Myths in Tom Robbins’s Another Roadside Attraction :: Another Roadside Attraction

Questioning Myths in Tom Robbins’s Another Roadside Attraction Tom Robbins’s controversial first novel, Another Roadside Attraction, epitomizes the declination of religious devotion, especially Catholicism, in America during the 1960s. Influences on Robbins while conceiving this novel include the early history of Christianity, eastern religion, and author Joseph Campbell. Campbell is famous for his massive and detailed comparisons of Western and Eastern spirituality, myth, and belief. Additionally, the experimentation with psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms led Robbins to new perspectives and mind expansion and consequently to question the validity of Christianity and the divinity of Jesus Christ. Robbins was intrigued by the extent to which Western Civilization—from its cultural myths to individual behavior—was predicted on the divinity of Christ. He wanted to explore questions and possible answers about what would happen if American Christians learned conclusively that Christ was not divine; questions s uch as, "What would this say about Western Civilization, about the future of Western Civilization? Could we continue to lead moral and ethical lives if Christ was proved to have died and stayed dead?" (Whitmer 245). This premise, conceived while writing art reviews for the Seattle Times, led Robbins to speculate about the consequences of world religion if the corpse of Jesus Christ was unearthed. When he approached Luther Nichols, west coast editor of Doubleday Books in 1968 with the concept for Another Roadside Attraction, Nichols bought the idea and Robbins was off and running on his first piece of fiction (Hoyser 9-12). While Robbins’s work was at first ill received, by the mid-1970s the public had started to warm up to this quirky and thought provoking writer. Even today, his work invites inquiry about what prompted him to write this controversial novel. That is, who and what influenced this line of thought? What was happening in America and with Christianity during the period, in which he wrote and researched this piece of fiction? And, finally, why did he write in this sporadic, nonlinear fashion, inserting seemingly non-related details and encrypting an official report within the structure of a novel? And how does this relate to the influences mentioned above? All of these questions and more offer themselves up from the pages of this funny and whimsical, yet philosophical and wise novel, Another Roadside Attraction. Robbins began penning his first novel in 1968 while working for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Before that he held many journalistic jobs and had a varied and colorful education.

A Paper Review on the Economics of the Middle East

Workforce is a significant aspect in every country’s economy.   There are some areas that has a large number of employment opportunities yet with just a few people applying for work which could be due to lack of skill or because of culture when it comes to women workers especially the married ones.This usually becomes an issue in places where women are not able to work so that they could tend to their children everyday.   In some countries, it still taboo for women to get employed since their role is considered as a housekeeper thus not requiring them to seek employment and it is the husbands’ role to be the breadwinner and be the one to put food on the table.This research paper was conducted to help determine whether child care availability would affect women’s employment decisions in the Arab countries, most specifically in Israel where the free Pre-Kindergarten Law for three to four year old kids was implemented last September 1999. This also tried to find out about the effects of child care costs on fertility.According to Analia Schosser, who wrote the research paper, women’s participation in the labor force would help promote women empowerment and gender equality.   This would also help in the progress of a country’s economy and modernization.   A minimal labor force participation of women is often attributed to cultural factors.  I do agree with the author of this paper that having women in the labor force would allow them to earn a living and be able to help support their families financially at the same time help their country’s economy and   also reduce the gender gaps in the employment area.   Mothers would also realize how imperative it is for their kids to get early childhood education to build a foundation for their children’s education.This paper may be based on a study done in one country only but there are some countries that are somewhat of the same situation as that of Israel and t his will serve as a basis of a change in the role of women in their societies as well. This could boost the economy of one place if women consider seeking employment and were at the same time considered for employment by certain companies.   This could also enhance the educational growth of children who are of pre-school age.It was found in this research that the Pre-Kindergarten Law of Israel successfully fulfilled two aspects which were the increase of children’s enrollment in pre-school and the increase of the women’s labor supply.It just goes to show that women gave the priority in child-rearing thus giving them no time to seek for employment or they could not afford to put their children to get a pre-school education but when free education was available, it significantly showed a change in the women’s participation on the labor force thereby helping their country as well.   The research also found that there were no short-term fertility responses among mothers affected by the intervention.It would strengthen the findings of this research and be very essential if a follow up is made after a few more years among the same communities offered by the free pre-school education.   A research of the same kind will also help if conducted in another country that has the same predicament.Researches of this type can help a government’s decision on what aspect and ways they need to implement for the enhancement of their community and their economy.Works Cited Schlosser, Analà ­a. â€Å"Public Preschool and the Labor Supply of Arab Mothers: Evidence from a  Ã‚   Natural Experiment.† 2005.   

