Echo and Narcissus
Ovid’s version
Liriope, a naiad, became pregnant with the child of the river god Cephisus. When their child was born, Liriope named him
Narcissus. When she asked the blind seer Tiresias if her son would live a long life. his answer was a qualified affirmative:
Narcissus would live a long time if he never got to know himself.
Narcissus was so handsome everyone loved and desired him, but Narcissus was too proud to offer his love in return. His
rejection of one would-be lover, Echo, turned her from an unhappy nymph into the barest wisp of what she had been. Echo
shriveled up until all that was left of her was her voice, what we now call by her name.
Not all the would-be lovers of Narcissus were so passive. One of them took his complaint about rejection to the goddess of
vengeance, Nemesis. The rejected suitor asked the goddess Nemesis to make Narcissus fall in love with himself, but
simultaneously to be incapable of accepting his own love. Nemesis obliged....
On a hot day Narcissus bent down to drink from a clear, silvery pool. As he drank, he saw a beautiful image in the pool. He
had never before caught a glimpse of himself. Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection. He tried to kiss and embrace it -encouraged because he saw the other raising his lips to meet Narcissus' own -- but couldn't. Narcissus could do nothing except
keep trying. In time he realized he was in love with his own reflection. Since he knew he could never hold himself, he
despaired and realized he couldn't live any longer. He beat his breast and died. When his naiad sisters went out to bring him
back for burial, the body was gone. In its place was a lovely yellow-centered white flower, the narcissus.
“Echo and Narcissus”
The purpose of the story is
A. To explain a natural phenomenon
B. To warn against the dangers of self-absorption
C. To warn against the danger of rejecting love
D. All of the above
E. None of the above
The word qualified in the first paragraph means
A. Able to do
B. Conditional
C. Unable to perform a task
D. Negative
Narcissism: On the Rise in America?
Dr. Jim Taylor
Do you know the story of Narcissus? He was the very handsome fellow in Greek mythology who, because of his indifference
and disdain toward others, was punished by the gods by falling in love with his own image. He was so enraptured by his
beauty that he was unable to pull himself away from his own reflection, and he wasted away and died.
Well, according to recent research (to be discussed below), Narcissus has spawned many offspring in our current generation,
and narcissism is alive and well and living in America. Just so we are all on the same wavelength, narcissism is a personality
characteristic associated with self-absorption, egocentrism, an overestimation of one's own importance and abilities, a sense of
entitlement and a disregard for others.
One study found that 30 percent of young people were classified as narcissistic according to a widely used psychological test.
That number has doubled in the last 30 years. Another study reported a 40-percent decline among young people in empathy, a
personality attribute inversely related to narcissism, since the 1980s.
These findings aren't surprising to anyone who pays attention to the "it's all about me" culture in which we currently live. My
questions are where this rise in narcissism is coming from and what impact it will have on our society in the future.
One obvious place where young people are learning about narcissism is our omnipresent and unrelenting popular culture. A
study by the celebrity psychiatrist Dr. Drew, in which 200 "celebrities" (I put the word in quotes because the threshold for
being considered a celebrity these days has declined significantly) completed the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, found that
-- here's a shocker -- they were significantly more narcissistic than the general population. Interestingly, the celebrities who
actually had a talent (for example, musicians) tended to be less narcissistic. Guess who were the most self-absorbed celebrities?
Female reality-TV stars! It's not surprising that those celebrities who were famous for being famous were the most narcissistic;
their narcissism drove them to become celebrities.
Another fascinating study that was just published explored the changes in music lyrics over the past three decades. The
researchers found a significant shift toward lyrics that reflect narcissism ("I" and "me" appear more often "we" and "us") and
hostility (change from positive to angry words and emotions). And these findings aren't just due to the increased popularity
and influence of hip-hop music (which is known for its aggrandizement of the artists and its venom), but rather are evident
across musical genres.
