As readers, we want answers for our questions and fulfillment for our expectations. Many of us are engaged by narratives that keep us waiting for answers and fulfillment and then provide them in surprising and unexpected ways. True, we all love a predictable story now and then, a story that provides both closure and a satisfying ending. But we also love a story that keeps us guessing--that takes us down a path with twists and turns we didn't expect--that doesn't finish things off with a neatly tied bow. We love the thrill of a narrative that takes us on a journey sans GPS, atlas, triptych, or other form of definitive navigation.
For those who have already read The Odyssey and know the ending, what is keeping you engaged in the narrative this time around? What new questions and expectations do you have? How is this re-reading different from your first reading?
For those who are reading The Odyssey for the first time, what kind of ending and/or closure are you expecting or hoping for? What moments have surprised you up to this point? What questions and expectations do you have?
And for both groups, how do these concepts of questions/expectations and ending/closure, as discussed in class, enhance, illuminate, explain, deepen, modify, or add to your experience and understanding of narrative and reading?
That's a lot to fit into 150-300 words, so focus your answer on a specific element of the prompt. As always, be sure to provide book.line references (required for credit) that explain or support your comments.
Happy Labor Day. Enjoy the holiday.
As a first-time reader of "The Odyssey", I suppose you could say that I’m hoping for the stereotypical happily-ever-after-type ending. Specifically, I’m hoping that Odysseus will finally return home and get to see his wife and son again. Although I do feel a bit as though Odysseus has prolonged his own journey by failing to use his cunningness in escaping from Calypso (I realize that this may not be an accurate assumption since we’re only halfway into the book!), I do feel that a man who pines for his home as much as Odysseus does deserves to return to it at some point.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the book, we see several instances of Odysseus reminiscing about home: “So nothing is as sweet as a man’s own country, his own parents…” (9.38), “never once set foot on native ground, always wandering—endless hardship from that day I first set sail with King Agamemnon bound for Troy…” (11.188). For me, it is these glimpses of Odysseus’s heartache that make me feel empathetic toward him and make me hope for his anguish to be absolved.
Overall, I feel as though the ideas of questions and endings are what truly keep us engaged in our reading. Having no questions about the text one is reading implies that one already knows everything about the book. In that case, why continue reading? I feel that it is these questions we ask during our reading that keep us searching for the answer to our ultimate question: how does this story end?
Well put, Rachel. The question that naturally follows is this: if readers are driven by their questions and expectations, then why do we often return to our favorite books over and over and over again? This will be the focus of class discussion in the near future.
ReplyDeleteThis is my second time reading the Odyssey. I found that this time around is far more interesting than the time I read it for class in highschool. I think that this translation far surpasses the previous one I read. The first time I read it, it was very dry and I couldn't really understand anything besides the main points of the story. All though sometimes I get confused with the wording and how to pronounce certain peoples names I think that this translation is pretty easy to follow.
ReplyDeleteEven though I have already read the book I am still reading part of the story that I didn't remember happening in the novel the first time I read it. One Major part that I forgot was that Odysseus was stuck on Calypso's island and that Athena was the one to convince Zeus to let him free. In book 5 lines 11-23 Athena speaks to Zeus in Odysseus' defense reminding Zeus that he is a "Godlike man, and kindly as a father to his children" and that "Now he's left to pine on an island, racked with grief in the nymph Calypso's house- she holds him there by force..."
I look forward to read the rest of the novel and have a better understanding of The Odyssey this time around. I think that it's important to read a story more than one time because you find new details in the story that you may not have picked up from the previous time you read it.
This is, to the best of my knowledge, my first time reading "The Odyssey". We may have read sections in high school, but never read it in its entirety. I, as expected from a female reader, would rejoice in a picture perfect, happy-ever-after ending. What would this entail? Naturally, Odysseus would finally return to his home and be reunited with his wife & son. As for the suitors, they would somehow be punished for their rudeness and inappropriate behavior. Telemachus would return home, unharmed, and be able to live peacefully with his family. I suppose some may wonder why I want this type of predictable ending, but I find that I am always extremely disappointed when reading books that end in rather undesired ways (like "Dear John" for those Nicholas Sparks fans out there).
ReplyDeleteAs Rachel stated above, when we see how saddened Odysseus is about being apart from his loved ones for so long, I cannot help but feel sorry for him. After all, was it his choice to be confined to captivity for year after year? Of course not. We even see how plagued his voyage home becomes after he is released from Calypso. In Book 7, Odysseus reminisces about his journey, "My heart leapt up, unlucky as I am, doomed to be comrade still to many hardships. Many pains the god of earthquakes piled upon me, looking the winds against me, blocking passage through.." (lines 309-312). I suppose I see it unfair to threaten him with all of this difficulty after he has survived the war and years of captivity on a desolate island.
I look forward to completing this epic story and finding out if my predictions are true. I think since I am now interested and invested in the story, I want to keep reading. Stories that don't give off that "suspenseful" flair are the ones that make you stop half way through. This, clearly, is not one of those.
