Odyssey (Ch 21-24

The bow is a symbol of strength and loyalty. Whoever can string the bow is worthy of taking the throne fom king Odysseus. The sign of strength that comes from stinging this bow is often used in tests in ancient Greece. Not surprisingly none of the suitors even come close to completing the task, Proving there weakness and unloyalty of trying to take Penelope from Odysseus. His son Telemachus does come close proving his manhood and how he has matured into a man while his father has been gone. Telemechus might have succeeded in stringing the bow if he hadnt been so obedient of his father when he told him to stop and he quickly stops obeying his fathers request once again showing his loyalty to his father. Another symbol in this myth is Odysseus and Penelope's bed, which was carved from the roots of an olive tree which cannot been moved,or altered. This bed is a direct relation to the love Odysseus and Penelope share for each other. Through Odysseus' long voyage, Penelope stood faithfully by his side, protected his kingdom and waited for his arrival back home. There love is proves to be strong and and constant just like there bed.

Odyssey (Chapters 16-20)

The character Melanthius doesn’t play a big role in this myth, but he does play a significant role in this story. As Odysseus returns home he once again disguises himself as a poor beggar, Melanthius crosses his path not knowing it is King Odysseus' and is quick to insult him and makes fun of how poor he is stating "hanging around the door posts, rubbing his back, scavenging for scraps." Odysseus is very upset and mad that this is the way people poor people of this rank are treated, the words spoken by Melanthius quote "made Odysseus' blood boil." As Odysseus continues to pass by, through all the taunting and harassing by Melanthius, he then kicks Odysseus' in the hip in attempt to knock him off the path. The next Character I wanted to discuss is Arnaeus or Irus. The role he plays in this myth is almost confusing to me, why he challenges Odysseus in the first place is big question in itself. He seems to be jealous, or feel threatened by Odysseus who is disguised as a beggar, feeling as though he may take away food and jobs from him, Odysseus to Irus is competition. As the taunting and verbal fighting goes on, eventually Irus challenges Odysseus to a duel which is encouraged by the suitors. Irus is confident in winning this fight broadcasting "Friends, how can an old man, worn down with pain, stand up to a young buck?" He is basing his age and stature on the fight, being young he think will always beat the old. As the fight beginning Odysseus stands ready with Athena by his side, the goddess making him buff and very strong no competition for the young Irus. In turn Odysseus wins this fight with flying colors, not even a question of who the winner was. The real question I have with this character is his relevance, this part of the story seems to be thrown in there just to prove again that the gods can do anything, for example make Odysseus strong and healthy again in time to fight and win against Irus.

The Odyssey (Ch. 11-15)

In Odysseus's journey to Hades, he is forced to travel through death to continue his life in Ithaca. He must face many men and women all importantly related in some way to his life at some point. Circe's instructs him to sacrifice a ram in order to attract the dead spirits allowing him to talk to the dead. When first entering the underworld Odysseus’s is most shocked by his mother, Anticleia who Odysseus’s had left alive when he left for he Troy now dead and gone. Before he would speak to his mother’s ghost he demanded to speak with Tiresias himself, who after drinking the ram's blood began to speak. He told him a god will make his hope for a safe and smooth journey home difficult. He would suffer all the way home, but he would make it under one condition. When Odysseus and his crew make it to Thrinacia Island, they are not to touch the herds and fat flocks of Helios, if they are to harm them there journey home will be impossible and there ship destroyed along with all the crew. Next Odysseus speaks with his mother, finding out her fate ended because of her longing his safe return to Ithaca. Odysseus met with Tyro, Antiope who borne Zeus twin sons, Alcemena- Amphitryon's wife, Oedipus's mother Epicaste who married her own son, Chloris, Leda- Tyndareaus' wife, Iphamedeia- Aloeus' wife, Phadedra, and Procris and Clymene, Maera and Eriphyle who bribed with a golden necklace lured her hisband to his death. Odysseus pauses and begins to take it all in overwhelmed by all the information he has just heard, but his talks with the dead are not over. He is next visited by Alicinous, who then introduces him to other men who fought in the Trojan war. Though this is a journey into death, I believe this journey is strictly a journey into his future and how his journey back home will play out.

The Odyssey (books 6-10)

Calypso's Island is a symbol of temptation for Odysseus, and overall mankind as well. Calypso is a beautiful woman and will give Odysseus all the riches he desires. Also, there are more women on the island as well trying to tempt Odysseus to stay and not go back home. If he goes back home to his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, it will show how he is a family man and has a true sense of love towards his family. However, if he stays it will show how easy men give in to desires. Another point that was mentioned a few times was if a man left his wife for another woman, no one would care and would actually respect him. In contrast, if a wife cheated on her husband (even if he was away or could be dead in this case), she'd be ruled disloyal, unrespectable, and would be almost viewed as an adulteress. This book foreshadows ideals and ethics that are prevalent today with this matter of men being better than women. 

Odysseus called himself a Nobody because he wanted to escape from the wrath of the Cyclops, a demigod stemming from Poseidon, God of the Sea. Cyclops was going to kill Odysseus, being his first fight and all, but Odysseus used his strength and smarts to flee from the scene. Cyclops was less likely to kill Odysseus because Cyclops wanted to kill someone worth killing. Why would he waste his time killing a Nobody? 

