To: Professor Emily Sketch Haines From: Nigel Morrison Date: January 17th, 2013 Subject: Genre Analysis

The genre of myth is encompassed by the characteristics of supernatural forces and a story that explains or justifies an event that occurred, whether social, natural, or otherwise. In the context of Daniel 3, the conventions of the myth define the storyline. Without this series of characters, choices, and problems, a plot would not exist, and therefore the myth would digress into a simple statement that is left to be interpreted by the reader. In this account by Daniel, the theme seems to be that one should hold true to what they believe in, and they will be rewarded. This myth succeeds in portraying this theme through its use of symbolism and supernatural events. Because both of these aspects of the myth are abstract, the genre of myth in general tends to capture the attention of those who are open-minded or appreciative of more transcendent events. Myths are a way of life for some, and they capture historic events and recount them in a way that allows the simple mind of a human to grasp concepts that may be out of the realm of possibility, such as three men being saved by an angel. Myths allow the mind to understand concepts that cannot be easily explained, if at all, by use of supernatural elements. Because myths include these supernatural occurrences, one could argue the believability of a myth and be more likely discount its credibility or fail to see the ideals at all. While this fallacy is unavoidable, any myth seeking to explain or justify a particular phenomenon requires a storyline. If any element of this storyline is left out or poorly developed, it leaves room for interpretation and a possible misconstrued message or ideal. If the three Jews did not affirm that the God [they] serve [was] able to deliver [them] from the furnace, there would have been doubt in the reader about the purpose of having the angel. For if the three Jews had no beliefs, but were saved despite this, the message of holding true to ones beliefs would be rendered null. If one critiques or digs deeply enough, nullity can be found in most genres. In the genre of a newspaper article, the general population expects a recount of events in an educated voice and a tone of informative objectivity. In a newspaper article, the audience is the general public. Commonly uneducated in the events that a newspaper issues, a standard article will provide the essential information needed to gain an understanding of an event or occurrence. Generally newspaper articles are believable and reliable. Similar to a myth, a newspaper article is a narrative of a story told through what is oftentimes an omniscient narrator. Newspaper articles are effective methods of communicating an idea because they are straightforward, and generally provide a journalistic and factual approach to situations and the elements within their writing. The audience that would be partial to a newspaper article version of the myth would be people who prefer to have facts laid out for them in a simple manner, with no frills. In this case, the genre of newspaper did not alter the myth significantly. Almost all the main aspects of the myth are still present, so the story remains largely unchanged. While it is awkward

to have a rational tone about the blazing furnace and describe the appearance of an angel as a daily event, the elements of the story still exist, and the explanation is still evident. Although sometimes abstract, poems too, have themes embedded in them. The standard conventions of a poem generally include some form of rhyming pattern and meter. Poems also incorporate many literary devices in order to unify lines and make connections between the text and the theme. In a poem, the tone is generally the attitude of the author towards the subject in the poem. This attitude helps establish the credibility of the author and enhances the readability because of the emotion that is instilled in the poem. The word choice in poetry is crucial, because different words have different connotations and can alter the mood of a piece. Syntax and inverted sentences can slow the reader down and cause them to truly analyze what they are reading. In this case, inverted sentences alter the myth in the sense that they call into question the validity of each statement, where it is then affirmed in the next line using rhyme. The line that starts upon this command, the soldiers burned creates a question in the reader, where the next line shows that it is the furnace that burned the soldiers and three traitors fell in: the three Jews fell into the furnace, and heads were turned. This structure dramatizes the story, and captivates the audience by doing so. Poetry is a creative medium for expressing ideas. It doesnt always rhyme, and its audiences are vast. Different poetry calls to different people. The brevity of poetry is generally misleading, as there is much more content beneath the surface level. For example, the weather as expressed in the poem actually represents the furnace that the Jews were to be thrown into and the soldiers that were to bind them. The genre of a myth is evidently the most effective in communicating this story because of the convention of supernatural occurrences. While a poem may represent and emphasize the literary elements, and a newspaper article will focus on the objectivity of the piece, each have their advantages and disadvantages as a genre in presenting this myth.

Attachment 1: King Nebuchadnezzar created an idol of gold Come worship this image, to Babylon he told And so all people, low and high, came to worship with blind eyes. The herald sang out the orders of the king: Worship you will when instruments do sing. And to each man who so denies, a fiery furnace he will try. So when the instruments played their sounds, People of Babylon and the world did fall down Astrologers were critical of the Jews They told the king of three who choose To worship another god Knowing that their lives--they would lose. These three Jews enraged Nebuchadnezzar But the three rebels stayed their faith Despite the weather. The weather was this: A furnace seven times hotter, the king hissed. Take these traitors to the furnace they have sinned, And have the strongest soldiers to throw them in. Upon this command, the soldiers burned. The three Jews fell into the furnace, and heads were turned. For the men were walking within the fire, An angel beside them, sent to inspire. Nebuchadnezzar then praised their unsigned hairs And spread word of their sacredness to all who cared.

Attachment 2: In recent news, three men were found to be gods. In an attempt to promote his own belief and image, the King of Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar, structured a massive image of gold. According to the general population, the King decreed that people of all professions should gather to stand before the image. The population was to worship upon the sound of various instruments, which included a horn, a flute, and a zither, among others. Anyone who failed to comply with these guidelines was to be thrown into a furnace and burned to death. However, three Jews by the names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego defied King Nebuchadnezzars wishes, opting to hold fast to their own beliefs. The trio held that the God we serve is able to deliver [them]from Your Majestys hand. The King then ordered the furnace lit seven times hotter than usual. The men were then thrown into the fire, but continued to walk about, unharmed, accompanied by an angel. The King quickly changed his attitude towards the three men and praised them, speaking to kill people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, [or] Abednego. The three Gods were then exalted in all of Babylon.