I'd never read the Odyssey before taking this class - I'm impressed by how many of my peers had to read this book in high school; evidently Australia cares very little about the Ancient Grecians.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I'm a product of this generation where, in literature, film and television, the boy always gets the girls, whoever was split up has been reunited, and everyone basically gets whatever they want. As such, I think I expect the ending to go along the lines of this: Odysseus comes home, kisses wife, hugs son. He banishes Penelope's suitors forever, then sits down to have a nice dinner with his newly reunited family. Having said that, though, I have no idea what narrative conventions were like thousands of years ago, so I really don't know what to expect.
As we have seen until this point, Odysseus is held captive on an island by a love-struck goddess for seven years (book 5) and blinds a cyclops by stabbing him in the eye with a searing hot staff (book 8, about lines 430 to 450), so we can be fairly confident that this book will not share similar narrative conventions as a modern day rom-com.
I really have no idea what to expect since I’m sure narratives at that point were vastly different to any of those I have read from more recent times.
This is also my second time reading the Odyssey, but it is the first time that I have read and dissected this novel. I was in high school the first time that I read the Odyssey and because I was so much younger, I could not pick out or understand all the underlying meanings. However, I do remember the ending and most of Odysseus’ journey home, but I was not able to catch all of the emotions and reactions of each character Odysseus encounters on his journey home.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, this second time reading the Odyssey seems like a different story because of all the analyzing of each character’s actions and emotions and the potential reasons for these actions and emotions. Although, I do not have any expectations about the story itself, I do have ongoing questions about the main characters. After already knowing the ending, I question the motivation and actions from Odysseus in order to make it home. Thus far, I mainly question Odysseus’ seven year stay with Calypso and Odysseus’ willingness to escape and Calypso’s willingness to let him free. Also throughout books 9-12, he is telling a story to King Alcinous and agrees to keep on telling the story (XI, 430-436), instead of manning a ship and setting sail home. Overall, I question certain actions from Odysseus and his rush to make it back home.
This is my first time reading The Odyssey and I believe I’m expecting the same ending a lot of the other first-time readers are expecting: A return home with Penelope falling into the arms of Odysseus, while Telemachus essentially gets to meet and catch up with his father for the first time since he was an infant.
ReplyDeleteThus far, I have been surprised at how many stops Odysseus has taken in order to journey home. Before reading this book, I knew Odysseus would face many challenges, but I had no idea they would be so extensive. So far in my reading, he has escaped Calypso (V, 289-290), been washed ashore Phaeacia (V, 497-500), harmed Cyclops (IX,433-439 ), endured Circe (X, 351-372), been to the Kingdom of the Dead and back (Book XI), avoided the Sirens (XII, 208-217), and suffered Charybdis and Scylla (XII, 253-282). This is part of the reason I am hoping for a successful return home for Odysseus. I feel that he has suffered so much that it would be disappointing if he never returned to his family. That being said, I am very interested to see how much more Odysseus has to endure before he can be reunited with his home and I am curious as to how he will get there.
Finally, I feel the questions and expectations I have when reading The Odyssey, or any other book for that matter, keep me enthralled with the book. Curiosity is always what pushes me to keep reading. If I’m not asking questions throughout a book, I have no reason to keep it open. This curiosity is what makes a book’s ending so satisfying and yet bitter sweet. I am always happy to get to an end of the book because only then can I fully understand the book’s purpose and story. However, if the book is enjoyable, I’m also sad to come to the end because that means the adventure is over. This is why I sometime re-read books: I want to re-experience everything the book has to offer.
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ReplyDeleteI am also a first time reader of the Odyssey. I am, it seems, expecting the same ending as many of the other first time readers: Odysseus will return home to his loving wife, they will catch up, and Odysseus will get to meet his son, Telemachus, for the first time since he was an infant. I also agree with Rachel S. in saying that Odysseus has somewhat prolonged his own journey by not using his “cunning” (I.312), “wily” (II.181), and “crafty” (III.281) personality to escape from Calypso in those seven years that he was there (Book 5). Again, as Rachel says, it seems like he would of at least tried to escape (I assume that he hasn’t since we are never told of any such instances). Wondering why he hasn’t returned home, the hope that he will return home and how is why I think I keep reading the book.
ReplyDeleteAs others have said before, I find that I feel very sorry for Odysseus that he has been away from home for so long and seemingly really wants to get back. We see examples of him wanting to go home: “So nothing is as sweet as a man’s own country, his own parents…” (IX.38), “No finer, greater gift in the world than that …when a man and woman possess their home…” (VI. 200-201), and of course “…weeping, his eyes never dry, his sweet life flowing away with the tears he wept for his foiled journey home…” (V.168-169). Again, I believe I keep reading the book in the hopes I will see Odysseus return home and it will be a ‘happy’ ending.
In response to Crystal, I think people, at least myself, continue to go back to books to read them over and over again because they learn something new each time or see it in a different way each time they read it. I think that when you read a book events in your life will influence how you interpret it. In other words, what you are going through in your life at that time will influence how you see that book and how you interpret it, thus possibly giving it new meaning that you didn’t see before.
