The Odyssey: Book 9 Blog Assignment

Was Odysseus heroic in dealing with the cyclops?

Odysseus's encounter with the Cyclops Polyphemus represents a "trial of the rode" conflict during his heroic journey back to Ithaca. During this encounter, Odysseus and his man are trapped in a cave with the Cyclops Polyphemus due to their own foolishness. To escape, Odysseus uses trickery, deception and bravery.

He accomplishes this by tricking the Cyclops into intoxication; meanwhile, Odysseus and his men had sharpened and heated a stake in which to blind the Cyclops with. That night when the Cyclops had fallen asleep, Odysseus and his men stab the Cyclops’s eye. When the Cyclops calls for help, he claims that "nobody" did it; a clever name that Odysseus had given the Cyclops as opposed to his own name. Next morning, Odysseus and his men tie themselves to the underbellies of the Cyclops’s sheep which graze regularly. Polyphemus is blind and cannot see them escape.

Odysseus was heroic in dealing with the Cyclops. He displayed courage in piercing the Cyclops’s eye; cleverness in his ability to intoxicate and trick the Cyclops; and intelligence in fashioning the idea to tie the men to the bellies of the goats. All of these attributes are essential in defining a heroic character.

The Odyssey: Book 7 Blog Assignment

List two ways in which Book 7 links with the "Stages of the Hero's Journey":

1.  Meeting with the mentor/supernatural aid - During the first part of Book 7, Odysseus unknowingly encounters Athena, disguised as a small girl. She provides unseen, divine support for Odysseus by creating a wall mist; which, hides his prescence from the Phaeacians, who are generally resentful of foreigners.



2. Crossing the first threshold- From line 97, Odysseus's entrence into the palace of King Alcinous is described in depth as a crossing into a threshold . This passage is meant to represent his first steps into a long journey/adventure.

The Odyssey: Book 6 Blog Assignment

Book 6:

List 3 Epithets from the reading-

1. Bright-eyed godess (page 169)
2. Great Odysseus (page 172)
3. White-armed princess (page 174)

List 2 epic similes from the reading-

1. " And out he stalked as a mountain lion exultant in his power strides through wind and rain and his eyes blaze and he charges sheep or oxen or chases wild deer but his hunger drives him on to go for flocks, even to raid the best-defended homestead."

 This passage is an epic simile because of its expansive proprotion. It is used to describe the manner in which Odysseus wakes up after his deep sleep. He is describes as a powerful animal with his main goal in mind. This powerful simile adds to Odysseus's god-like appearence and character.


2. " ... Zeus's daughter Athena made him taller to all eyes, his build more massive now, and down from his brow she ran his curls like thick hyacinth clusters full of blooms. As a master craftsman washes gold over beaten silver -a man the god of fire and Queen Athena trained in every fine technique- and finishes off his latest effort, handsome work, so she lavishes splendor over his head and shoulders now."

 Once again, this passage is an epic simile because of its expansive proprotion. The passage is used to describe the process in which Athena makes Odysseus more desirable. As a result, Athena intends for Nausicaa to fall in love with him. This will make Odysseus's situation on the island much easier.

Gryphon Story Reactions

After reading the short story Gryphon, I was left with the impression that this was one of the most puzzling stories I had ever read. Overall, I did not enjoy reading this story at all.
The story takes place in a rural town in Michigan during modern times. I did not understand the purpose of the eccentric teacher, Ms. Ferenczi. Obviously what she was teaching was incorrect. George Washington was in no way Egyptian. Diamonds are not magical. Death does exist. Based on her stories, I have come to believe that she was a little insane. I could not find any symbolism or theme of any kind. There were however, instances of foreshadowing and other literary techniques such as similes.

The Cask of Amontillado

The Cask of Amontillado tells a horrific tale of revenge on a local noble. It is set in Italy during Carnival. The festival is supposed to be the perfect time for the narrator to commit his murder because Fortunato would be drunk during the festivities. I believe that Poe's choice of wording was not as descriptive of the environment as it was of the character's emotions. Poe never sets up this beautiful Italian cultural scene; instead he focuses more on the brutality of Montresor intentions. Poe's sentences tended to be very mysterious, especially in the beginning. We go through the entire story without ever knowing the exact reason why Montresor wants to murder Fortunato other than that he insulted him. Montresor's method of murder was extremely brutal and cruel. The fact that the reader does not know the circumstances of the "thousands of insults" Montresor suffered from, it is impossible to understand why he would do such a terrible thing to Fortunato. Overall, the story was thoroughly entertaining and the author did a great job using mystery as a way to make the plot seem even crueler.

Indian Camp Assignment # 2

After discussing the story Indian Camp in class, my views on the characters and their circumstances changed entirely. Before, I had never questioned why Nick and his father were going to help an Indian women so early in the morning. Now, I strongly believe that she must be some how conncted to Nick's family, else why would they provide such assistence?

Another changed view involves the circumstance of the Indian man's suicide. Why would he have killed himself? There was no obvious reason. The first time I read this story, I believed it was because of some depression that had started before the story began. After the discussion, the idea that the child being born was not his certainly changes the context of the story.

Reflecting on this, I believe that when reading future stories, I will be much more questioning of characters and their circumstances so as not to miss hidden details or connections.

Indian Camp Assignment ( Final )

Indian Camp is a very interesting short story written by Ernest Hemingway. It is set in America at a small Indian village. The main character Nick and his father are going to help a women give birth to her child. This story also must have been set during a time when there was still racism towards Indians. At one point in the story, Nick's Uncle George is bit by the women giving birth as he tries to help her. To this, he yells at her and calls her a "Squaw bitch". To me, the setting was a great choice to make the plot even more mysterious and foreign.

This story was very short and not the most enjoyable. I believe Mr. Hemingway wanted it to be this way. The theme of the story was premature adulthood. Nick, who we as the reader quickly learn, is quite young. However by the end of the story, he has witnessed birth and death. Both of which he was not yet ready to see. The author did a great job in transmitting Nick's uncomfortable experiences to the reader. As I read the story, I to felt uncomfortable. The way the author accomplishes this is by telling the story in 3rd person limited omniscient.

With this, Ernest Hemingway's Indian Camp produces an uncomfortable reading experience, intertwined with themes of racism and premature adulthood.