inmyriadbits (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
inmyriadbits) wrote2006-04-25 05:26 pm
inmyriadbits) wrote2006-04-25 05:26 pm
Entry tags:
Supernatural meets Classical Myth
I had a thought about Supernatural. Therefore, I'm sharing. .
My Classical Myth professor--first of all, she's awesome. She truly deserves the adjective erudite; she's also eloquent, precise, and often witty. Anyway, she has this one theory about Greek and Roman mythology that she's repeated a few times: the only fathers are dead ones. And by that, she means the only good fathers are dead ones, and that the fathers usually end up dying if they don't start out dead. One rationalization she's given for this prevalence of dead fathers is that a hero can't fully realize his (and in classical myth, it's always "his", not "her") potential. The latest example I can give you from the class is Aeneas being held back by Anchises (this is from the Aeneid, non-classics people), who persists in looking to the past. Anchises has to die in the story for Aeneas to step into a leadership role, and for him to look to the future so he can lay the foundations for Roman civilization.
This theory leads me to a worrying thought about my current obsession of a TV show. If you think about it, Dean and Sam are in the same boat as those virile, muscular, angst-driven classical heroes that they resemble so much. (Mmm...can you imagine them in the leg-baring get-ups the Greeks wore in battle?![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
researchgrrrl, you feel me, right? They're so tall and built...*happy thoughts*) Which is a problem for Daddy Winchester, you see. Because that means he's going to have to DIE for his sons' own stories to be realized, according to my professor, and Dean just had to bring up the "What if Dad dies?" question in "Dead Man's Blood", didn't he? Oh, Dean.
Whether they resent it or not, both his sons are being held back by the father. Dean follows his orders, and his mission, without questioning. And Sam rebels against him without question--by which I mean, it's almost reflex for him to argue with his father about everything now, although I feel like he's not as averse to "this life" as he claims. I think if his father were removed from the equation, Sam would probably realize that his commitment to the hunt goes deep into his psyche, rather than merely being something John imposed upon him. I keep going back to this, but Sam was pre-law. He has a deeply-rooted sense of justice and need to protect people, whether he's doing it by killing evil beings or not.
As for Dean...the point has been brought up again and again in this show that he follows his father's orders like a good little soldier. Because of the way his father directs his life, Dean's never really questioned the way things are. He wants his family back together, but I get the sense he wants it back the way it was before Sam left, and Sam was right when he told him it would never be that way again. What will happen to him if the person who has directed his life so far goes away (i.e., dies)? I mean, besides even more issues to pile on the ones Dean already has? He's going to be pretty lost, and not in a good way.
In other news, yesterday was a good day. This was surprising, because I went to sleep at 5:30 in the morning for absolutely no reason. LJ. Email. Watching things. Not doing any homework AT ALL. And then I actually woke up for my 9:10am class, took a short nap, and went to my other two classes. Then, I joinedladyjaida and orangeaddict and watched (re-watched, for me) three episodes straight of Supernatural ("Shadow" through "Something Wicked"). They were both lovely and friendly and amusing, and I had a lot of fun. That was followed by another nap, dinner, and then the glorious movie It Happened One Night for my seminar. And then I went to bed *gasp* before midnight. That hasn't happened in a really, really, ridiculously long time. So, good day.
My Classical Myth professor--first of all, she's awesome. She truly deserves the adjective erudite; she's also eloquent, precise, and often witty. Anyway, she has this one theory about Greek and Roman mythology that she's repeated a few times: the only fathers are dead ones. And by that, she means the only good fathers are dead ones, and that the fathers usually end up dying if they don't start out dead. One rationalization she's given for this prevalence of dead fathers is that a hero can't fully realize his (and in classical myth, it's always "his", not "her") potential. The latest example I can give you from the class is Aeneas being held back by Anchises (this is from the Aeneid, non-classics people), who persists in looking to the past. Anchises has to die in the story for Aeneas to step into a leadership role, and for him to look to the future so he can lay the foundations for Roman civilization.
This theory leads me to a worrying thought about my current obsession of a TV show. If you think about it, Dean and Sam are in the same boat as those virile, muscular, angst-driven classical heroes that they resemble so much. (Mmm...can you imagine them in the leg-baring get-ups the Greeks wore in battle?
researchgrrrl, you feel me, right? They're so tall and built...*happy thoughts*) Which is a problem for Daddy Winchester, you see. Because that means he's going to have to DIE for his sons' own stories to be realized, according to my professor, and Dean just had to bring up the "What if Dad dies?" question in "Dead Man's Blood", didn't he? Oh, Dean. Whether they resent it or not, both his sons are being held back by the father. Dean follows his orders, and his mission, without questioning. And Sam rebels against him without question--by which I mean, it's almost reflex for him to argue with his father about everything now, although I feel like he's not as averse to "this life" as he claims. I think if his father were removed from the equation, Sam would probably realize that his commitment to the hunt goes deep into his psyche, rather than merely being something John imposed upon him. I keep going back to this, but Sam was pre-law. He has a deeply-rooted sense of justice and need to protect people, whether he's doing it by killing evil beings or not.
As for Dean...the point has been brought up again and again in this show that he follows his father's orders like a good little soldier. Because of the way his father directs his life, Dean's never really questioned the way things are. He wants his family back together, but I get the sense he wants it back the way it was before Sam left, and Sam was right when he told him it would never be that way again. What will happen to him if the person who has directed his life so far goes away (i.e., dies)? I mean, besides even more issues to pile on the ones Dean already has? He's going to be pretty lost, and not in a good way.
In other news, yesterday was a good day. This was surprising, because I went to sleep at 5:30 in the morning for absolutely no reason. LJ. Email. Watching things. Not doing any homework AT ALL. And then I actually woke up for my 9:10am class, took a short nap, and went to my other two classes. Then, I joined
ladyjaida and orangeaddict and watched (re-watched, for me) three episodes straight of Supernatural ("Shadow" through "Something Wicked"). They were both lovely and friendly and amusing, and I had a lot of fun. That was followed by another nap, dinner, and then the glorious movie It Happened One Night for my seminar. And then I went to bed *gasp* before midnight. That hasn't happened in a really, really, ridiculously long time. So, good day.
no subject
I watched the pilot of Supernatural and man, it was cool. I need more!
Also, re: your thoughts above and classical attire. I have two words for you: SHIN GUARDS.
I mean, uh, three words, because also? GUH.
SHIN GUARDS, GUH.
no subject
*huggles* (BTW, fair warning: that will actually happen if we get drunk. I get cuddly.)
SHIN GUARDS, GUH.
I LOVE YOU. But it's funny, because shin guards make me think adecadeofsocceromg. So I'm adding another word: LEATHER SHIN GUARDS, GUH. Even better, yes? :)
I watched the pilot of Supernatural and man, it was cool. I need more!
Fear not; addict you, I will. I called to discuss with you, but got voicemail fun, so here goes. Have you watched/downloaded any other eps? Let me know so I can plan ahead what to get pre-marathoning. I'm thinking I want to hang out this weekend; whether it'll be this weekend that involves alcohol or not depends on how well my paper-writing goes this week. If it goes well, I won't have to worry about a hangover keeping me from finishing the two papers due Monday. If not, we can marathon, but save the debauchery for another marathon next weekend. See, it works out well this way; we have a better chance of making it through SPN before I go back to Texas with two sessions than one, and we can adapt to work around the demands of final papers. Sound good? Let me know which days work best for you and your class stuff.