Even though I had already visited the art museum before we were assigned this journal, I still went again to see in a new light and focus on the questions we were assigned. The first thing I thought as I entered the museum is that the entrance seemed very formal and showed the importance of the items within the building. However, the entrance is somewhat hidden due to the fact that the actual doors are on the second floor. We learned in my architecture class that this was used to show nobility, which gives the art museum a feeling of being for those in a higher social class. I did not like this because I feel like art should be open to all, and even though this museum is it still seems too formal.
When I actually entered the actual building, the main lobby area seemed a lot more inviting. There were a few sculptures in this room, but it had plenty of room to move around. The lighting was soft because of the huge recycled sculpture that hangs from the ceiling. From that area, it seemed like different rooms marked a distinction in art. Some rooms were focused on time periods while others were more focused on the materials or processes. For example there is one room that was completely items of silver, such as bowls and pitchers. On the other hand there is a room dedicated just to items from early history and even before.
There are a few items that seem to be more important than others. One of the most prominent of these is the Buddha that is sitting over the entrance. This piece is situated so that it is all by itself. Another such piece is the recycled bottle sculpture that hangs from the ceiling. This piece is important because it actually performs a function for the art museum, it diffuses the light so that it is not too bright in the sculpture room.
Critical Essay topic
The topic that I decided I wanted to take on for the critical essay is the Jainism religion. I was interested in the subject when we read the story and I thought I would research the beliefs of this religion, and maybe look at some of the other writings by/about this religion.
11-11-11
Week 11
I thought this week’s story was pretty cool. I like how the Aeneid gives the other side of the story to the Odyssey. In the beginning of the story it talks about how Aeneas escaped from Troy during the big battle. It even mentions Odysseus in being at the battle. This part was really interesting to me and I learned that people actually survived the battle of Troy, a fact I had not considered before. I also liked the fact that those few survivors went on to Italy and started the Roman Empire. I do not know if this story is true or not, but it was very neat to think about.
One thing that we discussed a little was the differences between the Odyssey and the Aeneid. I thought they were very different in the way they are told. The Aeneid was written out by Virgil, and it definitely shows compared to the Odyssey which was passed on as a tale from on person to another. The Aeneid is much more precise and does not repeat itself very much. The Odyssey on the other hand repeats itself a lot and can leave out important descriptions. This is because The Odyssey was probably changed a little throughout time because of the telephone affect.
We also discussed the role and importance of Dido in the story. When we broke into debating groups my group got the topic of whether Dido was influenced by the gods and had no control over her feelings. I was pulled a little more towards our side of the debate because I did believe that Dido did not have much of a choice. However, I feel like she could have done a little better in the decisions she had. For example, she was shot by Cupid, which is supposed to bring about irresistible love. Dido did have a choice however to not kill herself and she went ahead and did.
10-28-11
Week 10
I was rather interested in the presentations that we had this week. I liked the discussions that came up about the “Good Life.” Many things were brought up that I agreed with. One example of this is that today’s society seems to focus on wealth and fame being the good life. For this reason, celebrities are considered people to look up to. Also, people are constantly working to get money, and people love to get their fifteen minutes of fame. However, I do not believe that this is exactly the main idea for the good life in today’s world. Of course people are working all the time, but I believe it is what they do with that money that makes a good life. For some people this may be sports or cars or really anything. Money is just a thing to get a person up to the level of entertainment they want.
There is also the idea of the spiritual good life, which is very prominent throughout the world. Even throughout the many different religions, they all focus on things that they think is good. I’m going to use Christianity as an example because that is what I know best. In Christianity, it is considered the good life if you are close to God and live for him. The thoughts are different throughout different religions, but they still focus in a direction specific to each.
I also believe that other people can help bring about a good life. Some people are very helpful and actually make life better. On the other hand, there are some people who will drag people down with them. To avoid this people need to be aware of what their friends do. However, most of the fault in having the wrong friends is with the person themselves, not the friends. Really, there are many things that influence a good life.
