Athena: Goddess of Plot Development

Let's get one thing straight: Athena is a "plot god," as I would call her. I hope I'm not the only one who has realized that when there seems to be no way for either Odysseus or Telemachus to continue onward, Homer just uses Athena to just explain why the plot moves forward. There are many occurrences such as giving Telemachus more confidence to stand up to the suitors (Book 1, 369), but later seemed to lose that confidence over time showing that it wasn't a permanent effect. Telemachus was then impersonated by Athena herself to recruit ship hands for his journey to discover information about Odysseus. We get no impression that Telemachus was about to go out to town and do the same. Instead he just shows up and there is a crew and ship waiting for him. It's like Homer didn't want to try and think of some trouble that Telemachus might encounter when attempting to recruit shipmates. Let's face it, he sent Athena because in his mind he was saying, "Who can deny a god?" Everyone can defy any god, granted there are consequences, but denying a god is no oddball and the plot hole here is just unanswered.
As for Odysseus, Athena just loves the man. There is probably no other man that Athena would decide to help with more than Odysseus; it's like he is Athena's science project on how she can make the most immortal, mortal man. Anyway, when Odysseus prepares to enter the Phaeacian castle of King Alcinous he must first get there undetected. How you ask? Why by going straight through the middle of the town while Athena the plot god shrouds him in a mist making him invisible to everyone...okay. This is laziness on Homer's part, in my opinion. He could have easily made Odysseus encounter maybe two people and use his apparent cunning and wits to convince the townspeople that he was not a foreigner.
That's my take on it. Athena is the plot armor of the Odyssey.

(P.S. I commented on Olivia R. and Natalie's post.)

The Difference Between a Leader and a Hero

It's a matter of motivation. Multiple people have brought up Odysseus as a leader and whether he can really be counted a hero or not. Some have said yes he can because although he can be blamed for much of his crews' suffering, he is also the one to be accredited with the rescue or solution. Some have said no, or at least that we should be a bit more hesitant with the title because he wouldn't have to do the rescuing had he not lead his men into peril in the first place. I have two thoughts on this matter. First, I'd like to draw a difference between being a good leader and being a hero. I do not think these roles are synonymous. Many are good leaders but are not heroic. Odysseus is a good leader- he has the respect of his crew, their loyalty, and the confidence in himself to lead. However, to be a true hero, I think you have to examine the motivations of the character in question. If you do bad things and make bad choices but are convincing enough that people will follow you regardless, you may be a good leader. However, I think a hero's intentions are for their followers good. I think "hero" implies some sort of rescuing.
In Odysseus case, he makes some bad decisions. Not necessarily with intent to hurt his crew, but if his motivation is his own pride, his priority is himself and not his followers. I don't think this is enough to disqualify him as a hero because I think we also have to account for flaws and failures even of hero's. Ultimately, if the character's final decision is for the good of his followers and his actions back that up as his ultimate goal, I think this shows heroism, not just leadership.

I commented on Sierra's and Darby's!

Effective Leadership

Can Odysseus truly be considered a leader, specifically, an effective one? While his cunning thinking saved him and his men several times, he still is held responsible for leading his men into these disastrous situations. It makes me question whether or not he was an effective leader, or if he was simply driven by his desire to return to Ithaca, willing to sacrifice whatever it took to get him back. We have to stop and question his motivations: were they selfish, or was he trying to be a good leader to his crew? Why do his soldiers remain so loyal even though they continue to watch each other die? (I suppose they may have had no other choice than to stick together and try to return to their homeland.) Part of me believes that Odysseus really could be a good leader because of his ability to command his crew and his ability to escape danger. However, I am conflicted to fully commit to saying he is a good leader because he causes his crew to get into those situations, further angering the gods and killing his men.

I commented on Darby and Brax’s posts!

