that the scapegoat doesn't necessarily have to be a bad person either.

Alex connected the five conflicts of Antigone to the five of the American Film Institute's Top 100 movies, which were One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest ( individual v. society), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (old v. young), Raiders of the Lost Ark (men v. gods), My Fair Lady (men v. women), and Frankenstein (living v. dead).

Danielle talked about the Triple Goddess - the maiden, the mother, and the crone (which she compared to herself, mother, and grandmother). She also mentioned Robert Graves' book called White Goddess.

John made connections between science fiction and mythology. The only real difference is that sci fi deals with the future. He talked especially about Dune, and said that if one knows the future, he locks himself into it, which is not a good thing. But, sci fi extends the dialogue of mythology.

And I presented on The Doors and their connections to classical literature, which I will discuss in another blog.