This is my first time reading the Odyssey. I enjoy reading historical fictions stories because I like learning about the culture of a different time period. Even though this story could not have happened I enjoy seeing the culture of Greece over two thousand years ago. When Odysseus went to the Kingdom of the Dead he sees many children of gods (XI: 618-677). Even though it was long I enjoyed learning about their past that are talked about then and through out the book. It shows how important part gods were to Greece’s culture during that time period. It influence how they lived and what the believed about how the world worked. They have such a different break down of religion from today’s major religions in the United States.
ReplyDeleteI can also see the difference between customs. When Odysseus arrives in kingdom ruled by Alcinous he walks into the hall and no one stops him. They let him come right and hug Arete’s knees. He begs for a passage home (VII: 157-181). If any one did that today the police would most likely be called right away and they would be trying to remove this crazy man from their home. However, that is not the case here. He is welcomed in with open arms and is invited to the competition the next day. I am interested to see what other culture differences I can see through out the book which helps me stay intrigued during the whole book.
AMBER GOTTFRIED
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time reading the Odyssey. In order to attain some sort of closure at the end of this story, I would expect Odysseus to come back home to Ithica and to see Penelope once again. I think this would be the fairy tale ending to the story. What I did not expect was Odysseus' personal journey and struggle. I feel as though Odysseus has experienced so much turmoil and pain throughout his journey, that even if he returns to Ithica, we may never get the happy ending we were hoping for.
This story has been full of suprises, such as Odysseus finding lovers along the way of his journey other than Penelope(Calypso, Circe). Your typical protaganist and hero is usually not also an adulterer. A very thought provoking comment was when Odysseus contemplated returning to Calypso at the end of Chapter 12 VII; 490-491. Odysseus is torn between returning to a safe place, or going back to his family in Ithica. I think Odysseus is going to make the right choice of returning to Penelope. Odysseus has battled with so many hardships including constantly weeping and battling with what has happened to him throughout his journey. There are countless examples of a weeping Odysseus. He mentions over and over, "what good can come of grief?" V;(625). For this story to have a succesful ending, and closure I would like to see some good come of the grief that Odysseus has endured. I would hope that Odysseus can turn this negative experience into a positive one, and that is what has kept me engaged and hopeful throughout this novel.
As I read The Odyssey my senior year of high school, the experience was not a long-forgotten one, as I am only a sophomore in college. With the translation that I had, I found it difficult to struggle through the passages and pages of the novel, and thus I remember very little in terms of detail from my first read-through. However, I am able to remain engaged in this narrative partly due to just translation alone. Fagles uses expressions like “So I know no one here, none at all in your city” (VII. 28-29), as opposed to “Therefore I know not one among the men,” which I pulled from the previous translation I had read from the Barnes and Noble Classics collection. Yet another example is “Ah how shameless—the way these mortals blame the gods. From us alone, they say, come all their miseries, yes, but they themselves, with their own reckless ways, compound their pains beyond their proper share” (I. 37-40), as compared with “Lo, how men blame the gods! From us, they say, comes evil. But through their own perversity, and more than is their due, they meet with sorrow.” It is honestly just simple readability. Because the language is so straight forward and “modernized” if you will, the novel is able to provide stunning details I skipped over previously due to the lack of understanding in the collage of words.
ReplyDeleteI am developing new questions that help me gain a deeper grasp on the readings, many questions of which were established in class like “What is the gods role with man?” and “Does favoritism occur?” as well as “Are the characters really who they appear to all the other participants in the novel?” The questions are enabling me to step further into the text and not just be a reader, but an analyst. An example from Book VI provides an interesting point: “Zeus’s daughter Athena made him taller to all eyes, his build more massive now, and down fro his brow she ran his curls like thick hyacinth clusters full of blooms” (253-256). Actions similar to these are described throughout the book and they definitely deepen and possibly modify the experience the reader has. Overall, the book is one of the most well known narratives of all time, but through the impressive translation and liveliness, readers can fall easily into the story, pulling deeper meanings through the understanding they newly develop. It is as Fangles translates “Be bold, nothing to fear” (VII. 68). Jumping in first and then stepping back to understand is easily the best way to heighten the overall experience.
This is my second time reading The Odyssey. This time around the translation is soooo much easier to read so I'm getting much more out of the story. The language makes it easier to get to know the characters, which helps me stay interested in the story. An example would be Atehna's strong interest in Odysseus that started in Book I during the gods' meeting, I never realized that she cared about Odysseus hat much. I knew she was always there, but I thought she was assigned that job, not that she was there voluntarily.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember what all happens, I know the jist of things, but certain things are surprising to me. The Cyclops being so kind and sweet to his sheep made me realize that there is more depth to all of the characters than I originally thought there was. I'm still having trouble deciding what I think about Odysseus, but it's inspiring me to keep on reading, just to find out more about him.