The Incoherency of the gods

Throughout Homer's Odyssey, I've noticed quite an inconsistency with the gods and goddesses, and the actions they choose to take, especially when it involves the mortal humans, even more particularly, Odysseus himself. I am not well versed in Greek mythology, though I generally understand the roles the gods played in human life. However, I find it interesting the liberties so many of the gods/goddesses take (Poseidon, Circes, Calypso) when it comes to the ruin of Odysseus, but when something good is to be bestowed upon Odysseus, Athena (his patroness) must go before the father-god, Zeus, to ask his permission.
The gods seem to be a disassembled force, but are expected to be united in a decision of well-being. I find this to be very confusing and think this might be a reason why Good and Evil have such greyed lines throughout Greek mythology, and more specifically, The Odyssey. For example, the times Odysseus is found sharing a bed with enchantresses, there is never a question of right or wrong. But when Odysseus desires to slice the head of one of his mates, Eurylochus, in anger, he recognizes he is held back by the other men for good reason. I think the gods directly influence the expectation of what is acceptable and what is not, what is good and evil, what is right and wrong, and because they are the ruling forces in this mythological world, the humans act according to the standard set.

P.S. I commented on Ethan's and Nate's.

Whats After Death?

Book 11 has been one to stick out to me as Odysseus is summoning the spirits of old warriors, wives, and even his noble mother. This opens the idea of a bigger picture of death and life and how real it is for Odyssesus as though he may be seen as a God to the Phaecians but he is still mortal. As he is greeted by hero Achillies and Hercules. Odysseseus even exclaims ," we Argives honored you as a god, and now down here , I see, you lord it over the dead in all your power," and it shows that the glory that he strives for is worth nothing after death. The ghosts are full of grief and heartache which is something not to look forward and would leave a impression of what is my purpose now? It was sad to read of the ghost of Hercules as he still seemed to be powerful yet " [his] torments never ended, forced to slave for a man." These are not gods ; these are men striving for the best and always falling short because of imperfections.



I commented on Wendy's and Brax's blog post.

Odysseus' Lemonade

          When life gives you lemons, you try your best to not be trapped by nymphs and cyclopes. Odysseus often receives misfortune, mostly due to his own pride. Even though his patroness, Athena, continues to steer him towards home, it seems that Odysseus' pride adds too many lemons to his lemonade, and he has a sour time. In the end, after twenty years of concocting the perfect blend of Greek water, Poseidon's lemons, and the sweet sugar of Athena, the Phaeacians, and other allies, Odysseus finally gets the lemonade (home) he has desired for so long. Though his great pride spills his process all over the kitchen counter, he continues to clean up the mess with his deceit and cunningness, all while managing to further his initial progress. Odysseus is the prime example of the old saying involving life and lemons, and he continues to show how one can get back on their feet, even if they get handed shipwrecks and one-eyed giants.

P.S. I commented on Wendy and Darby's posts.

Odysseus v. His Crew

In Book 10, we see Odysseus' men become jealous of Odysseus' gift. Aeolus had given Odysseus an ox skin that contains winds to help take Odysseus and his crew back to Ithaca. While Odysseus is sleeping, his crew becomes jealous saying in lines 45-47, "Heaps of lovely plunder he hauls home from Troy, while we who went through slogging just as hard, we go home empty-handed." The crew believes that this ox skin is actually treasure, that Odysseus was shown favoritism by Aeolus. The crew releases the winds back to Aeolus, putting them further away from Ithaca. Why would Odysseus' men think that he was withholding treasures? Is this mistrust for Odysseus simply due to natural human jealousy? Or a sign of bad leadership on Odysseus' part?

I commented on Ethan's and Brax's.

