Page 166 - Šolsko polje, XXVIII, 2017, no. 3-4: Education and the American Dream, ed. Mitja Sardoč
P. 166
šolsko polje, letnik xxviii, številka 3–4
first black female news anchor before the age of 20”9, launching widely ac-
cepted talk shows, etc. Victories, that can be labelled as success, eventu-
ally brought her [Recognition]; this function is epitomized in her devot-
ed fan base, various film and media awards, and titles, such as “the richest
African American of the 20th century,” “one of the most influential peo-
ple from 2004 to 2011 by TIME” and other recognitions like the honor-
ary doctorate degrees from Duke and Harvard.10 These series of victories
and recognitions were subsequently followed by [Transfiguration] – more
precisely, the lower level order (T2 – The hero builds a marvellous palace)
that matches entirely with the following biographical fact: “Winfrey cur-
rently lives on “The Promised Land”, her 42-acre (17 ha) estate with ocean
and mountain views in Montecito, California.”11
While Oprah’s story includes most of the functions proposed by
Propp, their correlation is not sequential, meaning that the story does not
follow the chronological – linear order. Some functions are randomly re-
grouped, while others follow the original Propp’s structure, for example:
difficult childhood is followed by [Departure] and [Hero’s reaction] as
these two functions are evidently causal and cannot be reversed. The same
principle applies to other functions, for instance [Villainy] and [Depar-
ture] or [Mediation] and [Departure]; without the previous narrative ele-
ments that caused it, the Departure would naturally not be logical.
The following example of an American rapper and businessman
Jay-Z exhibits a similar pattern. In the introduction of the book Empire
State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner To Corner Office, the au-
thor outlines key features, universal to the concept of the American Dream:
The following pages will explain just how Jay Z propelled himself from
the bleak streets of Brooklyn to the heights of the business world. In
making that journey, he’s gone from peddling cocaine to running mul-
ti-million dollar companies, with worldwide stops and sold-out concerts
along the way. Once Jay Z got going, it took him less than ten years to
complete that voyage, thanks to innate talents honed through hustling.
His story is the American dream in its purest form, a model for any en-
trepreneur looking to build a commercial empire.12
The rapper is presented to the reader as an archetype of a hero, a 21st
century prototype of a self-made man, who paved his own way to fame
9 http://www.businessinsider.com/rags-to-riches-story-of-oprah-winfrey-2015-5
10 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey, see section Personal Wealth and Rank-
ings.
11 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey, see section Personal Life.
12 Greenburg, O. Z., 2011: p. 1.
164
first black female news anchor before the age of 20”9, launching widely ac-
cepted talk shows, etc. Victories, that can be labelled as success, eventu-
ally brought her [Recognition]; this function is epitomized in her devot-
ed fan base, various film and media awards, and titles, such as “the richest
African American of the 20th century,” “one of the most influential peo-
ple from 2004 to 2011 by TIME” and other recognitions like the honor-
ary doctorate degrees from Duke and Harvard.10 These series of victories
and recognitions were subsequently followed by [Transfiguration] – more
precisely, the lower level order (T2 – The hero builds a marvellous palace)
that matches entirely with the following biographical fact: “Winfrey cur-
rently lives on “The Promised Land”, her 42-acre (17 ha) estate with ocean
and mountain views in Montecito, California.”11
While Oprah’s story includes most of the functions proposed by
Propp, their correlation is not sequential, meaning that the story does not
follow the chronological – linear order. Some functions are randomly re-
grouped, while others follow the original Propp’s structure, for example:
difficult childhood is followed by [Departure] and [Hero’s reaction] as
these two functions are evidently causal and cannot be reversed. The same
principle applies to other functions, for instance [Villainy] and [Depar-
ture] or [Mediation] and [Departure]; without the previous narrative ele-
ments that caused it, the Departure would naturally not be logical.
The following example of an American rapper and businessman
Jay-Z exhibits a similar pattern. In the introduction of the book Empire
State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner To Corner Office, the au-
thor outlines key features, universal to the concept of the American Dream:
The following pages will explain just how Jay Z propelled himself from
the bleak streets of Brooklyn to the heights of the business world. In
making that journey, he’s gone from peddling cocaine to running mul-
ti-million dollar companies, with worldwide stops and sold-out concerts
along the way. Once Jay Z got going, it took him less than ten years to
complete that voyage, thanks to innate talents honed through hustling.
His story is the American dream in its purest form, a model for any en-
trepreneur looking to build a commercial empire.12
The rapper is presented to the reader as an archetype of a hero, a 21st
century prototype of a self-made man, who paved his own way to fame
9 http://www.businessinsider.com/rags-to-riches-story-of-oprah-winfrey-2015-5
10 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey, see section Personal Wealth and Rank-
ings.
11 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey, see section Personal Life.
12 Greenburg, O. Z., 2011: p. 1.
164