Although this is my second time reading The Odyssey, the first time was my freshman year of high school, and it was an abridged version. As such, this time around is much different. The version I read in high school was a fairly dry, difficult translation, and we basically only focused on the chronological series of events in Odysseus' journey, glossing over much of Telemachus' story and other details. Now that I am studying the text in its entirety, with what I believe is a great translation, I am finding myself much more engaged in the story.
ReplyDeleteI do know how Odysseus' journey will end, but the way the story is framed definitely makes me want to keep reading it more and more. I really enjoy the way the story began with a brief mention of Odysseus, foreshadowing what we will learn of his pain and suffering on his journey (I. 4-10), and then diverted to Telemachus' story for three whole books before returning to Odysseus. When we as readers finally do see Odysseus, it is in the middle of his journey, and when the people of Phaeacia begged Odysseus to "tell us your own story now, and tell it truly" (VIII. 642), I found myself every bit as interested as they were to hear what had happened to him.
I believe that part of what makes narratives great is their elements of foreshadowing and suspense that give the reader a taste of what is to come but keeps him or her wanting more. Even if you have read a book before, you can always discover more of these elements on the second or third reading, and this is why there are some books that I would return to over and over again.
I like some of the other students in this class read portions of The Odyssey in high school, at the time I could not follow the book and was totally disinterested. However this time when I am actually reading it, this texts is a lot easier to understand. Being able to follow the story line is keeping me connected with this book. Since the first time I didn’t get to read the full story this time it is much different knowing all the details of what happened to Odysseus on his journey home.
ReplyDeleteI have developed some questions while reading about the certain morals that Odysseus has presented in the book. His constant adultery while his wife Penelope waits for him at home. Also do all characters that we encounter in this book feel as if they all have to do exactly what the Gods say? Also whenever the males in this novel are bashing the women it becomes very real to me where women stood during this time period in line 499 page 263 Agamenmnons ghost says this “so even your own wife-never indulge her too far. Never reveal the whole truth, whatever you may know..” this is just one of many lines where a women is seen as less than a man. I am interested to see who else Odysseus meets along the way and where Telemachus is going to end up.
I also read the Odyssey my senior year of high school but was fortunate enough to read this version of it back then also. Although we did a pretty thorough unit on it, there is a lot I don't remember, or find new things in the reading I must have missed the first time through. Looking at the Odyssey strictly in narrative terms, it does tell a story but can be a little confusing sometimes between the narrator talking and Odysseus recounting his journey himself to someone else. I remember some stories more than others but I find rereading it makes it clearer and can more easily trace those main themes and motifs throughout the book, like the theme of fate and making your own fate vs the will and intervention of the gods (XII 44-50). As far as the ending of the book, I remember the general idea but I think reading it will be almost like the first time for me so I have expectations for the ending and the different things that need to be resolved. Even though I have previously read the Odyssey, I still can get wrapped up and just as interested in the stories as I was the first time through it. Having some insight as to the direction the book is going also keeps my attention and focus on events or those themes that are important for the duration and especially in the ending of the book. The Odyssey is one of the most classic epics and example of an over-arching narrator for the whole book through all the different adventures, and is an early example that has had a big influence on literary works that followed it and the role a narrator should and does play in any literary work.
ReplyDeleteScott Evenson
ReplyDeleteI am a first time reader. However, the Simpsons had an episode loosely based on the Odyssey I did watch so I have an idea what happens in the end. Odysseus is so well loved by the gods that it seems like he will always slip through any sticky situation. I am curious about what happens to Telemachus though. His fate does not seem tied to the gods’ will as much. What is his adventure going to be like? Where will his wandering take him? A year is a long time and Odysseus’s journey is long, wandering, and unknown. Rumors could take him all the way back to Troy. (IV.756) “This gallant voyage of his to find his father will find him wrecked at last!” (Antinous) How far will this throw him off or it could it finish him?
The idea of ending and closure along with questions make me want to have my questions answered like is Odysseus going to get home safely after leaving Calypso’s island? (V.188) Calypso gives Odysseus some supplies and says she hopes he gets home unharmed and adds if the gods are willing. Poseidon doesn’t like him though and he’s sailing home. I got some relief when he landed at Phaeacia giving closure for the time being but not total closure. So questions make reading more interesting and having those questions answered is sometimes what keeps you involved in the narrative.
In regards to endings, closure, and expectations, great stories keep you on your toes. The questions that arise throughout the story and the expectations you have that are completely wrong are what make the story interesting. As far as endings go, I think closure is definitely needed in a good narrative. Not to say that still having questions at the end of a story or having to put some of the pieces together for yourself to get closure isn’t a good thing in some cases, but no closure often leaves me feeling confused and frustrated with the story. I read or watched in order to figure out what was going on and then never did.
ReplyDeleteIn the case of The Odyssey, many of my expectations have already changed and I have been surprised in many ways. For example, Odysseus and his crew just want to go home, and after all they have been through at the island of the Queen of Aeaea, I was expecting that they would finally be able to head for home. That is not the case however, instead they must, “make your way down to the moldering House of Death” (X.562). These twists and turns in the story are what keep it engaging and interesting. In thinking about my expectations for the ending, I hope that Odysseus is able to make it home to his “high roofed house”(VIII.592). However, because I have thought he was going to finally be on his way home so many times before, I am beginning to think he may never make it home at all.