The Dual Role of Gods in The Iliad Essay - 1163 Words

The Dual Role of Gods in The Iliad With even a cursory exposure to ancient Greek texts, it is obvious that the gods and goddesses are very important in traditional Greek culture. As literary figures in mythos and specific poetry and drama, the gods dabble in the life of man, predict his fate, and routinely thwart any attempt for him to entirely forge his own future. But for those of us who are not extensively schooled in antiquities, it is hard to pinpoint exactly what the gods are to the ancient Greeks, and what they are to us as readers of literature who live outside the culture. Were the gods accepted as parable figures, meant to instruct? Were they used to explain acts of nature? Do they now belong to anything†¦show more content†¦The gods are conspicuous to the humans within the text, and moreover, the gods are conspicuous to the reader. As the epics battles loom and its literary armor clatters, the Olympian gods are present on almost every page of The Iliad. At odds with each other, vulnerab le to seductions and flattery, cursed with quick tempers, Homers gods cannot be depended upon to stay out of the earthly battles, even when ordered to do so by Zeus. For the lesser gods, the threat of eviction from Olympus is not enough to scare them. Zeus tells Iris the swift to deliver the message to Hera and Athene, ...turn them back again, let them not reach me, since we would close in fighting thus that would be unseemly (VII 399-400), forgetting or ignoring that the gods fight amongst themselves all the time within the text. Zeus is the supreme leader of the gods, but his will is not always respected, especially once he turns his back. He makes terrible threats against disobedience, but the other gods know he is easily persuaded, face to face, to act on behalf of whomever asks. Thetis sits by Zeuss knee and asks for his support for Troy, and because Zeus is endowed with many of the weaknesses of man, he cannot say no to a pretty face. To Thetiss request, Zeus answ ers, This is a disastrous matter when you set me in conflict with Hera (I 518-19) yet he gives in to her, anyway, and will deal with his wife later. Warriors on both sides, Trojans and AchaiansShow MoreRelatedIliad - Self image1193 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿The Iliad Essay Prompt 1. Complete one take home essay. Provide textual evidence, specific lines and incidents from The Iliad that proves your thesis. You may also draw from The Odyssey. Use in text parenthetical documentation according to MLA standards. The style guide that many colleges use is DianaHacker.com. We will use this style guide for both MLA format and grammar and mechanics. If you have any questions about MLA format, refer to DianaHacker.com. This paper needs to read asRead MoreThe Eruption Of The Iliad1558 Words   |  7 PagesFay Blakley English 2030 – W4 Prof. Dr. Atkinson 24 September 2015 Humanization of The Iliad The eruption of the Trojan War might stand as one of the most relevant events in Greek mythology. A raging war between kings and gods alike shed blood bath, eventually bringing Troy to a crumble. Was the war intended to be a battle between the mortals? Throughout the epic of Homer’s The Iliad, the gods take on human characteristics, allowing their feelings guide them, intervening, through the war. Read MoreMythology : Tales Of Gods And Heroes1672 Words   |  7 PagesMythology: Tales of Gods and Heroes Glossary: Important Gods (1) Zeus, also known as Jupiter. Brother to Poseidon and Hades. He is the supreme leader of the Gods and he is the Lord of the Sky, the Rain-God, and the cloud gatherer, who wielded the incredible Thunderbolt. His power alone was greater than that of all the divinities combined. He once told his family â€Å"I am mightiest of all. Make trial that you may know. Fasten a rope of gold to heaven and lay hold, every God, and Goddess. You could notRead MoreWomen Of The Ancient Greek Work, The Iliad And The Mesopotamian Epic Of Gilgamesh2549 Words   |  11 PagesRoles of women in the ancient times have been generally been limited to household, childbearing, childrearing, performing domestic chores like cooking, weaving and providing comforts to their husbands and families. Many of the primitive societies were male dominated and women were considered inferior creature dependent on their male guardians throughout life. Historic accounts and epics of specific periods describe the role assig ned to genders in those societies. This paper talks about the role ofRead More Analysis of Epic Poems Essay example4364 Words   |  18 Pagestells a story about heroes. 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This particular group of scientists claims that the subject matter of the writings is too diverse for them to have been the product of just one person. Despite these differingRead MoreEssay on The Odyssey21353 Words   |  86 Pageson the side of Agamemnon. Of all the heroes who return from the war, his homeward voyage is the longest and most perilous. Although Odysseus is in many ways a typical Homeric hero, he is not perfect, and his very human flaws play an important role in the work. Penelope - the much-enduring wife of Odysseus and the patient mother of Telemachus. If travel is Odysseus test, staying home is Penelopes. She keeps home and family intact until Odysseus can return to claim his rights. TheRead More Importance of the Telemachy in Developing Major Themes of Odyssey3687 Words   |  15 Pagesmeeting of the Olympian Gods, one of the most important themes is brought in. This is the theme that transgressions, especially non-pious ones, lead to punishment. Examples given here are Odysseus men eating the Sun Gods (Hyperions) cattle, resulting in the destruction of their ship. Homer even comments on it - their own transgression that brought them to their doom. As we move in, some of Zeus first words are referring to his exasperation that mortals view the gods as the source of theirRead Moretheme of alienation n no where man by kamala markandeya23279 Words   |  94 Pagesentombment. On Thebes: Thebes was the most important city of Boeotia, on mainland Greece. It was one of the chief city-states of ancient Greece, after Athens and Sparta. Sophocles described it as â€Å"the only city where mortal women are the mothers of gods.† According to Greek legends, the city was founded by Cadmus and was destroyed by the Epigonoi in the time before the Trojan War. In the sixth century B.C., Thebes recovered its glory to some extent, and in Sophocles’ time it was still a powerful state