Mythologies

I first heard of Barthes years ago when reading an online article about wrestling. The writer had been assigned Barthes in a Literature class full of snobs who had no appreciation for his hobby: attending wrestling matches. Through Barthes, and that legendary piece ‘The World of Wrestling’, the writer was finally able to express to his fellow students what captivated him about the over-the-top spectacle that was amateur wrestling. ‘A light without shadow elicits an emotion without reserve’ writes Barthes about wrestling. It is the simplicity of the hero versus the villain that captivates the ordinary man. Watching a wrestling match, the complexities of institutional justice wither away and we take our place amongst the Judges and Barristers. Justice is put on full display for all to see and it finally makes sense!Barthes had that magical gift of looking at the world and seeing it for what it really was in a way few could. Each essay here is a concise look at things most of us take for granted. From the humble child’s toy to the highly-symbolic bottle of French wine, he takes us on a journey through the hidden world behind our brands and our sundries, using a vast knowledge of culture past and present to place things in a broader framework of meaning. Never before have I looked on a box of detergent and considered it a heroic symbol deterring dirt from clothes as the nuclear bomb deters our enemies from our borders. After Barthes, that is no longer the case.I'm a military history buff; a big fan of the F-15 fighter-jet and Gulf War history. Naturally, then, my favourite essay here happens to be the one concerning the ‘Jet-Man’. I had never seen Jet-Pilots as a different species of human before. However, it is hard not to acknowledge that they are after reading Barthes. They wear nylon skin, they wear masks of glass and steel with hoses and pipes. They are unlike the fighters of the past, more akin to machines than men; more attached to the skies than to earth. And the speed they move at can only render them passive in their professions. A man on the ground can identify a threat at close quarters. However, the Jet-Pilot relies on HUD screens and orders to be in any way effective. His speed defeats him – much like the ‘Net-Man’ on the 21st century, coasting on a sea of information at light speed and yet utterly unaware of anything happening around him.This is why I love Barthes. He made me see things that I had never had the means to see before. The mythic surrounds us even to this day.

French philosopher Roland Barthes is universally hailed as the founding father of structuralism. 'Mythologies' is one of his best works.It features 29 essays about topics as diverse as the world of wrestling and the brain of Einstein. All the myths of mass culture have been nicely explored by Barthes. There is also a new translated essay called 'Astrology' in this book.

Got this for uni and didn't use it too much for that use but it is a great general read, very interesting!

Simply superb! Mythmaking is something we all engage in, mostly unconsciously. To bring a clear insight into the process and analyse it for what it is requires a sharp and perceptive intellect, and that Barthes is! Though most of the essays may seem dated or culturally located in distant France, a little effort from the reader goes a long way in understanding his modes and approaches of thought. And that is irresistibly sublime.

Good book.