10-21-11
Week 9 Mid-term Reflection
I feel like this class has been very good. Personally, I have learned a good amount and have also been reminded of things I had forgotten from high school. There is not really any aspect of the class that I would change. However, I do believe there are a couple things that were good ideas. First, I thought the idea of journals online was very good. I do not really speak out in class because I need time to think things over before I say them and this gives me a way to participate. The whole online Wikispace is actually very helpful. This resource has been very good for the class by telling us what is going on, giving us more information on readings, and finally giving us an outlet to continue on some conversations.
Another thing that I like is the idea of creating the circle for discussion. This helps the class to hear and understand everyone. In a class that does not create a circle, it can sometimes be hard to focus on what is being said by students. This form fixes that problem, at least for me, by letting me see everyone’s faces. I also like how the discussion is mostly through the students. It is neat to see what other people come up with and what ideas they have about different things.
Finally, I like the group projects that have been incorporated into our schedule. It is fun to see the different types of presentations that are brought up. The topics behind these presentations are also very interesting to me. I actually enjoyed doing the presentation, even though it was a little hectic due to a field trip I took that same week. Overall, I believe this class has been very productive and has fulfilled the course goals excellently.
10-14-11
Week 8
We started out the week with a discussion on our parodies. I thought it was pretty cool what other people actually came up with, especially the group that did the Facebook pages. It seemed like a very neat modern twist to the story of The Odyssey. I also thought that the comic strips were neat too. It helps to put a picture to the story. Some people learn through seeing, and these parodies would be nice for those people.
On Wednesday we talked about Antigone. I felt like this was a very boring story, but then I realized it would have been a lot better back when it was actually started. At that time it would have been played out in a Greek-style play. I learned this in high school when we talked about Oedipus. This leads me to another thing I noticed. I believe that it helps a great deal to read Oedipus before reading Antigone to help get a background for the story. I think if I had not read Oedipus first, I might have had a little bit of a different feeling for Antigone. I would have thought she was a very fickle, suicidal person. However, since I read Oedipus I know that Antigone has been through a lot of death and really has a reason to be depressed.
Finally, today we talked about rulers and citizens. I thought this was a really entertaining section. I thought the Jainism monks were rather interesting. I never knew there were people that took life to that extreme. When we were discussing the characteristics of a ruler, there was one thing I thought of later that really is important in a leader, and that is a cause. This also helps ruler to citizen relationship. Citizens like a leader who believes in the same things that they do, at least in today’s world.
10-7-11
Week 7
I missed all but Friday of this week in class, so I do not have anything to discuss regarding my reaction to things that others said. However, I did want to talk about a few things about the readings we had for this week. First, I thought Agamemnon was a pretty good story. At first I did not really realize what Clytaemnestra’s reason for killing her husband was. It was not until the Leader and Aegisthus were talking that I understood that it was not really her idea. I was also a little disappointed in the fact that Orestes did not come home in this story. I thought it was a rather abrupt ending that could have been concluded better with Orestes killing his mother and her lover.
We also read the heroes and adventure section of the book. There were a few different stories in here that I liked and some I disliked. For example, I really had trouble with Homer’s The Iliad. It seemed a great deal different than The Odyssey, at least to me. I felt like some of the points that were being made were a little too in depth. This made me loose focus on some in some points. If, on the other hand this story were being read to me, I think it would make a lot more sense because in listening it would reinforce ideas.
Another good example is the story of David from The Bible. I had read this story many times before this assignment, so I knew already what was going to be discussed. As was mentioned in our presentation, I thought it was cool that David, unlike many other characters we have read about, just trusted in God. Most other characters we have read about up until now all had frequent communication with the higher beings that helped them, but David just went in faith.
