The Odyssey of Life: Overcoming our Monsters In the last class period, we’ve discussed the parallels between the story of Odysseus and our modern lives. Considering these parallels, compare Odysseus’ trials to your life. Have you faced any “monsters” or near impossible “obstacles” as you journey towards your goals? How are these challenges similar to the ones faced by Odysseus? For this response paper, study one of the monsters in depth. Are their ways in which it is “lawless, brute, or meaningless?” Are there other criteria that makes it a monster? Then explain how Odysseus’ journey can serve as an allegory to the one you have embarked on or will embark on. 1. In one paragraph, write a summary of monster as Odysseus faces it. 2. In paragraph two, tell your story (the one that parallels Odysseus’ story) by integrating quotes from The Odyssey into your story. The Odyssey of Life: Overcoming our Monsters In the last class period, we’ve discussed the parallels between the story of Odysseus and our modern lives. Considering these parallels, compare Odysseus’ trials to your life. Have you faced any “monsters” or near impossible “obstacles” as you journey towards your goals? How are these challenges similar to the ones faced by Odysseus? For this response paper, study one of the monsters in depth. Are their ways in which it is “lawless, brute, or meaningless?” Are there other criteria that makes it a monster? Then explain how Odysseus’ journey can serve as an allegory to the one you have embarked on or will embark on. 1. In one paragraph, write a summary of monster as Odysseus faces it. 2. In paragraph two, tell your story (the one that parallels Odysseus’ story) by integrating quotes from The Odyssey into your story. The Odyssey of Life: Overcoming our Monsters In the last class period, we’ve discussed the parallels between the story of Odysseus and our modern lives. Considering these parallels, compare Odysseus’ trials to your life. Have you faced any “monsters” or near impossible “obstacles” as you journey towards your goals? How are these challenges similar to the ones faced by Odysseus? For this response paper, study one of the monsters in depth. Are their ways in which it is “lawless, brute, or meaningless?” Are there other criteria that makes it a monster? Then explain how Odysseus’ journey can serve as an allegory to the one you have embarked on or will embark on. 1. In one paragraph, write a summary of monster as Odysseus faces it. 2. In paragraph two, tell your story (the one that parallels Odysseus’ story) by integrating quotes from The Odyssey into your story. One monster that we see in The Odyssey is the sirens. The Sirens have indeed proven worthy foes in both our modern day civilization, and also in the journey of Odysseus. Upon leaving the island of Aeaea, our hero and his fellow soldiers are met by one named Circe, who warns of what lies ahead. In her warning she describes many different obstacles, one of which is the sirens. She explains to Odysseus that he must be bound to the mast if he is to listen to the song of the sirens, and live. According to her word, he “stops” the ears of the soldiers, as they bind him to the mast. This way, the soldiers do not give in to the will of the Sirens, so they can continue to row the boat. As they near the island of the sirens, Odysseus begins to discover why these sirens are so highly revered. They begin singing their deadly song to the hero,”Come hither, come, Odysseus, whom all praise, great glory of the Achaeans! Bring in your ship, and listen to our song. For none has ever passed us in a black­hulled ship till from our lips he heard ecstatic song, then went his way rejoicing and with larger knowledge. For we know all that on the plain of Troy Agrives and the Trojans suffered at the gods’ behest; we know whatever happens on the bounteous earth.” Odysseus at that point gives in, and signals to his men to release him, but instead, one of his men comes over and places more chord over his arms and legs to keep him from escaping, and giving in to their pleas. In the end, Odysseus makes it out untouched, but he would not have been able to do it without the support of his friends. Similarly, we may also find ourselves facing the exact same thing. Metaphorically speaking, we could encounter sirens along our journey to get back home. There have been many times where I have faced many of these dangerous creatures throughout my lifetime. For example, when I was about 4 years old we lived in a small apartment complex. While there, I met my best friend, Luke. Luke and I used to play together every day, for hours and hours on end. One day, I decided we’d try something different, so we started to go exploring around the complex a little bit. We had fun, and played with our other friends, we raced our scooters and bikes, and had much conflict(easily comparable to the trojan war *not really*). However, on our