Purpose:
Practice discovering the epic themes of the sacred and the secular,
gender roles, and the hero (in this case, heroes) and the journey, by
considering a Mayan epic, Popul Vuh. This discussion should
build your critical reading and analysis skills, as well as help prepare
you for your essays later in the course. Keep in mind that, your
central concern is to understand what the evidence about these epic
themes reveals about the relationship between the epic heroes and their
own cultures as well as the relationship between epic heroes and heroic
elements common to human society in all times.
Tasks: Use the steps below to write 1-2
full paragraphs connected to the purpose and overarching themes in the
readings for this unit.
Option 2: The role of women: There are only a few
female characters in the stories. How do female characters such as
Xquic, Hunahpu and Xblanque’s mother, and Xmucane, their grandmother,
demonstrate the power of women and seem to represent the culture’s view
of female characteristics? How does the portrayal of these women compare
with ways women are portrayed in other cultures or in our culture
today? Provide some examples of the traits of Xquic and Xmucane in Popol
Vuh and discuss the epic’s treatment of gender. You may include the
“grandmother,” Great White Peccary, if you wish.
Start by deciding which option above you would like to write about. Once you have made that decision, then:
Select a relevant passage of your own choosing from Popul Vuh. Choose carefully, thinking about how your passage might speak to overarching themes and the bolded text in the Purpose, above.
Depending on which option you chose, explain the following:
Explain how your passage illustrate a conclusion about roles of women in Popul Vuh, and how is that significant or important for understanding women in this culture or more generally?
You might want to sketch out your initial thoughts in lists, a concept map, or whatever note format helps you the most.
Structure and revise your initial thoughts into 1-2 robust,
well-developed paragraphs, using the passage you have selected as
evidence to support your ideas, and post them in the discussion.
Respond substantively to at least two of your classmates’
posts, explaining why you agree or disagree with them (and you may agree
with some parts and disagree with others). Include other thoughts you
may have about their topic and ideas. Include a quotation to support
each of your responses.
Criteria on which you will be graded:
Your selection of passages to support your argument is thoughtful
Your analysis is specific and original
Your post speaks to your selected theme and the Purpose above.
Your responses to your classmates are respectful and substantive
Your writing is clear and well-organized