9-30-11
Week 6 Journal
The Bible was the main focus of our readings this week. Like I said last week, I grew up with the Christian religion and still believe in it, so these stories are very familiar to me. However, I do not remember reading Job or some of the later things we were assigned to read. As for the earlier things that we read, like Genesis and Exodus, I tried to take a different view on them than I usually do. I looked at these stories from a literature viewpoint instead of a religious viewpoint. [So did this make a difference in how you responded to them this time around? MH]
I thought it was interesting that the books for Monday were completely different in style than the books that we read for Friday. The books for Monday were more like reading a novel while the books for Friday were more like poetry. Also, the first stories were written as though the author were far away from the story. The later stories on the other hand were more like the story happened to the author. For the most part I liked the stories from the beginning of the week because they were easier for me to understand. I like things I read to be fairly straightforward. Also, I think I liked them more because there was a little more action. The latter stories were just talking for the most part.
I also wanted to comment a little on the movie we watched in class today. Like everyone else, I did think it was a little strange, but it did show a good representation of Greek drama. At my high school we read and watched a Greek play of Oedipus, so I recognized the style almost immediately. I think it is rather strange how much has changed in theatre over the years since it first started. Back then, it was a lot simpler, but even now we still use many of the same elements to make a good show.
9-23-11
Week 5 Journal
This week in class we talked about creation myths. I personally grew up with the Bible, so that story at least was easier for me. The other stories on the other hand, I found hard to take seriously. I do not know if it was the fact that they are so old or if I just already have my own beliefs that hindered my thought progressions. I read the stories and found myself thinking that most of them were not believable. I just could not believe that people would actually follow these beliefs. One thing that contributed to this thought was that the ideas of creation would actually change multiple times in a short period of time. Another contribution was that most of the story just didn’t make sense to me like how Tiamet’s body made the heavens and the earth.
After having this thought, it made me go deeper into what people believe. This idea ended up making me understand others who do not believe in any specific religion. I can now see that to others my religion could seem somewhat ridiculous, just as I have viewed these creation stories.
Earlier this week we read the poems of Sappho. In all honesty, I found it harder to understand the themes behind these poems. I think I was searching for something deeper than what was needed. I do however have respect for Sappho. She was a poet at a time when women did not have equality. To me, this is rather amazing because in most cultures she would have been severely punished or outcast. I also like the fact that Sappho really paints a picture with her poems. I could clearly see the scenes that she was trying to show, even if I did not get the theme. When I go to class, and we discussed the poems, I understood the ideas behind the poems.
9-16-11
The Odyssey Week 3
This week in The Odyssey was probably the most interesting to me yet. The story finally slowed down enough for me. I did not like the fact that earlier in the book there were only a few pages for even the most in depth adventures. The part of the book that shows Odysseus’ trial when he finally gets home actually takes up a few chapters, which helps to keep my attention.
There were a few things that I thought of during this section. The main thing I thought of has to deal with the story as a whole. I remembered talking about The Odyssey in high school. Our teacher drew a correlation between The Odyssey and the movie O Brother Where Art Thou. I just kept drawing all the comparisons between the two.
Another thing that caught my attention was the careful planning that Odysseus put into his revenge. He seemed to think everything through, yet he did not spend forever in his planning. I also thought it was neat how his son knew who he was, but his wife did not. Odysseus had enough sense to keep his return quite so that the suitors could not attack first.
Penelope’s hesitation kind of surprised me when I first read this story. The more I read this, though, the more I understand why she was so reluctant to believe that Odysseus was who he said he was. Just like her husband, Penelope is very wise. I liked that fact that she could come up with the test that she did. She thought up something that only Odysseus would know, which is not easy.
My favorite scene in this section was the same as some of my peers. I liked the scene with the dog because is showed what kind of person Odysseus was before he left for Troy. The dog at least liked him and even waited for him to return, which means that Odysseus must have been good to him.
9-9-11
The Odyssey Week 2
In this weeks reading, we read about most of Odysseus’ travels. I found this part of the story very interesting. Some were more interesting than others, such as the story of the Kyklops. My reason for liking the parts like this is that they are more detailed. I believe there should have been more about some of Odysseus’ stops. A few of his landings or adventures are just passed over besides being mentioned. I think that these could have had a little more detail to make the story richer.