The Odyssey ch. 1-5

Telemachus is Odysseus's son, who was left at an early age when Odysseus set out on his journey. Now Telemachus is at about the age of twenty and helpless to the mob of suitors who are trying to marry his mother Penelope in hopes of taking over Odysseus's kingdom. Telemachus is visited by Athena disguised as one of his father’s friends, who predicts Odysseus is still alive, and tell him to banish the suitors from his father’s kingdom. Telemachus steps up and takes back the reins of his father’s territory. Telemachus overall is confused in my eyes, he doesn’t know what to do exactly but when pushed in the right direction he overcomes his fears and steps up to do the right thing. The predicament Telemachus is left in after understanding his father’s situation is overall a coming of age for him for his father’s kingdom but also of his household, this manhood all gained from a little help from the gods is all to preserve his father’s estate and name saying "I hold the reins of power in this house." Athena's two visits encourage him to become a independent and stern man, taking back fathers territory, protecting his mother and also setting out on his big journey. As Telemachus prepares to set out on his journey, Athena appears again but this time as Telemachus himself, and rounds up a crew of loyal men to make the journey alongside Telemachus. Now Telemachus has faced his first of many physiological battles he now sets off to Pylos and Sparta for his first physically journey. The journey he sets off on is in search of knowledge about his father, anything he can find. I believe we hear about Telemachus’ journey before we hear of his father Odysseus's because of the growing Telemachus does and also for the suspense of the whereabouts of his father. Hearing about his journey is putting together the puzzle of his father, we slowly but surely find more and more information about Odysseus in turn not only knowing Telemachus’ story first but at the same time learning about his fathers also. I believe the story is mainly about Telemachus and his battles that he faces for his father, we are in search of Odysseus's information but it is all through the actual main character Telemachus.

Chapters 37, 39-50

In these reading we learn of the life of Joseph the son of Isreal. The controversial theme that keeps coming up in these readings throughout the Genesis is the theme of betrayal caused by jealousy. The way Isreal treats Joseph makes his brothers especially jealous, so one day while working in the field they come up with the plan to kill their own brother. This plan is denied by Joseph's brother Rueben who then decided to strip him of his clothes and leave him in an empty pit without food or water. He was sold to the Ishmaelites where he was then brought to Egypt. His life in Egypt is explained, years later a famine hits the land and Joseph is the only one with food for the survivors. He is visited by his brothers who are in search of food and does not know how to react. He is now the man in control, he now controls his brother lives as they did the day they left him naked in that pit alone. Joseph in turn ended up with the better end of the deal, he suffered for a short time when first entering Egypt but now he is the only man who is safe from famine. Joseph believes God was the reason he was taken to Egypt, to have a better life, not blaming his life on his jealous brothers. I believe in the end Joseph takes his brother's and all their families, flocks and herds into Egypt to take care of them and give them food because he knows the real meaning of family, even though they did him wrong he knows it does not give him the right to do them wrong. This of betrayal keeps showing up throughout the stories of Genesis, all stringing from the theme of jealousy.

Chapter 25-28 32-33

The problems that arise from these two "firstborn" sons, is the trait we have seen multiple times before in these reading, jealousy. After Isaac tell Esau to go fetch him some game, and prepare him a feast before his last day arrives, Rebekah then instructed Jacob to bring his father game for his last meal also. Jacob arrives home first with his game while Rebekah prepared for his meal father Isaac. Rebekah then disguised Jacob as Esau by dressing him in his clothing and the skins of a young goat on his hands to make then appear hair as Esau's are. Jacob brings Isaac his meal and portrays himself successfully and Esau. Isaac blesses his youngest son Jacob as it is his oldest son Esau. I believe Jacob agrees to dress as his brother because of his jealousy, but Rebekah was in charge of this false act for a reason I don’t understand. When Esau finds out his brother has deceived him and taken his blessing he is angry and believe murder of his brother is the answer. The role of the parents is very conflicting in this story, Rebekah is really the one deceiving her husband while Isaac I believe is favoring his oldest son. I believe Rebekah's speeches in this story ultimately are in favor of Jacob and show her love is more toward Jacob. She steals the blessing from Esau by convincing Jacob to deceive his father, and in her second speech she orders Jacob to flee to Laban her brother in Haran to avoid his own murder by his brother Esau.

Chapter 12, 16-18, 21-23

The reasoning for Abram/ Abraham's reaction before going to Egypt is unknown. He tells Sarah, she needs to tell the Pharaoh that she is his sister in order to keep his life, that the Pharaoh would kill him if it was known they were husband and wife. Sarah tells the lie should was told to tell, and is they taken as the Pharaoh's wife. The encounter proves that Abraham does not trust the Pharaoh and thinks the worst of them while the Pharaoh took them both in during the time of famine to keep them alive. The first love triangle takes place when Abraham's wife Sarah cannot bear him any children and offers her servant Hagar as a wife to Abraham of which she will conceive a son. Hagar bore Abram a son and named him Ishmael. The very human problem that arises from this conflict of a love triangle is the jealousy Sarah feels toward Hagar after having a son with her husband. This story shows how the class of Hagar and her son is not as worthy as that of Sarah and Abraham. When Sarah bore's a son years later from the miracle of the Lord, she and Abraham agree to send Hagar and Abraham's first son away. Abraham is tested again by God, a horrific test of killing his son in cold blood as a sacrifice of the Lord. God needs more proof because of the previous events that had taken place. I believe his lie to the Pharaoh makes him untrustworthy, and the way he sends his first son away because of the replacement of his second son makes him a follower. God wants proof that he will not be dishonest to him, and that Abraham will not find another Lord, other than this God.