Classical goddesses in American short fiction about the Vietnam War

Date

1998-08

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Texas Tech University

Abstract

Mythology carries within it our cultural heritage and our belief structures. It allows us a common experience for understanding the human condition, and often it gives us the means to explain aspects of our existence that are otherwise unexplainable. Most of us are probably introduced to mythology through the fairy tales we are told as children. Just as Persephone/Demeter/Hecate archetypes offer a means to extract another layer of meaning from the literature of the Vietnam War, fairy tales provide another powerful lens through which to view the works.

In this dissertation I will examine selected works from Vietnam War literature filtered through the lenses of both the Persephone/Demeter/Hecate myths and through the lens of fairy tales. My objective is to develop a methodology that will allow the reader to discern layers of meaning not always apparent through other approaches to this literature.

Description

Keywords

Goddesses in literature, Archetypes in literature, Women in literature, Vietnam -- Fiction, Heroines in literature

Citation