In class on Wednesday we listened to a voice recording of the book. I believed that this was a good idea because it helped with more than just one sense. It appealed to both sight and hearing, even though they were different versions. If these were both the same version, it probably would have been better, but this way did help to show the way that it originally would have been.
Then today, Friday, we discussed two things that are very important to the story. The first was the representation of women throughout the book. My personal thoughts on this are that Homer portrays most women as almost evil. Most of the different women in the story are deceptive and manipulative. I believe this has to do with the way Homer’s society was set up. In that time they saw men as superior, so they could not do anything wrong. Women on the other hand were always seen as flawed. However, I do agree with the thought brought up in class that Homer gave the women more credit than most. He made them wise and tricky, something most people of his time would not even think of.
As for the other topic discussed today, Odysseus’ journeys, my thoughts on them were briefly explained earlier. I also believe the Odysseus’ was very careless in getting home. This also passes on to his shipmates though. I do not think that Odysseus caused all of these problems; he probably would have made it home in half the time if he did not have to keep saving his crew.
9-2-11
The Odyssey Week 1
During this week we read the first couple chapters of Homer’s The Odyssey. In the first six chapters of the book a lot happens. Something that really surprised or stuck out to me is the first couple chapters the talk about Odysseus’ son. I have read the story of The Odyssey before, but the version that I read before barely mentioned Odysseus’ son. I think that this version is much better than the other version in that it gives more of a reason for Odysseus to get home. Before, I focused more on the adventures as separate, while now they seem more tied together. I guess I’m focusing more on the journey now than the actual stops. The beginning is almost its own story in a way. The gods are also introduced better in this version.
As for Odysseus’ story, I remember most of what we have read from before. However, I feel like I am retaining it more than I did a couple years ago. The son’s story seemed to enhance Odysseus in a way. It showed how important and courageous Odysseus was. I thought it was smart for Homer to show right after telling how strong and brave Odysseus was, to show him crying. This shows that even though he is like a superhuman, he is still human. It also shows his reason for wanting to go home. Essentially, it shows that Odysseus is a true hero. He is strong influential, and has morally right thoughts. Of course, when he first arrived on the island that he is on at the beginning of the story he was not exactly in the right, but he eventually realized that he needed to be at home. This mkes me feel as though Odysseus deserves respect. He has been through so much and still has a long journey ahead of him. He faces things that most people would give up on. This is what makes him a good hero.
8/26/11 Gilgamesh
For this first week of classes, we were told to read the first four parts of The Epic of Gilgamesh. After doing so I had a few different feelings about he story. First of all, I could definitely see a correlation between this story and many other stories, especially the Bible. Gilgamesh shared characteristics with many characters in the Bible, and even lived through things that are similar to events in the Bible. I thought this was very interesting and it made me feel like these stories must be connected in some way. Of course, through class discussion I found other similarities that I did not find on my own so I thought the discussions were good.
Another thing I noticed about the story was the many repetitions of statements, which actually got rather annoying to me. After thinking about why the story might have so many of these repetitions, all I could think of was that the translation was made fairly literal. However, once someone in class, I think it was Devin, brought up the suggestion that maybe that repetition came from the story being a poem, it immediately made sense. So now I am indecisive about what might be the reason. As for my opinion of the story overall, I thought that it was a fairly good story. It surprisingly kept my attention even though it is centuries old. Normally, stories die out a little while after they are put into the public, at least in popularity. There are only a few stories in history that have acquired the honor of virtually infinite popularity. Examples include The Odyssey and the Bible. The Epic of Gilgamesh has held up just as long as these stories, which is amazing. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a very good story for being as old it is. As I was reading it, I saw many things that sparked feelings in me. These things included the repetition of statements and sharing ideas with other stories. Overall, I enjoyed The Epic of Gilgamesh and our discussions about it.
