~MY PAPER~
Upon first glance, the Biblical and Classical traditions in literature may both seem like a collection of strange, ancient stories, bearing no relevance to today’s society. Chances are that if a reader opens the pages of the Bible to a book like Judges or Revelation, or stumbles upon “The Orestaia” in one of its many forms, he will discover something equally strange and ancient. However, irrelevant they are not. Both are engaged in a timeless tug of war; each competitor straining to pull the reader onto their side of the divide.
It has often been quoted, “All of life is a displacement of myth”. There is nothing new in life, as the 21st Century knows it that has not been previously captured by one of these polar traditions. Not only has it already happened, but that first occurrence is actively shaping the second and on into eternity. This is why it is so important to know and understand the differences as well as the similarities between the two traditions. One’s life is undoubtedly shaped by what one knows.
Let us assume a young child grows up being told the stories of Persephone and her mother Demeter or engaging in the tale of the city of Troy. How would these ancient myths effect the rest of his life…if at all? Many would argue that they would have no effect saying that these stories are simply stories and have no bearing on real life. If all of life really is a displacement, this is thoroughly impossible. Perhaps as in the story of Persephone descending to the underworld this young boy would view life as a continuous series of fours with out even knowing it. What was read to him as a child imprinted his mind while he was unaware. Perhaps he would unconsciously be ever waiting for the spring of his life where he would somehow rise to the top and the world would be perfect. It is also possible that his life would be molded by the story presented in “The Orestaia.” While the young boy, now a man, swears by his own head that he is adamantly opposed to war and any form of violence, his life and attitude might be characterized by the greed, anger, and arrogance he could not help but admire from his childhood story times. Simply by admiring a character like Agamemnon, Achilles or Hector, the boy’s life could start to imitate theirs. It would not have to be a conscious decision of “I chose to shape my life after….” but an unconscious drive to be like the one held in such esteem. If this boy’s life is a displacement of myth, it seems logical that it would more likely be a representation of the myth that he knew.
On the other hand, it is equally likely if not more so for one’s life to be influenced by the Biblical tradition simply because in American culture it is so readily available. Obviously, almost everyone in the United States knows what the Bible is but certainly not everyone’s life is a displacement of its primary story. This would only happen to the people who know the story like it truly is their own. They have read it and claimed it, shocked at how the writers of old knew of their story all those years ago. The small child that grew up under this tradition is me. From the youngest age I grew up reading about Samson and Delilah, Cain and Able, Mary and Martha. These stories were never presented to me as mere “interesting stories” but as stories that inevitably pointed to my own. The story of Mary and Martha is the one that I hope my life becomes a displacement of. Mary and Martha were sisters and friends of Jesus Christ. One day while Jesus was resting in their home trouble arose. Martha was in a daze, preparing food like the end of the world was just around the bend and if no one ate they would surely all die. She began to grow angry at the lack of help she was receiving from her sister Mary who was selfishly sitting at the feet of Jesus listening intently to every word out of his mouth. What was Jesus’ reply? What Mary did was better. The point of this story was that no amount of work we do for “the Kingdom of Heaven” is more pleasing to God than the gift of time spent with Him. What a glorious displacement this would be! Now let us examine the core story of the Bible: Jesus Christ coming to earth to seek and save the lost. I think in almost every book my A.P. English class read in high school we ran across some sort of Christ figure. Jesus seemed to pop up everywhere! The story of the redeemer is one that no one tires of hearing. Some people take it a step further and allow themselves to become a displacement of The Redeemer. Their lives are no longer their own but live to do the same as Christ did 2000 years ago.
The Biblical and Classical traditions are both so intriguing and both incessantly speak of human nature. Yet, they both deal with human nature in such completely different ways! The Biblical tradition praises God that his condition is not permanent while the Classical tradition embraces its condition and almost glorifies it. Perhaps how man responds to what is true about himself is what effects which displacement he will inevitably embody.