The Odyssey Book 5 - Nymph and Shipwreck

PART ONE: DISCUSS SIGNIFICANT SCENES AND CHARACTERS

Book Five begins with a meeting on Mount Olympus consisting of all the gods except for Poseidon.  The purpose of this meeting is to discuss Odysseus’s fate.  We already know that Poseidon has been very angry with Odysseus and it seems that he will not show him mercy.  Even though Poseidon would have been adamantly against what the gods had to say about Odysseus, I find it naive that they did not include this powerful sea god in their discussion; they might have convinced Poseidon to let Odysseus go home and not to bother him anymore.  However, I feel that Poseidon is somewhat stubborn, so his character would not have let Odysseus go home for any reason. With Poseidon or not, Zeus sends his son Hermes to Calypso in order to relay the message that Odysseus must be allowed to return home.  Upon hearing this message, Calypso becomes defensive.

Q: Calypso accuses the gods of "double standards." What does she mean and do you agree with her? Why could it have been risky for Odysseus to reject Calypso's offer of immortality? How does he reject her offer diplomatically, and what does that show about Odysseus?

A: I believe Calypso jumped to conclusions too quickly.  She probably seemed overwhelmed with Hermes visiting her and, at the same time, telling her that she must let go of her lover, Odysseus.  This demand from Zeus angered her, resulting in her accusation of the gods having “double standards.”  When goddesses have mortal lovers, like Demeter and Iasion for example, Zeus gets very angry.  On the other hand, it is okay for gods to have mortal lovers.  In this way, I agree with Calypso in that the gods are being sexist, but I think she went a little too far.  Being in love with Odysseus, Calypso offered him the gift of immorality but he did not accept it.  This could have been risky because Calypso can do much with her power and if she becomes frustrated or angry, that power can be used in a bad way.  When Calypso asks Odysseus to become immortal, he answers in a cautious way; he compliments her beauty and tells her not to be mad at him.  This answer reveals the wariness in his character and that he has a way with words.  Odysseus seems like that person that fights for what he wants and doesn’t want things given to him without working for it.

Q: What should we make of the fact that Odysseus has spent all his days on Ogygia sobbing in anguish about how he wants to go home but spending all his nights there sleeping with Calypso in her cave. Homer says, "...he had no choice--unwilling lover alongside lover all too willing." How might he explain this to Penelope when and if he reaches home?

A: I feel like during the day Odysseus is faced with reality and knows he doesn’t belong on Ogygia but belongs back home.  However, I feel like Calypso expects him to sleep with her because she saved his life and she needs something in return.  Explaining the situation to Penelope when and if he reaches home, Odysseus might say that he did not want Calypso to become angry with him.  If Calypso became angry with Odysseus, I feel like she would not tolerate his rebellion and she would make him suffer.  For the sake of what life he had left in him, Odysseus at least obeyed Calypso’s desires.

Guiding Question #1: Imagine having the choice of becoming immortal; would you do it?  How do you think becoming immortal would have helped Odysseus in his dire situation?

PART TWO: ILLUMINATE THE TEXT

1.       Literary Devices:

·         Irony- “…his clothing dragged him down – divine Calypso’s gifts…” (5.354). I think it is ironic that Calypso’s generosities almost made Odysseus drown.  In the end, he actually takes off the clothes that were given to him by Calypso.  

·         Imagery- “Quickly under his feet he fastened the supple sandals, ever-glowing gold, that wing him over the waves and boundless earth with the rush of gusting winds” (5. 48-50).  I feel that Homer does an excellent job by painting a picture through his words.  This example of imagery helps me imagine Hermes getting ready to leave for this journey to Ogygia that is rarely taken by anyone.  There is somewhat of a glamorous tone to it.

2.       Epic Machinery:

·         Epithets- The “nymph with lovely braids” relates to Calypso.  In the beginning of Book Five, we are led to believe that Calypso’s home is more beautiful than anyone can imagine.  Demeter, who made love to a mortal, is also said to have lovely braids.  In this way, I feel like there is a correlation between lovely braids and goddesses falling in love with mortals.  “The guide and the giant-killer” relates to Hermes.  I think he is called “the guide” because Zeus sends him as a messenger on all missions.  However, his “giant-killer” characteristic might come into play later in the story.