Week 12
Even though I had already visited the art museum before we were assigned this journal, I still went again to see in a new light and focus on the questions we were assigned. The first thing I thought as I entered the museum is that the entrance seemed very formal and showed the importance of the items within the building. However, the entrance is somewhat hidden due to the fact that the actual doors are on the second floor. We learned in my architecture class that this was used to show nobility, which gives the art museum a feeling of being for those in a higher social class. I did not like this because I feel like art should be open to all, and even though this museum is it still seems too formal.
When I actually entered the actual building, the main lobby area seemed a lot more inviting. There were a few sculptures in this room, but it had plenty of room to move around. The lighting was soft because of the huge recycled sculpture that hangs from the ceiling. From that area, it seemed like different rooms marked a distinction in art. Some rooms were focused on time periods while others were more focused on the materials or processes. For example there is one room that was completely items of silver, such as bowls and pitchers. On the other hand there is a room dedicated just to items from early history and even before.
There are a few items that seem to be more important than others. One of the most prominent of these is the Buddha that is sitting over the entrance. This piece is situated so that it is all by itself. Another such piece is the recycled bottle sculpture that hangs from the ceiling. This piece is important because it actually performs a function for the art museum, it diffuses the light so that it is not too bright in the sculpture room.
Critical Essay topic
The topic that I decided I wanted to take on for the critical essay is the Jainism religion. I was interested in the subject when we read the story and I thought I would research the beliefs of this religion, and maybe look at some of the other writings by/about this religion.
11-11-11
Week 11
I thought this week’s story was pretty cool. I like how the Aeneid gives the other side of the story to the Odyssey. In the beginning of the story it talks about how Aeneas escaped from Troy during the big battle. It even mentions Odysseus in being at the battle. This part was really interesting to me and I learned that people actually survived the battle of Troy, a fact I had not considered before. I also liked the fact that those few survivors went on to Italy and started the Roman Empire. I do not know if this story is true or not, but it was very neat to think about.
One thing that we discussed a little was the differences between the Odyssey and the Aeneid. I thought they were very different in the way they are told. The Aeneid was written out by Virgil, and it definitely shows compared to the Odyssey which was passed on as a tale from on person to another. The Aeneid is much more precise and does not repeat itself very much. The Odyssey on the other hand repeats itself a lot and can leave out important descriptions. This is because The Odyssey was probably changed a little throughout time because of the telephone affect.
We also discussed the role and importance of Dido in the story. When we broke into debating groups my group got the topic of whether Dido was influenced by the gods and had no control over her feelings. I was pulled a little more towards our side of the debate because I did believe that Dido did not have much of a choice. However, I feel like she could have done a little better in the decisions she had. For example, she was shot by Cupid, which is supposed to bring about irresistible love. Dido did have a choice however to not kill herself and she went ahead and did.
10-28-11
Week 10
I was rather interested in the presentations that we had this week. I liked the discussions that came up about the “Good Life.” Many things were brought up that I agreed with. One example of this is that today’s society seems to focus on wealth and fame being the good life. For this reason, celebrities are considered people to look up to. Also, people are constantly working to get money, and people love to get their fifteen minutes of fame. However, I do not believe that this is exactly the main idea for the good life in today’s world. Of course people are working all the time, but I believe it is what they do with that money that makes a good life. For some people this may be sports or cars or really anything. Money is just a thing to get a person up to the level of entertainment they want.
There is also the idea of the spiritual good life, which is very prominent throughout the world. Even throughout the many different religions, they all focus on things that they think is good. I’m going to use Christianity as an example because that is what I know best. In Christianity, it is considered the good life if you are close to God and live for him. The thoughts are different throughout different religions, but they still focus in a direction specific to each.
I also believe that other people can help bring about a good life. Some people are very helpful and actually make life better. On the other hand, there are some people who will drag people down with them. To avoid this people need to be aware of what their friends do. However, most of the fault in having the wrong friends is with the person themselves, not the friends. Really, there are many things that influence a good life.
