Crazy Dog
Washington State University
I. IDENTIFICATIONS. [Total 30 points.]
You know, match Column A with Column B, in what work do we hear from tortilla griddles?: that kind of very brief question. This portion of the midterm exam will be inflicted individually and intracerebrally during the scheduled class period. So put on your thinking caps and press the "fry" button.
II. QUOTATIONS. [Total 50 points; 5 points each.]
A combination of identification and, more importantly, significance questions will follow quotations from the material of the first half of the semester, extracted for their representativeness of our discussions over the key points these weeks. This is not trivial pursuit. If you read the works and paid attention in class, only a close review of notes is necessary for preparation. Otherwise, woe to thee.
III. TAKE-HOME ESSAY. [Total 20 points.]
DO THIS PART NOW! Answer the following question thoroughly and precisely, but do not exceed two (2) pages, double-spaced. The essay should be a virtuoso piece of brilliance manifested in impressive eloquence, with facile reference to specifics from the mythological texts.
- Comparative mythologist Joseph Campbell said: "Our way of thinking in the West sees God as the final source or cause of the energies and wonder of the universe. But in most Oriental thinking, and in primal thinking, also, the gods are rather manifestations and purveyors of an energy that is finally impersonal. They are not its source. The god is the vehicle of the energy. And the force or quality of the energy that is involved or represented determines the character and function of the god. There are gods of violence, there are gods of compassion, there are gods that unite the two worlds of the unseen and the seen, and there are gods that are simply protectors of kings and nations in their war campaigns. There are all the personifications of the energies in play. But the ultimate source of these energies remains a mystery."
When asked, "Doesnąt this make fate a kind of anarchy, a continuing war among principalities?" Campbell continued, "Yes, as it is in life itself. Even in our minds -- when it comes to making a decision, there will be a war. In acting in relationship to other people, for example, there may be four or five possibilities. The influence of the dominant divinity in my mind will be what determines my decision. If my guiding deity is brutal, my decision will be brutal, as well" (The Power of Myth 207-208).In what ways does this interpretation account for the Greek gods and more than the Greek gods?
This essay is due on midterm day to accompany the other in-class components of the exam. You'll be glad you did, by Zeus! Otherwise a dark mist will swirl over your eyes and you will go down to the House of Death.
BIG DAY: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4th, 10:35 am.
Mythology Index