Odysseus' Pride

In book nine, the whole reason Poseidon has it out for Odysseus starts to come together. The re-occurring theme to me is pride. If it were not for Odysseus' pride, he would not have been stuck on the island in the first place. Odysseus is cunning in the way he plays his cards with the Cyclops. He tricks him into believing his name is "nobody"; he devises a plan to escape the cave, which actually works. Odysseus calls the Cyclops an idiot because "my men were trussed up under their thick fleecy ribs" (9. 494), but the joke is on Odysseus. His pride creeps up, and as he makes his great escape, Odysseus says, "Cyclops-/ if any man on the face of the earth should ask you/ who blinded you, shamed you so- say Odysseus,/ raider of cities, he gouged out your eye,/ Laertes' son who makes his home in Ithaca!". Way to go Odysseus, you told him where you are from and exactly who you are. The Cyclops, son of Poseidon, tells his father of the awful act Odysseus committed; it is history from there.

I commented on Nate and Darby's posts.

Odysseus' Impossible Standard

“They burst into cries, wailing, streaming live tears that gained us nothing-what good can come of grief” Book 10, Pg. 236, lines 220-221

            In many occasions throughout books 10-12, Odysseus admonishes his crew for weeping over the death of their comrades. This is showing that Odysseus is holding himself and his crew to a higher standard than regular men. This standard calls the men to keep their emotions tucked away, but as more happens this proves to be an impossible task. It is impossible because, while these men are warriors, they are still human.

Odysseus and his men act in ways that prove they are not able to be as immovable as they hope to be.  They deal with whether heroes should be held to a higher standard simply because they are heroes, or if they allowed to express their humanity in ways that would make them appear weak. Is the ability to express emotions weakness or strength, and is this standard that Odysseus tries to uphold for himself and his crew reasonable? Without the allowance of these emotions, is someone truly living? Without emotions is one simply a car that runs without someone driving it?





I commented on Hannah and Wendy's posts.

Inherently Bad or Good???

Odysseus is seen falling short in many ways. I would like to focus specifically upon his "encounters" with Calypso and Circe. Odysseus says in lines 33-38 that Calypso and Circe had held him back. This is somewhat true, but we all know he is human, and it wasn't like he was suffering a painful and demeaning imprisonment like his men later in the story who are made to be like swine. (Lines 261-268). I will commend Odysseus on the fact that he did push past these temptations of living his life carefree and he chose to continue to return to his family. People usually argue that people are inherently bad on the inside. I disagree with that. Obviously this story is fiction, yet if we are to look at that statement in a real life situation, it doesn't make sense. How can someone who is made in the image of God, by God, be evil at the source. I am not saying we can't blatantly go against what is good. We are more than capable of that, and most of the time it's knowingly. I do think that the true values Odysseus holds are set in a way of honor and valor, he just made many mistakes. We all do. We all hold truth and love in our hearts, but we have a choice whether to follow it or not. Sometimes we fall,sometimes we don't.

Romans 7:15-20New International Version (NIV)

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

P.S. I commented on Daniel Stephen's and Natalie Schuler's posts.

Trendy Nymphs

Book 5 of  The Odyssey, describes how Odysseus is a victim of one-sided love and is held captive by the lovely nymph Calypso.  But after hearing Odysseus' long for his home and family (and a stern warning from Zeus) the goddess went every length to best prepare Odysseus for his journey home.  In Book 10 it describes how the nymph Circe turned some of Odysseus' crew into swine and through the guidance of Hermes he was able to rescue them and prevent any further harm from Circe.  In fact, after the ordeal she presented them with a feast and Odysseus and his crew stayed for a whole year feasting and relaxing in her cave.  In both cases each nymph showed a dramatic change in her actions towards Odysseus, relieving him of his trouble and giving him aid.  This seems to be a recurring trend in the book and I expect we will see more of this behavior in later books.

Ps: I commented on Hannah Atkinz and Daniel Stephens posts

Is Odysseus a good leader?