And you don't need to go far to collect your own data on narcissism. Do these names ring a bell: Charlie Sheen, Terrell Owens
and Kanye West?
It's not surprising to see a rise in narcissism in this generation given that young people are being bombarded by these messages
24/7 through every form of media. And here's the truly disturbing part: How can young people these days avoid being
infected with this "disease" when, thanks to the "wired" world in which they live, the majority of messages they receive
venerate and encourage narcissism?
The self-esteem movement has likely contributed to this increase in self-adoration. Many parents these days do everything they
can to make their children feel good about themselves. The result has been a decline in real self-esteem and an increase in selflove and unjustifiable personal "exceptionalism."
Also, technology and social media have done their part to promote narcissism. All of the time spent absorbed in screens has
reduced the amount of actual human (i.e., face-to-face) interaction that children have, thus depriving them of the experiences
needed to develop essential social skills such as empathy, compassion and consideration for others.
Certainly, the shift in societal values away from collectivism and toward individualism ("You're on your own"), away from civic
responsibility and toward self-gratification, and away from meaningful contributions to society and toward personal success (as
defined by wealth, power and status), have also contributed to the cultural messages of narcissism in which young people are
presently immersed.
It's one thing to see that there is a growing number of narcissists in America today. But the real concern is not the individual
narcissists among us, but when our society embraces and accepts narcissism as the norm. And that time may have arrived. That's
when we have to start asking the next question, which is far scarier: What effect will this increasingly normalized culture of
narcissism have on our society?
You might argue that narcissism has existed for as long as Homo sapiens has populated planet Earth, and we've managed to
survive. In fact, some researchers have argued that the recent rise in narcissism is due more to this generation's willingness to
express what they really believe rather than an actual increase in narcissism. But there seems to be a qualitative, rather just a
quantitative, shift in so many aspects of our culture that I just don't buy that explanation.
The answer that came most readily to my mind, and an apocryphal one at that, is a gradual yet inexorable tear in the fabric of
our society. Think of all the qualities that enable us to form a functioning and vital nation -- respect, compassion, tolerance,
selflessness -- and you will see that they don't exist in the narcissistic personality (or culture). Gosh, I just had a really terrifying
thought. The indifference, egotism, disrespect and lack of consideration that are central to narcissism are also reflective of the
increasingly polarized and vitriolic tone of our current body politic, recent unethical corporate behavior, the rise in cheating
among students in school and the gamut of bad behavior among professional athletes. As Pogo noted so famously, "We have
met the enemy, and he is us."
This is definitely not a rosy picture and definitely not one to encourage an optimistic view of the future. Should we see this
trend as just another sign of the impending death of the American empire? The cynic in me (and those who follow my writing
know that it fills a big portion of my brain) would offer an emphatic "yes!"
Yet the optimist in me (small, but stubborn) holds out some hope. I don't mean to demonize and indict this entire generation.
In fact, there are a lot of amazing young people out there. I speak at schools around the U.S. and I meet kids (I know I'm
getting old when I call them that!) who are motivated, engaged, respectful and compassionate. Many young people are bucking
the trend and are resisting the lure of the "dark side." And they are our best hope for beating back the onslaught of narcissism
and keeping the best of humanity alive and well and living in America.
“Narcissism: On the Rise in America?”
This article classifies as a(n)
A. Opinion piece
B. Unbiased informational piece
What is the purpose of the article?
A. To explain myth
B. To draw attention to a social issue
C. To defend a focus on the individual
D. To criticize technology
What factors does the writer say are to blame for the rise of narcissism in America?
A. Pop culture, including hip-hop music and reality shows
B. A shift from collectivism to individualism
C. Technology
D. The self-esteem movement
E. All of the above
AB. None of the above
What are the consequences of narcissism, according to the article?
A. A loss of compassion and respect
B. Intolerance
C. Narcissists will be turned into flowers
D. A and B only
E. A and C only
Which of the following statements from the article is an example of counterargument?
