At the beginning of human creation, the Earth was shrouded in darkness, and civilization was primitive. However, Prometheus, a titan, stole fire from the high realm of Olympus and distributed it to the humans. Human civilization prospered as a result of this newfound availability of fire. However, Zeus soon learned of Prometheus’s crimes and furiously instilled punishment to both Prometheus and the human race.
In order to halt the success of man, Zeus sent down the first woman, Pandora, to Prometheus’s brother, Epimetheus. She was gifted with beauty, grace, and most importantly, curiosity. Alongside these gifts of character, she was given a mysterious box. She was warned by Epimetheus not to open this box. Out of curiosity, her hands pried open the lid and released evils previously unbeknownst to this world. Terrors including disease, greed, and hatred all flooded out of the box and the once peaceful Earth was no more. Pandora wept at the thought of unleashing all of these irreversible creatures. Suddenly, she heard the fluttering of something at the bottom of the box. Peering down into it, she was met with hope. Everywhere that the ills would spread to, hope would follow and remind humankind that there will always be a way to survive.
This classic story of hope after darkness has resonated with people throughout the ages, but it seems more prominent than ever now. With the onset of Covid-19 and the social riots for Black Lives Matter, it seems like another Pandora’s box has been opened. Although these events may seem devastating, they also act as changing points in history for the better. Racism has been present throughout America’s history, and through there have been steps to bring equality to everyone in society, racism’s roots cannot be easily undone. These protests have brought an abundance of attention to the problem of Black under-representation. Furthermore, the protests serve as a stepping stone to reach equality once and for all.
Even through all of the terrifying events that have been going on currently, there is always hope. Our posterity will look back at 2020 and remember the people who fought everyday, whether in hospitals or protests, as heroes. Similarly, we can look back to these myths, which still play a big role in deciding our mindset in the present.
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