10-21-11
Week 9 Mid-term Reflection
I feel like this class has been very good. Personally, I have learned a good amount and have also been reminded of things I had forgotten from high school. There is not really any aspect of the class that I would change. However, I do believe there are a couple things that were good ideas. First, I thought the idea of journals online was very good. I do not really speak out in class because I need time to think things over before I say them and this gives me a way to participate. The whole online Wikispace is actually very helpful. This resource has been very good for the class by telling us what is going on, giving us more information on readings, and finally giving us an outlet to continue on some conversations.
Another thing that I like is the idea of creating the circle for discussion. This helps the class to hear and understand everyone. In a class that does not create a circle, it can sometimes be hard to focus on what is being said by students. This form fixes that problem, at least for me, by letting me see everyone’s faces. I also like how the discussion is mostly through the students. It is neat to see what other people come up with and what ideas they have about different things.
Finally, I like the group projects that have been incorporated into our schedule. It is fun to see the different types of presentations that are brought up. The topics behind these presentations are also very interesting to me. I actually enjoyed doing the presentation, even though it was a little hectic due to a field trip I took that same week. Overall, I believe this class has been very productive and has fulfilled the course goals excellently.
10-14-11
Week 8
We started out the week with a discussion on our parodies. I thought it was pretty cool what other people actually came up with, especially the group that did the Facebook pages. It seemed like a very neat modern twist to the story of The Odyssey. I also thought that the comic strips were neat too. It helps to put a picture to the story. Some people learn through seeing, and these parodies would be nice for those people.
On Wednesday we talked about Antigone. I felt like this was a very boring story, but then I realized it would have been a lot better back when it was actually started. At that time it would have been played out in a Greek-style play. I learned this in high school when we talked about Oedipus. This leads me to another thing I noticed. I believe that it helps a great deal to read Oedipus before reading Antigone to help get a background for the story. I think if I had not read Oedipus first, I might have had a little bit of a different feeling for Antigone. I would have thought she was a very fickle, suicidal person. However, since I read Oedipus I know that Antigone has been through a lot of death and really has a reason to be depressed.
Finally, today we talked about rulers and citizens. I thought this was a really entertaining section. I thought the Jainism monks were rather interesting. I never knew there were people that took life to that extreme. When we were discussing the characteristics of a ruler, there was one thing I thought of later that really is important in a leader, and that is a cause. This also helps ruler to citizen relationship. Citizens like a leader who believes in the same things that they do, at least in today’s world.
10-7-11
Week 7
I missed all but Friday of this week in class, so I do not have anything to discuss regarding my reaction to things that others said. However, I did want to talk about a few things about the readings we had for this week. First, I thought Agamemnon was a pretty good story. At first I did not really realize what Clytaemnestra’s reason for killing her husband was. It was not until the Leader and Aegisthus were talking that I understood that it was not really her idea. I was also a little disappointed in the fact that Orestes did not come home in this story. I thought it was a rather abrupt ending that could have been concluded better with Orestes killing his mother and her lover.
We also read the heroes and adventure section of the book. There were a few different stories in here that I liked and some I disliked. For example, I really had trouble with Homer’s The Iliad. It seemed a great deal different than The Odyssey, at least to me. I felt like some of the points that were being made were a little too in depth. This made me loose focus on some in some points. If, on the other hand this story were being read to me, I think it would make a lot more sense because in listening it would reinforce ideas.
Another good example is the story of David from The Bible. I had read this story many times before this assignment, so I knew already what was going to be discussed. As was mentioned in our presentation, I thought it was cool that David, unlike many other characters we have read about, just trusted in God. Most other characters we have read about up until now all had frequent communication with the higher beings that helped them, but David just went in faith.
