While I was reading books 21 and 22- the climactic scene where Odysseus and Telemachus slaughter the suitors- I noticed a large inconsistency and wondered about it's significance. While Odysseus was in the midst of cutting down his foes, there was a suitor, the Seer, that begged for mercy. Earlier in the chapter, he had been described as being the only suitor who disapproved of his colleagues' behavior and sulked in the corner most of the time rather than partying. Odysseus refused to spare him and killed him on the spot.
Once most of the killing was done, there were two men, including the bard, who begged for mercy as well. Telemachus then steps in and backs then up, telling Odysseus he should spare them which he agrees to do. Why would kill one man but spare the other two when, as far as we know, they are equally as innocent? Maybe the Seer just asked him at the wrong time, while he was on a killing roll. It's like asking your parents for something when they're in a bad bood. You have to wait for the right moment. I don't really understand Odysseus sometimes.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Athena
Athena and Odysseus have a very interesting dynamic throughout Odysseus' journey. Let's start with why she's even meddling in his life anyways. Even though Athena and Poseidon have a rocky back story, it doesn't seem like Athena is getting involved in Odysseus' life to get back at Poseidon. This is especially backed by the fact that Poseidon didn't really hate Odysseus until well after Athena started helping him. Sometimes it seems like Athena has a crush on Odysseus- a crush in the sense that she's not expecting to become a couple but she likes him in little more of a superficial way, and they have little flirting exchanges.
I think Athena does like Odysseus, and she's also appreciative of his various attributes and skills. She probably started getting involved in his life because she's a goddess and it's not like she or Odysseus could really be together anyways, so she does what's in her power to be involved with him. The worst that could happen is that she indirectly kill some people or something- which makes no difference to the gods.
Also, using a Percy Jackson reference for which I apologize in advance, Athena is the goddess of wisdom and battle. In Percy Jackson, Annabeth who is a daughter of Athena, says that Athena had demi-god kids from cooperatively brainstorming with genius humans- similar to how she was born out of Zeus's mind. Greek mythology is kind of weird, in case anyone hadn't noticed. I thought this nuance was kind on an interesting tidbit to add to the perspective because Athena's involvement with Odysseus and admiration of his sharpness of mind was sort of like how she gained intellectual stimulation from being with humans.
I think Athena does like Odysseus, and she's also appreciative of his various attributes and skills. She probably started getting involved in his life because she's a goddess and it's not like she or Odysseus could really be together anyways, so she does what's in her power to be involved with him. The worst that could happen is that she indirectly kill some people or something- which makes no difference to the gods.
Also, using a Percy Jackson reference for which I apologize in advance, Athena is the goddess of wisdom and battle. In Percy Jackson, Annabeth who is a daughter of Athena, says that Athena had demi-god kids from cooperatively brainstorming with genius humans- similar to how she was born out of Zeus's mind. Greek mythology is kind of weird, in case anyone hadn't noticed. I thought this nuance was kind on an interesting tidbit to add to the perspective because Athena's involvement with Odysseus and admiration of his sharpness of mind was sort of like how she gained intellectual stimulation from being with humans.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Combination
I realize it's pretty late to be posting on this topic, but bear with me-
A couple of weeks ago we read the short story "Victory Lap." I really enjoyed this narrative and was actually really moved by it. When reading it with the context of this class in mind (aka trying to focus on the hero), I found components of a hero in both Allison and Kyle. It actually seemed as these two characters sort of fill in for the heroic qualities that the other lack.
To be a hero, you need some sort of cause, something you accomplish. A lot of times when we think of a hero, we think of an individual who saves someone or something from a terrible fate. Using this as part of our criteria Kyle is definitely a hero. He saves Allison from being abducted and raped. But, Kyle isn't the only one doing the saving. As Kyle saves Allison, Allison saves Kyle as well. She saves him from becoming a murderer.
Not only do Allison and Kyle's actions combine heroically but their actual characteristics do as well. They each provide different qualities of archetypal heroes. Kyle has somewhat meager origins, or at least comparatively. He's the underdog. He's unpopular, awkward and skinny, has controlling parents who raised him not to stand up for anything, He's also very modest and doesn't believe in his own bravery until he actually proves it.
Allison, we can infer, is fairly popular and has normal parents, and she also fantasizes that she's some great good deed-doer in contrast to Kyle. But she too possesses heroic qualities, albeit different from Kyle's. She is very compassionate; she tries to see the good in everyone and in life and seems to think everyone deserves happiness. She appreciates peoples' circumstances, like when she was thinking about her teacher getting a divorce and still coming to school and caring about her students. Allison believes that life is generally good, but you have to be brave and step up to the plate when it counts.
I found it interesting to think about how maybe Allison and Kyle aren't just heroes on their own, but come together to form the overall hero of the narrative. The story could be read in such a way where Kyle is the only main hero, but I prefer to look at it from different angles.
A couple of weeks ago we read the short story "Victory Lap." I really enjoyed this narrative and was actually really moved by it. When reading it with the context of this class in mind (aka trying to focus on the hero), I found components of a hero in both Allison and Kyle. It actually seemed as these two characters sort of fill in for the heroic qualities that the other lack.
To be a hero, you need some sort of cause, something you accomplish. A lot of times when we think of a hero, we think of an individual who saves someone or something from a terrible fate. Using this as part of our criteria Kyle is definitely a hero. He saves Allison from being abducted and raped. But, Kyle isn't the only one doing the saving. As Kyle saves Allison, Allison saves Kyle as well. She saves him from becoming a murderer.
Not only do Allison and Kyle's actions combine heroically but their actual characteristics do as well. They each provide different qualities of archetypal heroes. Kyle has somewhat meager origins, or at least comparatively. He's the underdog. He's unpopular, awkward and skinny, has controlling parents who raised him not to stand up for anything, He's also very modest and doesn't believe in his own bravery until he actually proves it.
Allison, we can infer, is fairly popular and has normal parents, and she also fantasizes that she's some great good deed-doer in contrast to Kyle. But she too possesses heroic qualities, albeit different from Kyle's. She is very compassionate; she tries to see the good in everyone and in life and seems to think everyone deserves happiness. She appreciates peoples' circumstances, like when she was thinking about her teacher getting a divorce and still coming to school and caring about her students. Allison believes that life is generally good, but you have to be brave and step up to the plate when it counts.
I found it interesting to think about how maybe Allison and Kyle aren't just heroes on their own, but come together to form the overall hero of the narrative. The story could be read in such a way where Kyle is the only main hero, but I prefer to look at it from different angles.
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