"Harry Potter" (26th June 1997 - 21st July 2007)
"The Hunger Games" (14th September 2008 - 24th August 2010) A child is no more able to choose their “parents” in popular culture than they are in life. Nevertheless, the lessons that they learn as children and later ingrain as beliefs in adulthood can have a lasting impact. Some fathers are the heroes who empower. Figures who educate their children about the complexities of the world, how to accept it and themselves as imperfect, and how to cultivate strength in their children. These children enjoy a semblance of stability from a father’s commitment to playing the role responsibly. Other fathers are the incompetents who cripple. Figures who imbue their children with their fears of the world, their need to control others and their environment, and cultivate dependency in their children. These children experience the uncertainty and fear that results from a father still manifesting the unresolved material of their own childhood. This is best illustrated by the father archetype of the “Millennials,” Albus Dumbledore, and the father archetype of Zillennials, Haymitch Abernathy. I will use a general time period to define both that is neither scientific nor absolute, so that I may establish their definition for the purpose of this post. Millennials were preceded by what Professor Dan Woodman calls "Xennials", although I would disagree with Woodman's timeline and place them as having been born between 1975 and 1984. "Xennials" were proceeded by Generation X who were born between 1965 and 1974 (J. K. Rowling was born in 1965). "Generation Jones" came before them and were born between 1955 and 1964. "Baby Boomers" were born between 1945 and 1954. Millennials were born between 1985 and 1994. Oldest members were 13 when "Harry Potter" was released and 24 when "The Hunger Games" was released (17 in 2001). The average age of the oldest Millennial members' fathers (if they were the first born child) was 27.5 (44.5 in 2001). Likely shaped by the "helicopter parenting" style. First U.S. election Millennials could vote in elected George W. Bush or Barack Obama. Zillennials were born between 1995 and 2004. Oldest members were 2 when "Harry Potter" was released and 13 when "The Hunger Games" was released (6 in 2001). The average age of the oldest Zillennial members' fathers (if they were the first born child) was 29 (35 in 2001). Likely shaped by "attachment parenting" and the publishing of William Sears and Martha Sears "The Baby Book" ("the attachment parenting bible") in 1993. First U.S. election Zillennials could vote in elected Donald Trump. Zillennials will be followed by what may truly be defined as Generation Z that will be born between 2005 and 2014 (I would tentatively call them Zennials). Zennials will be followed by the generation that will be defined by the "theyby" (they+baby) phenomenon. What we may learn from these two father archetypes is how a generation’s popular culture can compensate for some of the shortcomings of a generation’s parents or exacerbate them. What the mythic stories of popular culture provide is an ideal to use as a justification for optimism or an incompetent to use as a justification for cynicism What the children raised by both Haymitch Abernathy and inept parental figures experience is an expectation of societal authorities to meet their needs for a competent father archetype. In young adulthood, the childhood fear that results from not having a competent father archetype turns to anger at authority figures in the social order. The young adults identify these figures as exploitive tyrants, scapegoat them for their misfortunes, and hold them accountable for the misery of living in a constant state of fear. The toxic belief that authorities in a "competency hierarchy" are responsible for their feelings of ineptitude (by failing to meet their childhood needs for a competent father archetype) creates a poisonous feedback loop. The feedback loop is particularly insidious because the presence of such beliefs encourage these children to seek out popular culture that reinforces a narrative of victimhood, as well as ideologues who have a vested interest in actually exploiting their belief in their victimhood. Conspicuously absent from Zillennials' popular culture are examples of kind teachers empowering young people by sharing their wisdom rather than their fear. Millennials had the father archetype of Albus Dumbledore. Albus is wise, caring, powerful and complicated. Albus' power comes from his high degree of competency in his field and not from his exploitation of the youth he is responsible for. A powerful father archetype, Albus' forthright integrity made the leaders of the social order's bureaucracy seem subordinate to one's allegiance to personal integrity. Zillennials had the father archetype of Haymitch Abernathy. Haymitch was a skilled pawn, marinating in self-loathing and resentment on the chessboard of life. Haymitch's ineffectuality reveals that one's individuality is insignificant within the dehumanizing bureaucracy of the social order. What is fascinating is the fact that the biological fathers of the main characters in both stories are dead. The substitute fathers of their stories are given the primary responsibility for shaping their beliefs and this can be seen in where they end up by the end of their journey. One character will survive the horror while defending and renewing the virtuous social order, and the other will participate in the horror while tearing down the evil social order and leave behind society as a whole. One will find peace in a strong family of their making, that participates in and strengthens the social order, while leaving behind the pain of past wounds.
The other will live out the rest of their days accepting a life of disillusionment and fear, withdraw from the world, and share the past in a manner that will stain the lives of their children.
For the adult raised without a healthy father archetype, this crippling absence must be explored using mythic stories of the fatherless hero and the psychological training that allows for individuation and the establishment of a healthy ego.
The myths and the study of them offer insights into the riddle of the human experience. There is a wealth of wisdom and understanding that is waiting to be discovered, and no shortage of teachers sharing their wisdom across generations in the form of books and video. Below, is Joseph Campbell (and a fine place to start).
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“Well, add to that the combination of Marx and Freud and you have dynamite for young people. Because Marx tells you about the exploiter and the exploited, then Freud tells you that your father is the exploiter and then you unite "father" with the nation and you get what we had in the 1960s.”
-Joseph Campbell, June 1982 |
MissionTell Forward explores the importance and role of mythology and culture in shaping todays society. Shanth Enjeti is an Assistant Professor at Montserrat College of Art and spent 15 years teaching at Rhode Island School of Design. ArchivesCategories |