New MythBlast: Saving Private Ryan and the Archetypal Search
Here’s my latest MythBlast for the Joseph Campbell Foundation, this one about the Seeker archetype in the film Saving Private Ryan, which is all about how to deal with Nazis. Here’s how the essay begins:
On a visit last fall to the American Cemetery in Normandy, I saw the grave markers of two American brothers side by side who died in the Allied operation to liberate France in 1945. But after Robert and Preston Niland sacrificed their lives, the U.S. Army realized that two other Niland brothers were in the war as well: one missing in the Pacific theater and another fighting in Europe. The Army’s fateful decision to reassign the living Niland soldier away from the front would later inspire Steven Spielberg’s 1998 film, Saving Private Ryan.
In the movie, the Army realizes that three out of four sons of a fictional Mrs. Ryan have been killed in action, and the fourth, Private James Ryan, is lost behind enemy lines in the chaos following D-Day. The Army hierarchy understands that this mother of many must be spared the insupportable grief of losing all her children, the way the Greek goddess Demeter had to be spared the grief of completely losing her child Persephone. In this way, Mrs. Ryan resonates with a mythic figure whom Joseph Campbell calls the “Great Mother” (Goddesses: Mysteries of the Feminine Divine, eBook 91). …
New course!
Mythic Archetypes of Experience: Wise One, Healer, Sovereign, Shadow
I will be leading two sessions in this upcoming course from the Joseph Campbell Foundation in partnership with Roundtable.org by the 92nd Street Y in New York: Mythic Archetypes of Experience: Wise One, Healer, Sovereign, Shadow.
The class will have four monthly sessions beginning on May 27, and my sessions will be about the Wise One and the Sovereign archetypes. Join us to explore symbols of the knowledge and insights gained in adulthood!
New blog posts
Viewer’s Guide to the Superman Preview, FAQ
Q: Really? A comic book movie? Haven’t you seen the news lately? I think we have more important matters to discuss.
A: It’s because of the news that we need to talk about this preview….
Americans in Normandy
Last year I visited the beaches of Normandy which wound up feeling like a pilgrimage to a sacred site. History felt superimposed over the present, and I was shocked at how the experience deepened my love for France and the USA. It also reminded me how and—most importantly—why to deny fascists their murderous impulses. Here’s an excerpt from the blog post I wrote about it:
But Normandy also reminded me of those who stand up for humanity—the leaders, soldiers, and citizens with the courage to step forward to block the abuses of bullies and tyrants. “No,” the defenders say in words and deeds. “You may not treat people that way. Get your hands off our human family.” To stand up to bullies is to stand for freedom and equality. …
The Practice of Enchantment
Thank you to the Joseph Campbell Foundation for publishing my book, The Practice of Enchantment: MythBlast Essays, 2020-2024. Inspired by the work of Joseph Campbell, these essays are about how myth enlivens and enchants everyday life.
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