way back to my apartment, a flash of red caught my vision. Looking to my left, I saw a red handle placed on the wall, high above my head. It began to “lift up it’s penetrating voice”(117) to me in my mind. Leaning over to Luke, I exclaimed.”Hey man, I’m pretty sure I know what this is; this is the fun switch. We should pull it.” “I don’t think that’s a good idea man, my mom said that I shouldn’t ever touch that, because something bad will happen. It might let out the electrical monster in the green electrical box over there…” Luke stated. “Thus I spoke”(116), with even more excitement, I quickly assured him,”If it comes out, I’ll just beat it up, I’ll protect you. Besides, have you ever seen an electrical monster before?” Luke contemplated this for a second before acknowledging that he indeed had not.”Good.” I said.”Let’s flip that fun switch, so we can see what it looks like.” Indeed, at first I did try to pass the handle, but slowly, the switch began to call out to me, beckoning me to flip it. I pulled a chair out from underneath the stairwell of the outdoor complex, and began to climb up the chair toward my destiny. Luke drew back in fear, as I grasped the handle with a serious look on my face. Suddenly, Luke grabbed my ankles which startled me and I fell to the ground.”What are you doing!” I bursted.”We can’t touch that switch, I have a bad feeling about this.” Luke replied while helping me up.”Hush up twinkle toes, I have to pull the fun switch, or we won’t have any fun!” I replied in a brute like manor. I quickly climbed up again, and this time without hesitation, I pulled the fun switch. Suddenly, an alarm blasted in our ears, and lights blazed all around us. I had just pulled the fire alarm. Startled, I fell off of the chair(once again), while Luke took off running to the bushes. I picked myself up, and dove into the bushes with him, scraping up my little 4 year old body from head to toe. Slowly, doors began to open, and people started to ask around, checking on each other and making sure that everything was alright. Soon afterward, my Mom came looking for me, and shouting my name. I remained hidden. I knew that if she had discovered what I did, I would experience imminent doom. Right then, right there. My Calypso In The Odyssey , Calypso seems anything but Odysseus’ greatest feat. Early on in the epic, Odysseus faces monsters like the Cyclops who tries to “fill...his monstrous maw by eating human flesh” or the six headed monster, Scylla, whose heads each have “three rows of teeth, stout and closed­set, fraught with dark death” (115). These descriptions make Calypso seem like a gift from the gods. In fact, Homer describes Calypso repeatedly as the “heavenly goddess” or “divine” nymph (49). Even the supposedly “captive” Odysseus finds Calypso divine when he washes up on her island. As soon as Odysseus arrives, Calypso takes care of him, adorning him in robes and providing him with a washroom. Specifically, Odysseus describes her welcome as her “receiving me, she loved, and cherished me” (67). Even with this kindness, Calypso is truly the greatest obstacle Odysseus ever faced. Odysseus stays on Calypso’s island for seven years­­almost twice as long as it took him to conquer all other obstacles. While Odysseus protests that he was held on the island by force and that Calypso never “beguiled the heart within [his] breast,” he offers no stories of resistance. Instead, after all his monsters, Calypso’s island provides the “constant care as if he were a god” that Odyssey desires (77). These comforts lull him into complacency; he still remembers his dream, but he’s content to stop pursuing it for a while. Ultimately, Calypso's comforts hold Odyssey stagnant. In my life, I faced many “monsters” that at appear at first “heavenly” because of their easiness but later become large detours in my life goals (49). For example, in college, I was striving to maintain the high GPA required for a full­ride scholarship. With the bar set at a 3.92, this goal or “journey” seemed impossible. However, my freshman year I learned of a website that ranked teachers based on their easiness in grading and curriculum. I quickly sucumbed to pressure to get good grades and began only signing up for the “easy” classes. With each simplified worksheet and dumbed down essay, I felt like I moved closer to my scholarship and graduation. I was comfortable. As time progressed, however, I realized that these “glorified” english classes were teaching me absolutely nothing. I’d gotten lost in the comfort or “constant care” of having a scholarship that I had lost the true purpose of my education­­to learn (77). With a sigh, I switched my computer search function from easy to hard and enrolled myself in a new semester of difficult, challenging classes­­new monsters if you will. With these “monsters” however I was fighting to succeed instead of content to remain stagnant with my “Calypso.”