QUESTION: Analyze and explain how Kay Boyle uses symbols and patterns from the Narcissus myth to tell her story Use several direct quotes from our course materials: the Narcissus myth, and the short story The Astronomer's wife by Kay Boyle. We should now understand the power of myth in storytelling and how Greek myths have evolved over time to become literary symbols and patterns within modern literature.

Use the following outline to help you organize your Ideas

1. First, compare the symbols and pattern of the Narcissus Myth to the symbols and pattern of Kay Boyle's The Astronomer's Wife, what are the major symbols of the Narcissus Myth? What do those symbols represent in modern literature?

2. Second, How and where are the major symbols present in Boyle's story? What do they represent to Mrs. Ames in the short story? Narcissus' story is filled with sexual violence. Is there any violence present in Mrs. Ames life of Boyle's story, or is there any violent language that she uses to describe the scene? What specific lines imply this? (Consider that "violence" can be physical or emotional) Narcissus does not get to self-discover because he is cursed. Does Mrs. Ames get to begin a journey toward self-discovery? How do you know?

3. Lastly, Why do you think it matters that our new, modern stories are just rewritten patterns of old ones? Wrap up your main ideas and the overall message.

Thanks in advance!!

Below are both materials :

1. the Narcissus myth

The Narcissus Myth Hera and Zeus were in an argument over who has more pleasure from sex the man or the woman. Zeus said it was the woman and Hera said it was the man. To settle it they let Tiresias be the judge. He would be a good judge because he once struck two snakes coiled in intercourse and he was turned into a woman. Seven years later he saw the same snakes, struck them again and was turned back into a man. So he lived as both man and woman and told them from experience that the woman feels more pleasure from intercourse. Losing the argument made Hera angry and she struck Tiresias blind. Zeus felt bad for him so he gave him the power to see the future. One of the first to ask Tiresias about the future was a water nymph Liriope who was raped by Cepheus resulting in the birth of her child Narcissus. She asked how long her child would live. Tiresias said he would live to old age as long as he never came to know himself. As Narcissus grew up he became very beautiful, loved and sought after by everyone. Echo was particularly obsessed in love with Narcissus. But Echo too was a victim of Hera's anger because echo once kept Hera in conversation for a long time so that she wouldn't catch Zeus cheating on her. When Hera found out she was so mad she made echo unable to hold conversation ever again and cursed her to only be able to repeat the last words spoken to her. Every time she tried to talk to Narcissus it obviously didn't work out. She threw herself at him and was desperate for his attention but could not talk to him properly. Narcissus drew back from her and said he'd rather die than be trapped in Echo's love. Rejected she went into the forest and died there. She mourned and wasted away to nothing. It is said that you can still hear her there repeating what people call out. Narcissus continued to be unapproachable not interested in offered love, until someone he rejected placed a curse on him: let him love only himself and let that love fail. One day Narcissus went to drink from a pool and when he saw his reflection, he became entranced in the beauty. He tried to kiss and embrace his own image in the water but of course failed in frustration every time. He wanted to leave his body and join the image in the pool but he couldn't. Narcissus never made it passed the surface of the water. Like echo he began to waste away. He tore at his own flesh in frustration and eventually he died by the pool. His body vanished and the gold and white flower named after him grew there