I have read the Odyssey before but in a different translation. I guess what keeps me interested in the book is the slight differences in this version as opposed to the version I had previously read. I also enjoy this type of book and enjoyed it the first time I read it. This being my second time reading the Odyssey I’m picking up on more little details that I missed the first time through. These details ad more insight into characters and their personalities and make for a better reading experience. Overall I’m not expecting and mind blowing differences that make me look at book in a different way. I’m expecting the same story I read before.
ReplyDeleteFor what we discussed in class it helps me understand what is going on in a narrative and helps me decided what book I will and won’t like. Knowing if a narrative is going to end nicely or lead to future books helps me decided what I want to read at a given time.
This is my first time reading the Odyssey in its entirety. I am very interested in the characters and their development as the story unfolds. I admit that I have certain hopes and expectations for their development.
ReplyDeleteIdeally, Odysseus would have a successful journey home and be reunited with his son and his wife--but I want more than that. I want the characters to grow in the meantime. I hope that Penelope becomes a stronger woman. She should stand up for herself (I, 409-420) and realize that she has a lot going for her (II, 125-135), even though Odysseus is still missing. And maybe Odysseus could take the cockiness down a notch. He often brags of his achievements and status (XII, 229-230, 269-270) which I find immature. I want him to become the great man that we heard so much about in the beginning of the story (II, 260-263).
Even though I have all of these hopes, I realized that this story has more twists and turns in store. I am excited to see what happens next and what kind of man Odysseus is at the end of the book.
Since I am reading the Odyssey for the first time I really didn't know what to expect from this story. I believe that the story will have complete closure and that Odysseus will return home to Ithaca to see his son and wife and to save them from the suitors by killing all of them. The story itself hints at what will happen when the Theban prophet tells the future of Odysseus and says:
ReplyDelete"And even if you escape, you'll come home late and come a broken man-all shipmates lost, alone in a stranger's ship-and you will find a world of pain at home, crude, arrogant men devouring all your goods, courting your noble wife, offering gifts to win her. No doubt you will pay them back in blood when you come home!" (XI. 129-135)
This is the future which is in store for Odysseus if his crew harms the beasts of Helios, which we read that they end up doing. So I believe that everything in the prophecy will come true and that he will return but have an extremely hard time doing it, but I also expect a twist of some sort and everything being O.K. in the end because the Gods favor Odysseus so much.
Nothing has really surprised me up to this point but I thought a really interesting part was when Odysseus and his crew travel to the Kingdom of the Dead and Odysseus meets with his mother and many other heroes that I've heard about like Achilles and Ajax (because of the movie Troy).
The concepts we discussed in class enhances my experience when reading because it allows me to look for certain things in the passages when reading and to have an idea of what to look for. It also makes me more aware when reading and to pay close attention to minor details in the book which might not seem significant when first glanced at but holds a deeper meaning once we discuss about it. The entire page of 253 would have seemed like just a story within a story if we did not discuss the issue of expectations, closure, and endings in class.
A great narrative has to have all three of these elements to be considered great. It must have a clear ending, that also provides closure to all of the avenues of the work, along with keeping the reader engaged and interested throughout. In my mind , along with the Odyssey, other great narratives are Lord of The Rings, The Harry Potter series, Beowulf, and many many more. As for the Odyssey I have read it before in high school. However I feel that I am more able to understand what is trying to be implied through each passage and adventure. For me my main question is that as Odysseus is on his way home, why do we not hear anything about the other sailors and their families. I understand that it is the time and he is a hero and thats how the stories were based back then. FInally I feel that I am getting a better grasp on the concept of each stop and its relavence to all of the other stops on the way home. Each stop presents him with a slighlty more difficult challenge, but as Odysseus keeps on going , his men take greater and greater loses. Like it was a few with the Cyclops, then more and more as they meet the Queen of Aeaea, then the land of the dead and so on.
ReplyDeleteI am reading The Odyssey for the first time, expecting the same thing that most readers are, Odysseus will finally return home to Ithaca, rid his home of all the suitors, meet Telemachus, who was only a baby when he left, but is now a man, and of course, be reunited with his loyal Penelope. While I’m doubting it will happen, I really hope Odysseus will come clean about being with Circe and Calypso, as well as any other goddess or women that we’ve yet to hear of. I feel that it would greatly change my image of Odysseus, who the more I read about him, the less I like him.
ReplyDeleteIt’s really surprised me how much Odysseus has gone through since initially leaving Ithaca. As is 10 years of war wasn’t long enough to be separated from your home and loved ones, he then has to escape Scylla and Charybdis (XII 253-285) , then he spends 7 years trapped by Calypso (V,15-19). This really makes me think about who Odysseus really is, and if he is really trying to make it home. After hearing all the buildup in books 1-4 about how amazing and strong and smart he is, to learn that he lived there for 7 years, being an ‘unwilling lover’ (V, 293), he never even tried to escape! While I have the feeling that this part of the story is finished, I really hope that something addresses his lack of effort later in the book. If Odysseus is so well loved by the gods, would it be better to be an unknown and not have the gods meddling in your life at all?