3.       Topics from Introduction:

·         Gods- In the introduction, it explains the relationship between gods and humans in The Odyssey.  It is “a time when men were stronger, braver and more eloquent than they are now, women more beautiful, powerful and intelligent than they have been ever since, and gods so close to human life and so involved with human beings, in affection or in anger, that they are intervened in their lives and even appeared to them in person” (41).  The fact that human beings were “better” makes me assume that that is why the gods were willing to be personally apart of their lives.  Because the gods are very close to human beings, their main priority is to please the gods.  This might support as to why Odysseus succumbed to Calypso’s commands and slept with her every night; he must foremost please the gods, no matter the situation.

·         Hero: Throughout book five, I came to realize that Odysseus is more vulnerable and less enchanting than I thought he was.  To let his feeling out, he wept a great deal.  He also seemed to trust the gods much less than he should.  When Calypso told Odysseus that she was finally going to set him free, he immediately questioned the validity in her statement; he could not believe it.  He quickly assumed that she had another trick up her sleeve.  This sense of mistrust is not a characteristic associated with a hero in the introduction.  It says that Odysseus is a deceiver, but it seems that he is actually the one being deceived.  The introduction also says that Odysseus is prideful.  However, in the fifth book Odysseus seemed humble and helpless, which is far from being full of pride.  I feel like these characteristics of Odysseus revealed to us in the fifth book will become more obsolete.

Guiding Question #2: Do you believe that Odysseus’s sense of mistrust will lead him in the wrong direction?  Or will it only help him be more cautious and aware of his surroundings? Explain.

PART THREE: MAKE CONNECTIONS

One theme I found while reading the fifth book was loyalty.  Athena showed loyalty to Odysseus by keeping him safe, especially at the end of the book when she rescued him from nearly drowning.  She also stays loyal to Odysseus by standing up for him in front of all the gods, just like a loyal friend would do.  To be loyal is to show faithfulness, and that is just what Athena does towards Odysseus.  Odysseus is very dependent on Athena’s kindness and is willing to help him step by step along his journey.  Athena would seem to be a great best friend.  Another theme was revenge.  Poseidon saw Odysseus traveling on the sea and became furious with the fact that the gods changed their minds without telling him.  With that, he gave him much pain and trouble by making a storm on the vast sea.  “Hope it Gives you Hell” by the All American Rejects is a song that has to do with revenge.  The lyric “if you walk my way, hope it gives you hell” reminds me of Poseidon and getting in his way only leads to trouble.  Another theme that came up was hospitality.  When Hermes, went to Calypso’s home, he was awestruck by its beauty; he does not make this journey to Ogygia very often.  And with his rare visits, Calypso still treats him with honor and respect.  She tells him to tell her what’s on his mind and that “[she’s] eager to do it, whatever [she] can do…whatever can be done” (5.101-102).  With that simple gesture of humility and serving Hermes with food and drink, I think Calypso is very hospitable.  In the book, and movie, Pride and Prejudice takes hospitality very seriously.  There is always something for the guest to eat and drink, even when their visit is a surprise.  Guests are always put first before anyone else.

Guiding Question #3: How do you think these themes will play a part in the rest of the story? What other themes are represented in this book? 

Black Eyes, Blue Tears

Once I finished reading A Doll’s House, I felt a sort of relief.  One reason was that Mrs. Linden and Krogstad got together.  Another reason was that the truth came out about Nora borrowing money from Krogstad.  I felt like it was very necessary for Helmer to know what Nora did; otherwise, they would not be sharing an authentic relationship together.  When Helmer found out about the truth, his character changed from being controlling to more vulernable.  Nora finally realized what she had been a part of for many years and decided she didn’t want it any longer.  “Black Eyes, Blue Tears” by Shania Twain (one of my favorite singers!) is about leaving an abusive relationship.  Even though Nora and Helmer’s relationship wasn’t quite abusive in a physical way, I think it was abusive in a psychological way.  Below are some of Twain’s lyrics:

“Black eyes, I don't need 'em
Blue tears, gimme freedom
Positively never goin' back
I won't live where things are so out of whack
No more rollin' with the punches
No more usin' or abusin'

…

Definitley found my self esteem
Finally-I'm forever free to dream”

While singing the song, Shania seems uplifted and free of what was holding her back.  That is how I felt about Nora's character at the end of the play.  By leaving Helmer, she was no longer succumbed to his commands; she is now able to live for herself and no one else.  Everything that went on in her house was fake and “out of whack” (Twain).  She doesn’t want to adjust to what Helmer or society thinks of her.  When she came to the realization and told Helmer that she didn’t love him, it was like she found her self-esteem and was able to speak up on her own (relating to the last two lines of Twain’s lyrics).  By standing up for herself, she is now able to able to express herself freely and not be hindered by anyone.

