Quiz #2: Wednesday February 20th

We moved up Quiz #2 to this Wednesday.

The quiz will draw questions from Chapters 4 and 5.

For this quiz we want you to think about the concept of Hero As Archetype and how it relates to real-life heroes. In Chapter 4, ("Dawn of the Gods") the author explains how the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman societies had a robust and ritualistic relationship with their respective pantheons of Gods. Each God represented an aspect of life and the universe and each had a unique narrative or place in their daily lives.

Nowadays, we too have our own versions of the Gods. So far, we have talked at length about comic book super heroes. But what about real-life heroes? Real life heroes also seem to embody the same characteristics/traits of the Gods. For instance, in the current Presidential race Senator John McCain has been constructed as a God of War (both because of his service in the U.S. Navy, his status as a former P.O.W., and his support for "the surge" in Iraq.)

In Chapter 5, ("Empire of the Mind") the author talks about the influence that heroes have on other people and societies. He specifically mentions Alexander the Great as a prototype of the influential icon in the annals of history. We can also look to what Knowles calls "The Radicals" or groups of people who make up a social movement and how they inspire change--the Suffragists, the Abolitionists, etc.

Lastly, Chapter 5 focuses on Spiritualism and how the United States suddenly found itself inside a phenemonen where self-identified mystics, psychics, and clairvoyants "spoke to the dead." Knowles argues that this spiritualist movements "...tapped into the greater discontent aroused by industrialization and its attendant social woes."

Here are the two questions that you should think about and be prepared to write on for Wednesday's Quiz. It will be the same format as Quiz #1--choose two questions to answer:

1. Choose a real-life hero (athlete, artist, educator, spiritual leader, politician, historical figure, social critic, revolutionary, etc.) and discuss their Heroic Archetype. What is it in their character or actions that makes them a "hero?"

2. What can we learn from this hero's story? Is the narrative meant to be a parable (where we learn important life lessons) or is it merely entertainment?