Questions and expectations in narrative stories like The Odyssey are what keep us coming back to continue reading the story, they add intrigue and excitement. If you knew in the first chapter what exactly happens and that no lose ends or side trips were going to occur, they really wouldn’t be any need to read the rest of the book.
"The Odyssey" definitely holds the elements of a great narrative. This is probably the reason it is the first text that we have read in this class. I read "The Odyssey" in high school and discussions and conversations about the text are much different. The discussion we had about not finishing all of the endings at the end of class was so interesting to me. I think that if the story were told any other way it would not be interesting. The questions that I have raising more and more are about the gods. Are the gods in control or is it really human choice? We touched on this in high school but the questions are more in depth this time around. I think this adds to the excitement and awe. When the gods tell Odysseus to do something we would assume that it would just work out well since they can control things. However, they clearly do not always go well. Is the gods plan? Or do the humans really control their own fates? If the gods are so powerful, why don't they make it happen the way that they think it should occur? I know that these questions probably won't really get answered for me but they make the text more enjoyable. It is much more complex and thought provoking this way.
ReplyDeleteI have never read this novel before. i find myself hoping that there is no "happily ever after". The voyage so far has been over filled with troubles, from the Cyclops to Circe. Even when it seems like he is going to finally make it home something else comes up. Line 34 book 10, "we were so close we could see men tending fires." (refering to their home port). Then all of a sudden they are back where they started. This seems to forshadow a less than perfect homecoming. Then when he is talking to Agememnon in hades, Line 501-503 book 11, he is told to make sure not to tell her the whole truth, hide somethings from her. This does not seem like a positive outlook of his homecoming either. So I find myself believing that the ending of the book will be as tragic as the rest of the book.
ReplyDeleteI first experienced "The Odyssey" in the beginning of tenth grade in high school. I have absolutely no idea what I read and all I remember was that it was pretty awful. The plot and the idea of "The Odyssey" excited and intrigued me, however when you do not understand what you are reading that becomes meaningless. This time around I am seriously enjoying myself, I have a hard time putting the book down and seem to get lost in my own little world when I read it. I understand what I am reading and therefore can now appreciate all the wonders "The Odyssey" has in store for me.
ReplyDeleteSo far in reading through book thirteen I have been pleasantly surprised. One of the things that surprises me a lot is all of the crying, not mostly by women, but actually by men. Odysseus himself sheds many tears after loosing his brother in arms, when he sees his mother, when he hears Demodocus the bard play songs of the battle of Troy. It is normal for the godlike man Odysseus to cry and that surprises me. I expect that in the end when Odysseus has finally made it home there is going to be an awesome bloodbath!! His wife's suitors have it coming and man is it going to be bad! Im so excited to see how it all ends.
It is the moments that shock us and the questions they provoke that enthrall us as readers and keep us determined to read on. These questions keep us involved while we are reading, keep us focused. The hints revealed along the way are what weave the twists and turns of the story. They create expectations in our minds that keep us reading on to the end to discover if they are true.
This is my first time reading The Odyssey, although I've always known the gist of Odysseus's journey home (perhaps through word-of-mouth?). I even remember learning sometime in high school about the Odysseus and the Cyclops; however, I was never sure nor confident that I knew this story full well. Upon reading through this book, I found myself being completely engaged into the story--it's plot, characters, etc. and I never really thought about the ending until the question was brought up in class. I guess I never stopped to think about how this story would end because I just assumed it would end like any other fairytale: man goes to war, man leaves family behind, man comes out a hero, man comes home and is reunited with his loved ones, and the town holds a huge celebration for the returning hero.. And they all lived happily ever after. However, as I read further on, I find the gods far more intriguing than Odysseus at this point. They have such interesting characteristics, because one would think that because they are gods they should be omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. However, they don't seem to present all three of these qualities at the same time. They seem almost human-like at times.
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time reading The Odyssey. The narrative we get through Robert Fagles’s translation is indeed captivating.
ReplyDeleteFor the ending and/or closure, I would like to see Odysseus’s epic journey come to a triumphant end, with him returning home “unharmed” after all of his suffering to the point of being labeled “most cursed man alive” (X.79), and all his longing, “My heart longs to be home, my comrades’ hearts as well…” (X.533-34). I want to see him reunited with Penelope, Telemachus, and Laertes, who all also pine for his return. I want to find out in the end who Odysseus really is and what will become of the suitors and their plot to kill Telemachus, as I feel they are monsters themselves. They have “feast in the halls, mocked and taunted him” (II. 358-59). I want to know how Telemachus has grown and faired in his own journey; Will he come across his father on his journey, or will he return home, only knowing of Odysseus’s being alive? How will the reunion of Odysseus and Penelope go about, after discovering all of Odysseus’s infidelity? I was very surprised about Odysseus’s sleeping with goddesses, for example, Calypso and Circe.
