The American Monomyth in a New Century - Lawrence and Jewett

Name of author, name of essay/chapter reporting on: John Shelton Lawrence and Robert Jewett, The American Monomyth in a New Century

Your articulation of their thesis:

The authors of this article mainly argue that there is an overarching tendency in American narratives to follow the same classical monomythical pattern: a hero travels from an ordinary world to a supernatural one, where he/she does battle against magical forces and wins, then they return to their mundane world with the power to bless and help the people around them. The authors deny the claim that this myth has been slowly disappearing from American popular culture, arguing instead that Americans are actually so attached to this myth that they have revised it slightly and made it their own, forming the “American monomyth.” It is similar to the classic monomyth, but with some changes: a safe, harmonious community is threatened by evil and danger that normal institutions are powerless to protect against, so a selfless hero steps forward to rescue the people. It is fated that he shall win, but his victories come also from his worthiness and faith, and his triumph returns the community to its idyllic beginnings. The hero returns to his former anonymity and obscurity. The authors connect this change in the common narrative of American pop culture to religion, arguing that it “determines and shapes goals and ideals for both individuals and society” – these narratives are avenues for confessional statements of personal transformation and new conclusions of life’s meaning. The authors additionally claim that the relationship between reality and fantasy eventually begins to blur any clear distinction that once existed between mere entertainment and seriously-held life purposes.        

At least three links or images that illustrate the ideas of the article:

1. As the authors were talking about the movie The Matrix in relation to heroic, redemptive violence, they briefly mentioned connections between the film and Biblical language and events – I found this absolutely fascinating and wanted to learn more, finding this article identifying and explaining all the biblical references and parallels in The Matrix.

2. I think the movie/story ofCaptain America is a really good example of the American monomyth: evil (in the form of Hitler and the Nazis) threatens a peaceful community (America itself, in this case), so a selfless hero (Steve Rogers) steps forward to sacrifice himself for the community. He battles the evil and wins, returning to his community in triumph, only to disappear back into obscurity when the community no longer has any need of him. Not to mention that this completely fits the standard stereotype for the rescuer: a physically-powerful white male.

3. At the very end of this article, the authors compare the American monomyth to the events of September 11, 2001 and the reaction of the American people, whom the authors say saw this as an attack on America because it was the shining symbol of freedom and opportunity in the world at the time – the American people adopted the view of “good vs. evil,” with America being good (of course) and terrorists being evil. This is a very interesting article about who shares this belief and who saw the world as being even less divided into good and evil than before as a result of the 9/11 attacks. Personally, I agree with the writers of the monomyth article – America’s reaction to 9/11 was definitely to divide the situation into terrorists and Americans, with the Americans obviously being the victims and the protagonists, and the terrorists as the bad guys, the evil villains.

At least two discussion questions that will help your reader develop the ideas of the article (i.e., keep us talking):

1. The authors of this article argue that Americans are getting more and more of their life’s meaning and worldview from pop culture. As a Christian, do you think this is a good thing? Should Christians guard themselves more from the influence of myths such as the American monomyth?

2. The American monomyth and some of America’s actions following 9/11 were based on the idea that there is a clear notion of good and evil. Do you think there is a clear definition of “good” and of “evil?” If there is (and especially if there isn’t), is it possible for us to ever be completely sure which side we are on?