Reading Notes Week 3: Homer's Odyssey Part B

The fortune Teiresias tells to Odysseus is extremely specific and very long. I won't be using this form of foreshadowing. It was a really obvious way to describe the rest of the story, and it took all of the surprise out of the plot. What Greek story would be complete without a casual rape committed by a god? I could use that as a plot point that establishes the antagonist, or I could leave it out altogether. I find it interesting how nonchalant the Greeks were about rape. They were a historically patriarchal society. I do rather enjoy the smaller stories within the story as Odysseus describes the women he met in Hades' House. I could use that technique to tell backstory or create motive. However, it does seem to take up a lot of space on the page without really moving the story along in a desirable fashion.
 Ah! I like that Achilles and Odysseus get the chance to talk to each other. I think it's cool that Homer brought the epic heroes together. I find it incredibly interesting that Odysseus wanted to hear the Sirens' song for himself, despite not allowing his crew to hear. I think it shows that Odysseus holds himself in higher regard than other men. I feel like a true leader would have plugged his ears with wax like the other men. I really like that the story ends in tragedy. I think Homer wrote very good stories with extremely strong characters. He was incredibly descriptive, sometimes to a fault. He wrote clever solutions to seemingly large problems, and his imagination was fueled by myth and legend. It is always convenient that the hero of the story is never the one that gets scooped up and devoured by the monster of the moment. That would cut the story terribly short. Maybe I'll write a story that keeps changing perspective because the protagonist of the moment keeps getting killed. I will definitely do that this semester.

Odysseus' Journey Map by Giulia Zoccarato, DensityDesign Research Lab, found on Wikimedia. Bibliography:
Homer's Odyssey as told by Tony Kline, found here.