Literature Review #2

 The Dragon: Fear & Power by Martin Arnold


Arnold, Martin. The Dragon : Fear and Power . Reaktion Books Ltd, 2018.


Summary:

This sources brings in a plethora of information on dragons from all different sources. Arnold separates the information from dragons based on the culture and region that they were from. He categorizes the symbolism of dragons to be either culture or nature. Dragons in the terms of culture mean that they represent safety and control, whereas dragons in terms of nature are ferocious and violent. Arnold constantly relates the dragons he researching to side, either nature of culture. His book is more of an accumulation of all the mentions of dragons through various cultures and writings.


Author:

Martin Arnold is a writer and retired professor at University of Hull in the UK. He has written multiple books on other topics relating to culture, myths or the combination of both.


Key Terms:

The key terms nature and culture connect with Arnold's concept that I will use in the essay. Another term that I can use is 'palace dwelling dragons', which can be used to show that dragons were held in the higher respect, as compared to the western culture. 


Three Quotes:

"humans are of both culture and nature, and this is one of life's paradoxes" (12)

"long regarded as a symbol of dynastic power and authority, and therefore as a creature that all should emulate..." (135)

"Chinese dragon's potency remains central to the country's sense of identity to this day" (135)


Value:

This source has specific information regarding the Chinese dragons and their connection to the culture itself. The value that dragons are given can help learn more about specific aspects of Chinese people and mindsets that are influenced by dragons.

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