Community and Womanhood in Sappho and Popol Vuh
We have read in this class use differing methods of relating memories. With the Popol Vuh we encounter an epic form, the layered and simultaneous form of storytelling that functions as a communal, shared history. With Sappho we encounter a lyrical voice, fractured and fragmented and yet we get a sense of its urgency and intensity. With Cassandra, Christa Wolf has chosen the novel as the form to revive a voice, lost in the history of victors and the vanquished, in order to ask questions about the nature of the truth, fate, and historical role of women.
Choose two texts to write about one of the following themes:
How do each of these texts remember? Compare and contrast these texts’ relationship to memory. What are each of these texts’ limitations in communicating a memory?
How do these texts deal with the concept of history? Do you detect limitations in how these works grapple with their separate senses of time? By comparing two of these texts, do you get a sense of their limitations?
What questions about womanhood arise in the reading of these texts?
Use two texts to write about the theme of community. How are stories, feelings, impressions, lessons shared? Are they shared in the same way across the two texts you have chosen?
In a 5-page, 1,250-word-essay, use two of the three texts we have discussed so far in this class to compare the way these texts present any of the themes outlined above.
Just use Sappho's poems and Popol Vuh's writing in this essay.
Community and Womanhood in Sappho and Popol Vuh
Student name
Institution
Professor
Course
Date
Community and Womanhood in Sappho and Popol Vuh
In literature, the idea of the community frequently refers to sharing experiences, emotions, impressions, and lessons. Popol Vuh and Sappho's poetry use storytelling to foster a sense of community but in very different ways. Nevertheless, each text provides a different perspective on how women have been portrayed and perceived in their respective societies. This article will examine how these books express the notion of community and the questions about womanhood that arise while reading them.
The lyrical voice that Sappho frequently uses in her poetry is shattered and disjointed. Her poetry shows ancient Greek women's romantic and emotional lives. Her impact on Western poetry and literature is evident, although her work has been lost and found again throughout the years (Sappho, n.d.). Sappho defies prevailing gender norms and expectations through her poems by offering a singular perspective on womanhood. Women are not passive objects of desire in Sappho's poetry but active players in their lovers' lives. In several fragments of Sappho's poetry, a woman addresses another woman as the speaker to communicate her love and desire (Sappho, n.d.). Despite being relegated to a lower social status in ancient Greece, this passionate and urgent tone suggests that women had the same desires and emotions as men.
The Maya oral tradition is used in Popol Vuh to transmit the stories. A creation myth and a history of the Maya people's valiant acts are both presented in the poem (Tedlock, 1996). Through oral tradition, the gods and heroes of the Maya people are passed down from one generation to the next, helping the community to remember its past, practices, and beliefs and to strengthen a sense of its shared identity. The storytelling tradition's group dynamics highlight the value of collective memory and the contribution of oral tradition to the development of the Maya people.
According to the Popol Vuh creation myth, the gods created the earth and people. The narrative highlights the value of harmony and balance in the natural world and humans' role in preserving this balance (Tedlock, 1996). The Maya people's views on their position in the world and their connection to nature are based on the creation myth.
The epic tale of the heroic twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque must overcome numerous obstacles and vanquish the underworld gods to bring the world back into harmony. The narrative emphasizes the value of fortitude, tenacity, and teamwork in the face of difficulty (Tedlock, 1996). The community's values of bravery and resiliency are reinforced through recounting this tale- the history of their forefathers and the tale of the Maya people's genesis. The oral tradition tells the Maya's heroic actions, conflicts, and alliances. The community recalls its history and strengthens a feeling of its collective identity through recounting these tales (Tedlock, 1996). Both texts share lessons as well. The tales of the gods and heroes in Popol Vuh are models for how the Maya people should live. The stories stress the value of bravery, diligence, and respect for the natural world.
On the other side, Popol Vuh offers a more group-based method of storytelling. The book is rich in history and culture, strengthening the Maya’s collective identity and shared memory (Tedlock, 1996). Popol Vuh fosters a sense of continuity and connectedness between generations by recounting creation myths and tales of valiant actions. The Popol Vuh was passed down orally for centuries before being written down, emphasising the significance of narrative in the book (Tedlock, 1996). Due to the oral tradition, the text could change over time and incorporate new tales and concepts as the neighbourhood changes.
Both Sappho's poetry and Popol Vuh give insights into the place of women in their societies, despite their distinct methods of narrative. The poetry of Sappho questions conventional gender roles by depicting women as complex, varied beings who can experience desire and develop strong emotional bonds with one another (Sappho, n.d.). Sappho provides a ...