9-30-11
Week 6 Journal
The Bible was the main focus of our readings this week. Like I said last week, I grew up with the Christian religion and still believe in it, so these stories are very familiar to me. However, I do not remember reading Job or some of the later things we were assigned to read. As for the earlier things that we read, like Genesis and Exodus, I tried to take a different view on them than I usually do. I looked at these stories from a literature viewpoint instead of a religious viewpoint. [So did this make a difference in how you responded to them this time around? MH]
I thought it was interesting that the books for Monday were completely different in style than the books that we read for Friday. The books for Monday were more like reading a novel while the books for Friday were more like poetry. Also, the first stories were written as though the author were far away from the story. The later stories on the other hand were more like the story happened to the author. For the most part I liked the stories from the beginning of the week because they were easier for me to understand. I like things I read to be fairly straightforward. Also, I think I liked them more because there was a little more action. The latter stories were just talking for the most part.
I also wanted to comment a little on the movie we watched in class today. Like everyone else, I did think it was a little strange, but it did show a good representation of Greek drama. At my high school we read and watched a Greek play of Oedipus, so I recognized the style almost immediately. I think it is rather strange how much has changed in theatre over the years since it first started. Back then, it was a lot simpler, but even now we still use many of the same elements to make a good show.
9-23-11
Week 5 Journal
This week in class we talked about creation myths. I personally grew up with the Bible, so that story at least was easier for me. The other stories on the other hand, I found hard to take seriously. I do not know if it was the fact that they are so old or if I just already have my own beliefs that hindered my thought progressions. I read the stories and found myself thinking that most of them were not believable. I just could not believe that people would actually follow these beliefs. One thing that contributed to this thought was that the ideas of creation would actually change multiple times in a short period of time. Another contribution was that most of the story just didn’t make sense to me like how Tiamet’s body made the heavens and the earth.
After having this thought, it made me go deeper into what people believe. This idea ended up making me understand others who do not believe in any specific religion. I can now see that to others my religion could seem somewhat ridiculous, just as I have viewed these creation stories.
Earlier this week we read the poems of Sappho. In all honesty, I found it harder to understand the themes behind these poems. I think I was searching for something deeper than what was needed. I do however have respect for Sappho. She was a poet at a time when women did not have equality. To me, this is rather amazing because in most cultures she would have been severely punished or outcast. I also like the fact that Sappho really paints a picture with her poems. I could clearly see the scenes that she was trying to show, even if I did not get the theme. When I go to class, and we discussed the poems, I understood the ideas behind the poems.
9-16-11
The Odyssey Week 3
This week in The Odyssey was probably the most interesting to me yet. The story finally slowed down enough for me. I did not like the fact that earlier in the book there were only a few pages for even the most in depth adventures. The part of the book that shows Odysseus’ trial when he finally gets home actually takes up a few chapters, which helps to keep my attention.
There were a few things that I thought of during this section. The main thing I thought of has to deal with the story as a whole. I remembered talking about The Odyssey in high school. Our teacher drew a correlation between The Odyssey and the movie O Brother Where Art Thou. I just kept drawing all the comparisons between the two.
Another thing that caught my attention was the careful planning that Odysseus put into his revenge. He seemed to think everything through, yet he did not spend forever in his planning. I also thought it was neat how his son knew who he was, but his wife did not. Odysseus had enough sense to keep his return quite so that the suitors could not attack first.
Penelope’s hesitation kind of surprised me when I first read this story. The more I read this, though, the more I understand why she was so reluctant to believe that Odysseus was who he said he was. Just like her husband, Penelope is very wise. I liked that fact that she could come up with the test that she did. She thought up something that only Odysseus would know, which is not easy.
My favorite scene in this section was the same as some of my peers. I liked the scene with the dog because is showed what kind of person Odysseus was before he left for Troy. The dog at least liked him and even waited for him to return, which means that Odysseus must have been good to him.
9-9-11
The Odyssey Week 2
In this weeks reading, we read about most of Odysseus’ travels. I found this part of the story very interesting. Some were more interesting than others, such as the story of the Kyklops. My reason for liking the parts like this is that they are more detailed. I believe there should have been more about some of Odysseus’ stops. A few of his landings or adventures are just passed over besides being mentioned. I think that these could have had a little more detail to make the story richer.
