Stage 3: Interpretation Paper
Instructions
At this stage you will submit your complete paper. The final paper should address the relationship between your chosen topic and the narratives that relate to it and shape its meaning.
Your paper should include the following:
An introduction which introduces your topic (activity, place, artifact, or cultural production) and your approach to analyzing its underlying narratives
A summary of what you learned or observed about your topic and its underlying myths
An analysis using one of the methodological approaches we have covered throughout the semester to show how myth and your topic interact and connect; examples of what is expected could include:
Showing how an initiation ritual and its underlying myths connect within the cultural context of the ritual and then discuss how Victor Turner’s concept of communitas in that ritual helps uphold societal norms of that culture
Examining a Greek statue of Venus, her myths, and how both can represent an archetype that expresses specific values about womanhood in Greek culture and womanhood in the collective unconscious, as per Carl Jung’s ideas
Discussing a sacred place, its underlying myths, and how historical processes and social power within this site’s culture play a role in the construction of its significance, in accordance with Johnathan Z. Smith’s ideas
A conclusion
A reference list in MLA format.
Make sure to include in your submission documentary evidence of your research. For instance:
If you did an interview, include a name and contact information for your interviewee.
If you did an observation, include a program or a photo at the site of the observation, or citations of any videos you may have watched to learn about the ritual, ceremony, or service.
For works of art, make sure to include a picture of the work(s) you are analyzing, as well as a citation for the image.
For films, books etc., make sure to include a citation of the work in your references list, as well as specific examples from them in your paper.