Honestly, Odysseus is my favorite character out of all of Homer's works. I think it is because he is most like humans today. He slips up and causes harm to his men, therefore prolonging everything. He lies and manipulates to get what he wants. But, even with these qualities, I think Odysseus is a good leader. Even though, most of the time, he is the one that gets his crew into the problems they arrive in, he usually is the one that gets them out. He is a quick thinker and he trusts his men to follow him. Even when he returns home, in Book 14, he has a loyal servant who is ready to follow his instructions no matter what- even after 20 years of being gone. To me, that reveals good leadership which in return deserves loyalty.


I commented on Charis' and Dallas'.

Odysseus and Polyphemus

By far, my favorite book of the Odyssey is when Odysseus faces the Cyclops. This is where I feel Odysseus really shows off the cunning he will need later on. Despite his reckless and often dangerous behavior, he is fully capable of thinking his way out of a bind quickly. When Polyphemus is given wine and asks for Odysseus' name, he responds with "Nobody-that's my name. Nobody- so my mother and father call me, all my friends." (Book 9, Line 410) Odysseus has thought this out, planning their escape out to the detail. By giving his name as Nobody, he has created an illusion for the other Cyclopes on the island. Upon blinding Polyphemus and sneaking away from his cave, Polyphemus cries out that Nobody has blinded him, which the other Cyclopes takes to mean that nothing is wrong. I feel this is where Odysseus' first shines as a clever thinker as well as a great warrior.

I commented on Natalie Shuler's blog.

Odysseus' Wisdom

In Chapter 10, lines 517-524, we see that Odysseus listens to his friends and admits that he was stubborn. This is one of his characteristics that helps define him as a hero. His men want him to make it home and they remind him of that goal. The fact that he listens to them and values their opinions is a virtue that makes them want to follow him. Odysseus may struggle with pride sometimes but he has enough wisdom to listen to the counsel of his friends. However, he also knows when not to trust someone and discerns a person's true motives very well. He maintains a good balance of trust and caution.

P.S. I commented on Hannah Atkins' and Charis Brown's posts.

The Failure of Heroes

   Odysseus is often described as cunning, intelligent, brave, or passionate, yet throughout the Odyssey, his tale includes many failures in judgment and morals. In his time on Calypso's island, he was unfaithful to his wife- not exactly the best morals (Book 5, lines 248-251). That is our hero, cheating on his wife.
   As the story goes on, Odysseus eventually tells his tale to the Phaeacians. In Book 9, he recounts his crew's encounter with Polyphemus. This intelligent, cunning leader leads his men to death at the hands of a cyclops due to his pride. Granted, he does get them out of the situation, but he is the one who got them there in the first place! Not only was he reckless in his judgment of the cyclops/ hospitality, he goes on to gloat when escaping. Pride before the fall, anyone?
   Odysseus, though our hero in this tale, has many faults that lead to his extended journey home and the death of his men. His hubris causes his troubles. Homer probably had no intention of doing this, but Odysseus's faults resemble those of King David, in a way. Both are warriors. Both cheated on their wives. Both had excessive pride in man (David after census 2 Sam. 24). Throughout history, many of the most celebrated leaders have had to overcome and endure the consequences of massive failures based upon their judgment. From Noah in Genesis to Bill Clinton or even George Bush in more recent history, failures plague leaders.
   The reason I say all of this is to throw out a thought: To gain the title of hero over leader, does one have to overcome personal failure OR just overcome overwhelming odds? And is there such a thing as a perfect hero?


P.S. I commented on Natalie Schuler and Dallas Dodson's posts.