In class on Wednesday we listened to a voice recording of the book. I believed that this was a good idea because it helped with more than just one sense. It appealed to both sight and hearing, even though they were different versions. If these were both the same version, it probably would have been better, but this way did help to show the way that it originally would have been.
Then today, Friday, we discussed two things that are very important to the story. The first was the representation of women throughout the book. My personal thoughts on this are that Homer portrays most women as almost evil. Most of the different women in the story are deceptive and manipulative. I believe this has to do with the way Homer’s society was set up. In that time they saw men as superior, so they could not do anything wrong. Women on the other hand were always seen as flawed. However, I do agree with the thought brought up in class that Homer gave the women more credit than most. He made them wise and tricky, something most people of his time would not even think of.
As for the other topic discussed today, Odysseus’ journeys, my thoughts on them were briefly explained earlier. I also believe the Odysseus’ was very careless in getting home. This also passes on to his shipmates though. I do not think that Odysseus caused all of these problems; he probably would have made it home in half the time if he did not have to keep saving his crew.
9-2-11
The Odyssey Week 1
During this week we read the first couple chapters of Homer’s The Odyssey. In the first six chapters of the book a lot happens. Something that really surprised or stuck out to me is the first couple chapters the talk about Odysseus’ son. I have read the story of The Odyssey before, but the version that I read before barely mentioned Odysseus’ son. I think that this version is much better than the other version in that it gives more of a reason for Odysseus to get home. Before, I focused more on the adventures as separate, while now they seem more tied together. I guess I’m focusing more on the journey now than the actual stops. The beginning is almost its own story in a way. The gods are also introduced better in this version.
As for Odysseus’ story, I remember most of what we have read from before. However, I feel like I am retaining it more than I did a couple years ago. The son’s story seemed to enhance Odysseus in a way. It showed how important and courageous Odysseus was. I thought it was smart for Homer to show right after telling how strong and brave Odysseus was, to show him crying. This shows that even though he is like a superhuman, he is still human. It also shows his reason for wanting to go home. Essentially, it shows that Odysseus is a true hero. He is strong influential, and has morally right thoughts. Of course, when he first arrived on the island that he is on at the beginning of the story he was not exactly in the right, but he eventually realized that he needed to be at home. This mkes me feel as though Odysseus deserves respect. He has been through so much and still has a long journey ahead of him. He faces things that most people would give up on. This is what makes him a good hero.
8/26/11
Gilgamesh
For this first week of classes, we were told to read the first four parts of The Epic of Gilgamesh. After doing so I had a few different feelings about he story. First of all, I could definitely see a correlation between this story and many other stories, especially the Bible. Gilgamesh shared characteristics with many characters in the Bible, and even lived through things that are similar to events in the Bible. I thought this was very interesting and it made me feel like these stories must be connected in some way. Of course, through class discussion I found other similarities that I did not find on my own so I thought the discussions were good.
Another thing I noticed about the story was the many repetitions of statements, which actually got rather annoying to me. After thinking about why the story might have so many of these repetitions, all I could think of was that the translation was made fairly literal. However, once someone in class, I think it was Devin, brought up the suggestion that maybe that repetition came from the story being a poem, it immediately made sense. So now I am indecisive about what might be the reason.
As for my opinion of the story overall, I thought that it was a fairly good story. It surprisingly kept my attention even though it is centuries old. Normally, stories die out a little while after they are put into the public, at least in popularity. There are only a few stories in history that have acquired the honor of virtually infinite popularity. Examples include The Odyssey and the Bible. The Epic of Gilgamesh has held up just as long as these stories, which is amazing.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a very good story for being as old it is. As I was reading it, I saw many things that sparked feelings in me. These things included the repetition of statements and sharing ideas with other stories. Overall, I enjoyed The Epic of Gilgamesh and our discussions about it.