What this is about.

This is my prep for my am comprehensive exams. I will write entries musing on some unifying themes within a particular set of literary pieces. The unifying themes are:
1. Religion and the human experience
2. The outsider in society
3. The Campbellian view of the hero

The first two are fairly clear, but the third may need explanation to those unfamiliar with the work of Joseph Campbell. I am taking his definition of the monomyth from The Hero With a Thousand Faces to describe the hero's journey.

"A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man" (30).

So, entries in this blogger will take a piece of literature from my list (which includes all periods of World, British, and American literature) and look for apsects of each of these three themes within them. We'll see how it goes. Those reading this blogger are more than welcome to participate by commenting on my musings. If poetry is your cuppa, try my other blogger: www.pmcomps.blogspot.com and read and react to poems by Christina Rossetti. I've commented on them, now it's your turn to react - agree, disagree, whatever you want to do.