The Trustworthiness of Odysseus

     The only account we get of Odysseus' full journey is from Odysseus himself as he sits among the Phaeacians. This presents two problems: 1. Odysseus does not know whether he is surrounded by friends or foes, and 2: Odysseus is known for being cunning, manipulative, and a "great teller of tales" (Book 9, line 1). When he describes some of the situations he and his men get into, he constantly refers to them as fools, and he blames the men for situations such as opening the bag of winds in book 10 when, in reality, he could've saved the trouble if he would've told them what was in there. He also claims he grieved as the men headed to scout out Circe's land, but he had just mentioned that he had planned to send his men first anyway. He paints his men in a negative light, all while painting himself as a great, fearless leader. This points to the untrustworthiness of Odysseus' tale.
     However, on the other hand, if he was trying to only put himself in a positive light, he would not have told the Phaeacians about his mistake of telling Polyphemus his real name as he and his men escaped. It was this bout of arrogance that turned Poseidon against Odysseus, which cost his men their lives, and delayed his return home. Does this add to the credibility of his tale, or does his skill of being a "great teller of tales" make this story even more suspicious? I feel like Emily Dickinson's poem "Tell All the Truth but Tell it Slant" applies...

(P.S. I commented on Charis' and Brax's)

Where is home?

“But they never won the heart inside me, never. So nothing is as sweet as a man’s own country, his own parents, even though he’s settled down in some luxurious house, off in a foreign land and far from those who bore him.” (book 9, lines 37-41)

               This passage was reflective of the acute sense of home that Odysseus possessed. He was unwilling to remain with his suitors even when they offered him a “luxurious house” or immortality. To him, home was not where riches were, but his origin and sense of belonging he valued so greatly remained in Ithaca. Odysseus transitioned almost immediately into the tale of the men who partook in the lotuses. These crew members that had forgotten their homes contrasted strongly with Odysseus’ devotion to returning. To these men, home was the place where they experienced the most pleasure and comfort. Their heartbreak at being torn away from that place was as real as Odysseus’ feelings about being torn away from his home, origin, and family. Where is home, really? Is home a place of origin as Odysseus believed or is it of a feeling of belonging that surrounds a particular place (wherever that place may be)?

I commented on Nate and Dallas' post. :)

Odysseus and His Faithfulness

In our discussion on Thursday we talked about the characteristics of a hero- things such as strength, endurance, honesty (not always) and the like. I have not read the Iliad yet- but from what I heard from you all, Odysseus was not the most virtuous hero we have studied. When I read about his waking up on the beach and meeting Princess Nausicaa, I noticed that though he may have been deceitful before and had made use of  his cunning (which he still continued to do afterwards- just not in this particular situation)- he was ready to go back home. The book seems to allude to the fact that the Princess was falling in love with him, and a typical moral-lacking man may take advantage of that. But Odysseus did not do so. Perhaps it was love for his wife that was still in his heart, a rage against the suitors that he wanted revenge on, or just a yearning to complete the journey he had began. Whether it be any of them, it was pleasing to see one follow the good morals of their heart.

p.s.- I commented on Nathanael Carrol's and Natalie Schuller's post

Please READ BEFORE POSTING! UPDATED 8/29/16

     Welcome, everyone, to the 2016-2017 University of Mobile Honors Blog! We in the Honors Council cannot wait to enjoy the discussions and thoughts that will be all over this page by the end of the year.
     Here is what we are looking for in these blogs/posts:

1.   1-2 paragraphs (5-8 sentences please) discussing an idea or thought you had while reading the assigned material. This can include questions, themes, character discussion, foreshadowing, or just about anything regarding the text.
2.   2 comments on others' posts. These need to be actual comments, furthering the discussion. For all that is good in this world, please do not comment "Good job!" or "Cool." We are not looking for essays, but actually engage these ideas. 1-2 sentences will do for most comments. If you want to do more, go right ahead.
3. Please edit your post with a P.S. listing the students' posts whom you commented upon. (Should look like this-->    P.S. I commented on Nate and Clay's posts.)

And that is just about it. Remember these posts will be on the assigned reading for each Tuesday. They are due by 12:00 AM the night before class. Scores for late posts will be adjusted accordingly.

If you have any questions, please text me, Nate Carroll at (334)564-0889 and I will get back with you as soon as possible.

These posts start this session, so enjoy reading. Your first posts is due Monday night by 12. We can't wait to see what all you have to say!

EDIT: Do not forget to add your name to the profile for your blogger account in order to receive credit for your posts. That is all.