myth
...by looking at it through myths. We use myths to explain the unexplainable, whether it be something within ourselves or on the exterior. Leeming believes myths are important, because we continuously search for the truth and through myths each individual is able to decode them and give them their own meanings. This is important for us to do, because it gives us an understanding of the world that we live in and it also gives us hope for the future. Humans have been using myths for centuries in order to express and tell stories about themselves. Myths cannot be taken literally; they are just there for us to explain the unexplainable. In today’s society we are taught to look at things rationally, therefore it can be difficult to accept myths. Leeming’s understanding of myths is that we should not deny them, but rather allow them to be reinvented as the times change. We should also try to understand them with our knowledge and experiences of today’s world. Unlike Leeming, Barthes attempts to decode myths and find the negativities lying within them. Barthes perceives the meanings behind myths to be negative and harmful to society. According to Barthes, myth always has a motive to be used for different purposes. They are often falsified and can be used as political propaganda. For him, myth is on a secular level, he has a menacing view of how it is used in everyday life. Myth is there to help or serve a purpose for somebody else, not you. Barthes has put together a number of essays describing the meanings/myths behind objects/rituals used in everyday life. He has deconstructed them to find the aspects that are detrimental to us all. Barthes says myths are portrayed as facts, yet they are really falsehoods and it is important to study them so that they can be decoded and destroyed. Barthes sees myths to be part of the unconscious, which are promoted by our cultural values. When things go wrong an...