The book Chimera by John Barth is not one but three books...

The book Chimera by John Barth is not one but three books all taking places in different places and times in Greek mythology. The book is split into three part the Dunyazadiad, the Perseid, and the Bellerophoniad. Just as in the Aeneid the main characters names are in each of the section titles: Dunyazade, Perseus, and Bellerophon. Their stories are literally just simple retellings except told from other points of view to give another point of view as if we are seeing it from the worlds point of view instead of the heroes. In the Dunyazadiad, Dunyazade tells the tale of how Dunyazade goes back in time to express his admiration Scheherazade, the writer of One Thousand and One Nights. As he expresses his admiration for the work she is†¦show more content†¦The two sisters view him as a genie and on the one thousand and first night he tells Scheherazade and her sister that they will live happily ever after but Scheherazade has yet to fall for the King who had killed a thousand virgins before her. On top of that she is not very willing to marry as she views it as a form of submission. In the end they decide to kill the King. As I read the story I felt that Scheherazade was depicted as the Hero archetype. The hero does not want to be vulnerable and I think this goes hand in hand with her not wanting to be married because as she would have to submit to the King’s will she would have to be vulnerable to anything that would come her way as a result. She constantly shows how strong she is as she works to prove that she is worth keeping around to the King. She is kind of in a â€Å"where there is a will there is a way† mindset. I fell that she focuses on doing everything not because she is only proving herself but that she is also trying to protect her sister. This is also relatable to how Aeneas leaves his home to find a better place to live with his people. In part two, Perseid, the first half is all about how he grew up and how he slays medusa a nd marries the fair maiden. However he and his wife do not live happily ever after and then Perseus starts to think back to his days of greatness and feels at a loss for all that had happened. As during that time divorce would have been frowned upon and he would have beenShow MoreRelatedThe Myth Of A Myth1612 Words   |  7 Pagesyears. A myth is a type of story based on a tradition or legend which has symbolic meaning to culture. A truth is conveyed to those who tell or hear a myth. Some myths are accounts of real events. Myths become shifted in time or place and changed by symbolic meaning. 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