Myths and heroes: how the myths can represent aspects of the story of the United States?

Anglais

Myths and heroes :

This notion, entitled myths and heroes, deals first with a traditional story about the history of a people or explaining phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events. In a second time, it deals with person who is admirated by his courage, his noble or superhuman qualities.

This notion invites us to think about this question : How the myths can represented aspects of the story of the United States ?

The first document is the icon of the United States. It’s an Eagle who called The American Seal ord The Bold Eagle. In this Eagle there are many simbolics things. Firstly, there is a bird who represent the national bird and it’s the symbol of United States. Then, there is an olive branch who want show the peace. After, 12 leaves represent the 13 originals states who are also represented by the 13 arrows. But, these arrows show the war too. So, they want say United States are ready for war if attack to defend themselves. Moreover, in the bird, there is a shield with 3 colors who show values of United States like unity, innonence, justice, purity and bravery. To conclude, we can see This American Seal is a myth because he expresses principles of the Fouding Father and expresses the young Rising Nation.

The second document is a video who has « The Four Presidents of Mount Rushmore » for name. This document talk about four American’s presifent who are Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. In this video, we learned Theodore Roosevelt has increases the economic development. Similary, Thomas Jefferson allowed the Louisiana territory purchase. In addition, Lincoln stopped the civil war. Finally, we learned George Washington represents the birth oh the nation. According to the document, Lincoln freed the slaves, Roosevelt saved land for national park, Washington is the father of Amricans country and Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independance. Consequently, we can say these four olds presidents are heroes of the United States

because they have make acts very striking for the history of the United States.

The third document is also a video who named « A Decade to Remember : Th Sixties ». This video aims to present the swinging sixties. In this video, we saw many things who are changed compared with previous years. We saw the traditions still ruled, the first generation with no memory of war and young men taught discipline now they were free. But, the more important are women wanted to experiment with the way they looked. So, we can classifying this in document in myths and heroes because this document is a key character of women’s emancipation. In addition, there is a revolutionnary designer with the mini-skirt and appears heroine who play a role model of a modern women.

To conclude, we can say myhts and heroes are very important because they are registered in the history of a country or of a culture. Myths and heroes have many symbolics representations for the people and the people bring a lot of importance of these symbols. I liked this notion because she shows me the importance of myths and heroes and I discover some heroes and historys. We can expand on the pilgrims who found a new land and a new population when they arrived in America for the first time.

Idea of Progress :

This notion, entitled the idea of progress, deals with the progressive betterment of humankind in terms of technology advance, of development or of medical discovery. This notion also show how far can progress and is that discoveries are all really helpful to humanity.

This notion we invite ourselves to think about preogresses in sixties with the question : how sixties are an area of progress ?

The first document is a video who talk about Mary Quant. She is a clothes designer and a drawer. So, she designs mini-skirt and dresses. In this video, we can see progresses in fashion with the mass production who provoke prices less expensive. It’s a progress in fashion with the democracy and the massive choice too. Moreover, in business, we

see a progress in sixties because Mary Quant is one of the first business women and we note also an expansive business with the coming of the export. Then, there is progress in sixties wich this time is a social progress. There is a social progress in the video because Mary Quant designs a new type of clothes, the mini-skirt and this clothe reflects the emancipation of the women. So, it’s a good exemple of progress.

The second document is an extract of a song of Bob Dylan « Times are  Changing » who was written in 1964. In this song, Bob Dylan describe changes between the fifties and the sixties. So, Bob Dylan shows a new type of life, the counter-culture movement. Counter-culture acts in political expression, in cultural movement with music and social normas and in peace movement against Vietnam war for exemple. In addition, Bob Dylan talks about rights movements Like civil rights movements with Afroc-Amercans and women’s rights movements to contribute in society. Finally, the singer denounce the discrimination of lesbians and gays with the stone wall Rebellion. So, all of these arguments shows the action of the progress.

The third document is a second song who nammed « Universal Soldier ». The singer of this song is Donovan. In this song, Donovan talk about soldier and his acts. He says the war is a charachteristic of humans. He thinks what convictions soldiers defend, they don’t bring peace but defend their values. Donovan critiszes the universal soldier is an anti-war activist. So, Donovan has a new type of think for this area and we can say it’s a kind of progress. Secondly, this song is a new type of music. This new type of music is the Rock’n’roll and with this music voices and opinions of individuals were heard by everybody. Consequently, ideas are united in songs and symbols. To conclude, this song develops two aspects of the progress.

In conclusion, the sixties are years with many progress in different domains like in fashion, business, culture, music or social progress. So, the idea of progress can be modeled in lot of domains in all periods. I liked this notion because I learned some origins of progress at differents periods of the History. This notion allows me to think about the way of thought of past populations. We can expand on sustainable development goals because they are goals fixed to improve the life of some populations.

Spaces and exchanges

This notion, entitled Space and Exchange, deals with continuous movement or circulation of exchanges. There are many types of exchanges as people, trade, media. This notion also speaks about mixing of culture in the world for instance.

This notion invites us to think about this question : The global world : a land of opportunities ?

The first document is a cartoon by the cartoonist, Jeff Parker. It deals with the Pilgrims. It’s the name commonly applied to early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts.  In this drawing, we can see Indians or Native Americans who are building up a high fence so as to prevent pilgrims or settlers to land and to settle down in the USA. The first European settlers arrived in 1620 on board the May Flower. The caption is full of sarcasm and irony : historically the Indians did not prevent the Pilgrims from setting down in the USA. They even helped them. In the end, Indians lost their lands, their culture and traditions. The point of view given in this caption is a modern point of view. The autor denounces the modern American point of view about immigration. Times have changed but the same problems remain because history repeats itself, even today. We can make a link between the document and the notion because it focuses on a major issue which is the transmission of knowledge, culture made between American and Indian. Moreover it raises the problem of immigration in American nowadays.
I like this document because the author exposes his point of view with humor and I think it’s a efficient way to make people understand, especially in this case because it is a touchy subject.

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