As I read until the finish, the story will unravel, and hopefully my questions will be answered one way or the other. This is a story of a hero conflicted, so we should expect to see a complex development, of characters or plotline for example. Athena speaks through her disguise, “Be bold, nothing to fear. In every venture the bold man comes off best, even the wanderer, bound from distant shores.” (VII. 58-60). This is definitely not the case in this epic, since Odysseus is constantly being plagued with one hardship after another. We want to see this end as a fairy tale, but the conflict, altering plots, and confusion on my part keeps me enthralled. A good narrative will keep you intrigued, but a good, fairytale ending in which all of the pieces of the puzzle are fit together would leave me satisfied, to have read and finished the novel, enough to read it again.
I know I've read at least parts of the Odyssey before in high school. The ending hasn't came to me yet so I feel like I haven't read that section yet. One thing I'm beginning to realize is that making your reader care about what happens to your characters is a very important aspect of narrative. If you don't somehow draw them in, your characters will fall flat and they will simply stop reading. Even though as students we don't exactly have that choice, I think I've picked up on a couple things in order to make your readers want to finish the narrative out to the end.
ReplyDeleteAllowing a character to change, or have the possibility of change, is one to do this. For example, Telemachus's growth from a boy to a man. In the beginning, Athena encourages him "not to cling to your boyhood any longer-/ it's time you were a man" (1. 341). After a speech with more encouragement such as this, Telemachus rises to the challenge and makes the bold decision to attempt to find his father. It will be interesting in the end to see how Telemachus is viewed by his parents, the suitors, and the rest of the Ithaca when he returns home.
I've realized as well that a good narrative leaves you rooting for a certain situation or character. Although I've read multiple stories and watched multiple movies that have had completely surprising outcomes, the cheerleading I do as a reader is one aspect that keeps me reading. So often we've heard Odysseus plead with others to help him home (XI. 185, etc.), that I can't help but feel sorry for him and wish him safely home at the end.
I'm also interested to see how Odysseus reacts to all of the suitors trying to steal his woman when he gets home. I would hardly expect a man as proud as Odysseus to just let them be on their way without any retribution.
I've already read the Odyssey, and I actually liked it the first time I read it. I've enjoyed re-reading it because of the ending, knowing what is coming makes the story a little better. I enjoy how the story builds tension and frustration at the suitors and Odysseus's journey home. The first time I read it I was in suspense over how the story ended, but now I can enjoy the details of the journey knowing it ends how I really wanted it to. The only new expectation I have is to learn the characters and how they relate better.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I read this story it was very frustrating to read about the suitors insulting Telemachus for trying to defend his mother and his father's house. In book II starting at line 334 when Antinous tries coaxing Telemachus was really aggravating the first time I read it. Now that I feel the story has appropriate closure I almost enjoy their mockery.
Lauren Trout
ReplyDeleteAs a second time reader of the Odyssey, I find that what keeps me going is finding the hidden details I missed. The details help me to take a new perspective on the story. For example the passage in book nine line 495 where the Cyclopse shows his gentile side, we see that he is a deeper character. He's not some simple evil monster. He has a depth to him that I missed before. This also forces me to question who Odysseus is. Is he a great hero who destroys all evil, or is he a man trying to get what he wants from others? It's details like this that can change the whole story. They give the reader perspective and change the entire story.
All in all, the open endings are what pushes us to move forward in a book. We want to know what happens, who does what, who marries who, questions like that. If we knew all these answers we wouldn't keep reading that's obvious. We hate open endings. Even though we laugh at those corny predictable endings, we still want to know.
I have never read the Odyssey in it's entirety before so this is certainly a new reading experience for me. I usually am way to quick to assume that movies and books will have fairy tale endings, so when things don't go the way I expect I am usually caught off guard. One of the things that has surprised me the most about this epic is the changing of Odysseus. At the beginning of the book he seemed to be a powerful but humble man. The way that his family and friends talked about him would seem to convey that message. As the book wears on he seems to be more and more full of himself and his exploits. He is restrained by his crew members and is even told to basically calm down by King Alcinous. (VII.267) I expected more humility and restraint from a man of his pedigree.
ReplyDeleteAt this point Odysseus seems to have shown his real face and I expect that his arrogance will continue for the rest of the book. I want him to reach home and have a happily ever after ending but due to the nature of many Greek stories I will not be surprised if this doesn't happen.