A. “According to recent research (to be discussed below), Narcissus has spawned many offspring in our current
generation, and narcissism is alive and well and living in America.”
B. “You might argue that narcissism has existed for as long as Homo sapiens has populated planet Earth, and we’ve
managed to survive. In fact, some researchers have argued that the recent rise in narcissism is due more to this
generation’s willingness to express what they really believe rather than an actual increase in narcissism.”
C. “This is definitely not a rosy picture and definitely not one to encourage an optimistic view of the future. Should
we see this trend as just another sign of the impending death of the American empire? The cynic in me would
offer an emphatic ‘yes!’”
D. “Just so we are all on the same wavelength, narcissism is a personality characteristic associated with selfabsorption, egocentrism, an overestimation of one’s own importance and abilities, a sense of entitlement and a
disregard for others.”
Narcissus
C. Richard Miles
And there it is, a misfit,
In the precisely planted bed
Of daffodil dragoons,
Stark white,
An interloper
In the regimented yellow
A shock of difference
Amongst the gold.
Of course, the gardener
Had had no way
Of discriminating
When they were bulbs,
For didn’t all bulbs
Look just the same
In the garish orange netting
Of the bag
Before he planted them?
There was no way of knowing
How things would turn out
And it was only in the spring
After submission
In the cloying soil of winter
That the blooms emerged
To show
Their true colours.
And so it is with me,
Like that narcissus:
I am no single, jaundiced bud,
Not just another
Member of the common crowd
Content to bloom
In strict concordance with
The norms of commonplace.
I wish to shine out bright,
Multifaceted,
Like the white narcissus’s
Largesse of clustered florets
I do not mind if
I stand out
Conspicuous from the humdrum herd
Of massed humanity.
Why should I care if I
Outshine the rest?
But then, again, perhaps
It is more simple
Cowardly, cowedly
To conform.
And then I think
Of the long-remembered
Greek Narcissus myth,
Concerned if I look inward
For too long
And only see myself
And not consider others, too
Then…
Then…
Individuality might just
Imprison me as tight
As confines of conformity
And if the calling world
Receded like the plaintive call
Of the fair nymph, Echo,
To a whispered breath
Might I just lose myself
And disappear
Into mere nothingness?
So, brave Narcissus,
I must feel for you
Condemned to be an outcast,
Pale amongst the gold
But you and I
Will make our marks
If idiosyncratically
Upon the dull depressing
Cold conventionality
Of this lost world.
“Narcissus”
The word interloper in the first stanza means
A. runner
B. a species of flower
C. intruder
D. soldier
Which word in stanza 4 most clearly reinforces the concept of sameness and conformity introduced in stanza 3?
A. winter
B. submission
C. colours
D. emerged
In stanza 7, what literary technique serves to further emphasize the concept of conformity?
A. alliteration
B. rhyme
C. parallelism
D. epithet
In what way does the speaker see himself as similar to the narcissus flower in the garden?
A. He also wants to stand out in a crowd.
B. He is as beautiful as Narcissus was.
C. He is a gardening enthusiast who sees flower parallels everywhere.
D. He needs tender care.
In stanza 10, the word plaintive means
A. angry
B. sorrowful
C. dramatic D. cheerful
What risk will the speaker take if, like Narcissus, he focuses on his individuality?
A. Others will be angry with him.
B. He will turn into a flower.
C. He will not consider other and therefore disappear and lose the world.
D. He will eventually lose his grip on reality.
The poem’s reminder about the fate of Narcissus serves as
A. Allusion
B. Counterargument
C. Both A and B
D. Neither A nor B
What is the purpose of the poem?
A. To emphasize the importance of individuality
B. To retell the story of Narcissus
C. To promote conformity with the majority
D. To offer gardening tips
What theme do all three texts share?
A. Rejecting love will be punished.
B. Placing focus on the self can be risky.
C. Individuality is important.
D. Social media has helped to make people self-absorbed.