John Petrenko Grad Research Assignment: Discussion Questions on Essay

Is the imagery in our contemporary time, too machine, whereas we cannot communicate the feelings, the sentiments and the meanings that they did in the pastoral times, to create mythology?

I feel that it may be incredibly hard to start depicting mythological metaphors in our day and age. Back in the olden times imagination was more rampent in a way, although I am not saying we as a culture don't have an imagination, we probably have more of an imagination than they did, we just have too much science to disprove most mythology. In those older days, people didn't know anywhere near as much as we do as a collective, I'm not saying they weren't smart, I'm just saying that in our day and age we know so much more and there are so many more skeptics and scientists. Our photography also disproves our imagination and idea of mythology as well. We document so much of our lives these days through photographs that it's hard for us to believe in something that isn't right there in front of us, our culture is so incredibly visual that if we don't see it in person or if it isn't documented correctly, that it's hard to believe.

Is it true that symbols change, but people stay the same?

This question seems to have many answers. Is it true that symbols change throughout time? Of course, but they also stay the same too. Do people change throughout time? Well, again, that's another question that is a yes and a no. We all change at some point, we mature and learn and become wiser with our age. But so did people back then. With the symbols part of the question, it's true that things mean different things throughout changes in culture, but such images such as the Virgin Mary, the Crucifix, and mostly religious iconography haven't changed. But, symbols throughout our times have changed tremendously, with so many new things being invented symbols and icons are changing so rapidly, so it's really hard to make a long lasting symbol these days. Men and women have changed just because of our culture and its advances with civil rights, technology, TV, internet, etc. People's identity's are and personalities are kind of the same, we have the same assholes, really smart people, rebels, and religious people that have been with us forever. So, I am sorry I haven't really answered the question, but the question is ever changing.