Week 5 Syllabus: April 21

WE LEAVE TELEMACHUS BEHIND TO MEET Odysseus, man of pain, on the island of Calypso the concealer. Moving on from the bildungsroman, we now see Odysseus at his absolute lowest: defeated by monsters, disappointed by irresponsible crew, and abandoned by all Greek gods. No longer the hero of Troy, nor the king of Ithaca, Odysseus will arrive at Scheria, the Phaecian island of King Alcinous and Queen Arete naked, insane with fear, and practically dead. How will Odysseus be reborn as husband, father, and ruler?

MONDAY, April 21

• Starting with a google-sheet assignment, taking notes on Telemachus’s bildungsroman.

• Include MLA citation using book and line numbers, like this: …foot” (Wilson 1.32-38)?

• Theme: Symbolic death and rebirth, returning to land of living.

• Reading book five together, after listening to Wilson’s introduction, and reading the summary on page 532, in endnotes.

• Importance of Homeric epithet and simile\

• HW: Read through book six for Wednesday’s class. Also, finish the spreadsheet on books one through four.

Wednesday, April 23

• Reviewing the results of scholar’s postings in our Telemachus analysis.

• Writing a paragraph in response to Canvas discussion posting on Telemachus’s pivotal bildungsroman moment.

• Short lecture on book six meeting between Nausicaa and Odysseus, and homophrysene.

• HW: Read the first HALF of book seven.

Thursday, April 24

• Careful review of book seven and reading of book eight.

• Short lecture on xenia, infidelity and the story of Hephaestus and Aphrodite.

• Partner/small group re-annotation of 6-7-8, marking text for examples of xenia.

• HW: Read books 9 and 10. For these chapters, pay attention to credibility of Odysseus’s story (as he is the only surviving member of the crew).