I have never completely read The Odyssey before. The closest I have gotten is reading excerpts from high school. From what I have read, however, I do see how translating differently will change the story around. For example, I could have sworn somewhere in his journey he stays on an island for 5 days in his time and in reality it had been 5 seasons instead. I do not remember this being in the book at all. As for the ending, I would not be surprised if there are slightly different endings for different translations. I do expect an ending with closure to this story, because of the painstaking process of the descriptiveness so far seems to imply that no detail will be left untold. I normally love movies and stories that do not flat out reveal the ending (example: Inception) because it forces people to use critical thinking. I am surprised in this story at how much the gods intervene with human society(I.50-130), because it is the complete opposite of how the religions of today function. I too was surprised at how there is not a line drawn in the dirt, where characters on one side are evil and on the other side the characters are good. Everything is done in degree- it can be argued that Poseidon is not evil, he is avenging his wounded son(IX.595). The Cyclops, while barbaric, is not evil either. His home was peaceful(IX.241-259), until he walked in and saw intruders that had eaten his food(IX.294). The Cyclops needs a VH1 special "A Story Untold: Behind the Boulder" so he can share his side of the story.
ReplyDeleteI do in fact get different responses out of endings depending on if it is open or if it is closed. I like going to a movie knowing very little about it- if I go after hearing people say "the ending is terrible", once it gets to the ending part I am going to start judging it differently. I do like endings with closure, because having everything wrapped up gives people a cozy, reassuring feeling. I do also like stories without closure, because not only does it leave it open for a sequel, but as stated earlier it induces critical thinking.
MIN SOO
ReplyDeleteAs a first reader, I was thinking about that the Odysseus’s story just has the story of adventure like “Troy” movie. The story is the journal of Odysseus’s adventure from calypso’s island to his home Ithaca. I was expectation about finally odyssey will get his home Ithaca by helping from Athena who is Zeus’s daughter. That is what I thinking before reading the Odyssey.
But, there are a lot of thing to deeply touch my feeling. For example, the only men jealous other people, but in Odyssey, Poseidon is one of the god who dislikes and jealous Odyssey. So, he teases the odyssey for a long time. Also, Zeus mention about Odysseus (BooKI, 79~80) Great Odysseus who excel all men in wisdom”. The Zeus is the god of omniscience and omnipotence, but he appraises the Odysseus’s capability. Athena love Odysseus. I knew about the Greek mythology by watching movie. The god loves all kind of species, but in odyssey one of god loves endlessly one of men like Odysseus. During the journal, Athena helps Odysseus many times.
I was expecting happy ending story. But, the odyssey has not only happy-ending but also love and good lesson.
After finishing The Odyssey, an arduous albeit worthwhile task, I certainly feel a sense of closure, to a degree. That is, almost all of my questions were answered and all of my expectations were met. Questions regarding the reunion of Penelope and Odysseus, the destruction of all the suitors, and the backlash that would ensue once the rest of Ithaca and the surrounding countries found out about the massacre were all answered in some way, shape, or form. While the book itself certainly lived up to and surpassed all my expectations, the way in which closure came about was somewhat of a letdown.
ReplyDeleteOn a positive note, most of the questions that were important to me were answered. The suspense over how Penelope and Odysseus would reunite kept me flipping from page to page as fast as I could possibly read. The scene begins with disbelief, even after Eurycleia instructs Penelope to “wake up and see for yourself…Odysseus, he’s come home” (23.5). Penelope continues to stubbornly believe that “it must be a god” and “Odysseus...he’s lost and gone himself” (23.70-76). In the end, Penelope and Odysseus embrace after she tests him with a description of their royal bed (23.203-230). While this wasn’t necessarily a “Hollywood” ending, it certainly fulfilled my expectations.
The looming question throughout the entire book centered on Odysseus’ all but guaranteed return and his showdown with the suitors. From early in the story, one could see that everything was leading up to an epic clash, and The Odyssey certainly didn’t disappoint. From the dramatic slaying of the villains Antinous (22.15) and Eurymachus (22.85) to the torture of Melanthius (22.200), this scene was everything I ever hoped it could be. Unlike the Penelope and Odysseus reunion, the manner in which Odysseus and his gang ousted the suitors certainly added to a positive sense of closure in The Odyssey.
My third and final question about what would happen when the rest of Ithaca found out about the slaughter was definitively answered at the very end of the book, although it deeply disappointed me. In typical fashion of The Odyssey, the goddess Athena ends up stealing the show, calling for a truce and holding back Odysseus from another bloody battle (24. 584). While this ending to such a masterpiece as The Odyssey did provide a semi-satisfying end, it did not live up to my personal expectations. I was all geared up for another battle; my mind was fluttering with questions about the future of Ithaca and whether or not everyone would survive the battle. However, seeing how thick the end of the storyline already was with bloodshed and suspense, I can certainly understand how a calm ending such as this would be an effective way to juxtapose the action-packed chapters preceding it.
While I did have one lingering question regarding Odysseus’ fulfillment of Poseidon’s prophecy (23.283), it became clear that Odysseus was bound by fate to return home from this mission and die a “gentle, painless death…borne down with the years in ripe old age” (23.322). Much like the battle that never happened at the end of Book 24, there were just so many questions to answer and loose ends to tie up after the climax that some undoubtedly had to be left out. Taking this into consideration, I do feel a definite sense of closure with The Odyssey. Even though some of my expectations weren’t met in the fashion in which I hoped, I still feel very satisfied with the conclusion of this book.