RICHARD M ON TGOM ERYHIGH SCHOOL
2 5 0 Richard Montg omery Dri ve
Rock ville, Maryland 2 0 8 5 2
(3 0 1 ) 6 1 0 -8 0 0 0
Magnet English 9 Summer Reading, 2015-2016
Abo ut the Co urs e
We w ill examine the broad range of human experienc e through the s tudy of varied literary w orks . While w e learn about the
w riter’s c raft, we will gain ins ights into how w riters c reate w orlds for their intended and unintended audienc es and s hape
meaning through their purpos eful us e of language. What is the w riter revealing to us about ours elves and the w orld w e live
in? How does pers pec tive determine and fas hion the s tory that is told? How are w e trans formed by our experienc es with
literary w orks ? T hese questions will guide muc h of our inquiry throughout the s chool year.
Requir e d Sum m e r Rea d in g Text: The Od yssey by Homer (Robert Fitzg e rald translation only). Read the entire epic
prior to the first day of school, c ompleting the notes assignment below as you read. Bring your notes to class on the first day of
s chool.
Summer Reading N ote s As s ignment
As you read The Odyssey, take notes on eac h s ec tion:

Books

Books

Books

Books
1-4
5-8
9-12
13-24
The Telemakhy
Odys s eus’ journey from Ogygia to P haiakia
Odys s eus’ adventures follow ing the T rojan War
Odys s eus’ return
Thes e notes mus t be typed in Times New Roman or Garamond 12-point font, and s hould not e xceed one page pe r
s e ction (you may use tw o pages for the las t s ection, how ever, w hic h is very long).
P leas e us e the follow ing s ubheadings to organize your notes .
 A rêt e: A d if f ic u lt G r eek c oncept t h at c anno t b e tr an s lat ed t o a d ir ec t on e-t o -on e equ ivalen t in
mod er n En glis h , t he w o r d a rêt e h as man y mean in gs . D r . S tephen G . Miller s t at es t h at G r eeks w h o
d emon s t rat e a rêt e s ho w “eph emer al ex c elle n c e” an d “t r an s ient t riu mp h.” Su ch a rêt e c ou ld b e
s ho w n at ho me, du rin g at h let ic c o mpet i tions, in bat t le , or an y o t h er as p ect o f G r eek lif e. *** D o
NO T c on f use t h is t er m w it h t h e c h aract er n amed Ar et e , t h e Q u een o f P haiakia** *
 Charac ters (focus on those w ho act); inc lude des criptors/traits of eac h
 As pec ts of Greek c ulture, inc luding…
- Way of governing
- Family dynamic s (both mortals and gods : hus bands and w ives , fathers and s ons, sons and mothers)
- Role of the gods /human relations hip w ith the gods
- Soc ial s truc ture (i. e. s ervants and masters, s tatus of w arriors/heroes, roles of men and w omen)
If you have any ques tions about the s ummer reading, pleas e c ontac t Laurie Brow n ( Laurie_J _Brow n@mc ps md. org),
Sc ott Bayer (Sc ott_R_Bayer@mc ps md. org) or Nanc y Shay ( Nanc y_S_Shay@mc ps md. or g).
Example Notes: Books 1-4
(This page is jus t an e xample . Do NOT us e as your own notes f or Books 1 -4.)
Arête
o Book 1
Aigisthos’ lack of arête (stealing a man’s wife—even though warned by Hermes not to)
is contrasted with Orestes’ a rête, who exacts justice on his father’s murderer: “Have you
heard / what glory young Orestes won / when he cut down that two-faced man,
Aigisthos” (344-46)
Telemakhos shows a rête by demonstrating xenia (hospitality) : “Straight to the door he
came, irked with himself to think a visitor had been kept there waiting” (150-151); he
greets a stranger, welcomes him into his house, and offers food, drink, a bath, and a gift
o Book 2
P enelope portrays arête with her cunning ruse to keep the suitors at bay for three years:
“So every day she wove on the great loom— / but every night by torchlight she unwove
it” (112-13)
o Book 3
The town of P ylos shows arête by sacrificing 81 bulls to the gods
Nestor lauds Odysseus for his arête in military strategy, claiming “He had no rivals, /
your father, at the tricks of war” (130-131)
o Book 4
Menelaos recounts the arête demonstrated during the Trojan War by Odysseus, whose Trojan
Horse foiled the enemy and sealed victory for the Akhaians
Characte rs
o Gods: Zeus (father of the gods; “summoner of cloud”) , Athena (goddess of wisdom; supports
Odysseus’ return)
o Mortals: Telemakhos, Antinoos, Eurymakhos and other suitors, P enelope, P hemios (the bard),
Eurykleia (devoted nurse), Mentes (really Athena in disguise) , Nestor,
Menelaos, Helen
As pe cts o f Gre e k culture
o Role of women
Telemakhos rebukes P enelope for weeping and tells her, “Odysseus was not the only one at
Troy / never to know the day of his homecoming” (1.405-06)
o Family dynamics (i.e. husbands and wives, fathers and their children, mothers and sons)
Telemakhos tells Eurykleia: “you must swear to keep it from my mother, until the
eleventh day, or twelfth, or till she misses me, or hears that I am gone.” (2.396-398)
o Role of the gods in the lives of mortals
Telemakhos sa ys “the gods have laid such other burdens on me” (1.289)
Athena appears as P enelope’s sister Iphthime: “The goddess sent this dream to
Odysseus’ house / to quiet P enelope and end her grieving” (4.852-53)
o Social structure (i.e. servants and masters, status of warriors/heroes)
Mentor is left in charge of Odysseus’ home during his absence