Living a Lie

At the end of A Doll’s House, Nora realizes that she doesn’t know who she is and must change her ways; she feels trapped inside of her “dollhouse”.  This enlightenment happens right after Torvald assures Nora that he has forgiven her of borrowing the large sum of money from Krogstad.  Nora replies by saying that she never really understood him, nor Helmer about herself.  Nora’s recognition to her desperate situation reminds me of the song “Living a Lie” by 3 Doors Down.  Being one of my favorite bands, I love how 3 Doors Down can make a serious situation feel genuine and personal.  Here are some of the lyrics from their song “Living a Lie”:

“Now it's time to say goodbye
I've been living this lie for way too long
I can't handle this lie got to say goodbye
I've been living this lie for way too long
Blame it on this way of thinking
Blame it on someone
There's no answers only questions that have come undone
It doesn't help to think about it
It only makes me feel used
Now there's nothing left to think about
Nothing's true....”

These lyrics seem quite depressing, and it makes you feel like there’s no way out.  When they sing, “there’s no answers, only questions that have come undone”, it reminds me of Nora and how she was full of questions when she realized she didn’t love Helmer.  In the beginning, when Nora thought everything was dandy, she never questioned anything.   It’s interesting how Nora then began to doubt the authenticity of her lifestyle when she realized Helmer’s motives; everything was a show for him and there was nothing real about his character.  Even though it is pretty sad that Nora left her husband and children, I still think there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.  I feel hopeful for Nora because she is now free of all oppression from Helmer, and she doesn’t have to waste her time pleasing him or society any longer.  She has been “living this lie for way too long [and she has to] say goodbye” (3 Doors Down). 

Pirates!

The Pirates of the Caribbean movies have to be among my favorite movies of all time.  In the first movie, The Curse of the Black Pearl, Elizabeth Swann is destined to marry Captain James Norrington who later becomes Commodore of the Royal Navy.  With his pristine status, it only makes sense for the governor’s daughter, Elizabeth, to marry this man.  The problem is that Elizabeth doesn’t truly love Norrington, but loves a pirate named William Turner.  At first, Elizabeth doesn’t accept Norrington’s proposal to get married.  However, at another time, she agrees to marry Norrington only if he agrees to rescue William from Barbossa.  I feel like Elizabeth and Norrington relate to Mrs. Linden and Krogstad from A Doll’s House.  Mrs. Linden married a man for his money and not for love.  In actuality, she loved Krogstad but ended up breaking his heart by marrying another man.  As a result, she lived a miserable life even though she had all the money she needed.  I feel like this exemplifies how even though you might have all the money in the world, it does not mean that you will be genuinely happy.  When I look through magazines and watch T.V. (especially MTV Cribs), I can’t help but become jealous of what some celebrities have.  But then I realize that sometimes these people aren’t truly happy; there could be family or drug related problems.  It actually seems that many celebrities aren’t happy.  In this way, I feel very blessed with what I have.

Towards the end of the play, Mrs. Linden tells Krogstad she wants to get back together with him.  This took a while, but at least Mrs. Linden chose to follow her heart in the end.  In Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Elizabeth finally marries William and they are as happy as can be!

Elizabeth and Norrington

Elizabeth and William

Pink Ribbon

In my World Literature class, we just finished reading A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen.  The story consists of a husband and a wife named Helmer and Nora who, in the beginning, seem to be living in a fairytale land where all their needs and wants are taken care of.  In the story, Nora wants to please Helmer and the people around her.  However, in the end, Nora realizes her bondage to Helmer and the fact that she has been living a lie under his control.  To me it seemed like Nora blew up in Helmer’s face, letting out everything that was bottled up inside of her for many years.  Right away I thought about the singer Gwen Stefani because she’s rebellious and not afraid to let the world know about how she feels, no matter how extreme it may seem.  One song that immediately came to my mind was “Just a Girl” by No Doubt (where Gwen Stefani was a main vocalist).  The song goes straight to the facts about being oppressed:

“Take this pink ribbon off my eyes
I'm exposed
And it's no big surprise
Don't you think I know
Exactly where I stand
This world is forcing me
To hold your hand”

I take the pink ribbon as being a metaphor for everything that represents a girl in a sexist way, like being pretty and unaware about reality.  Almost like being blind, Nora has the “pink ribbon” on her eyes while being married to Helmer.  She thinks she loves him and it seems that everything about her life is perfect; a beautiful house, healthy children, and an eventual surplus of money.  In the end though, Nora takes the “pink ribbon” off her eyes by speaking the truth to Helmer and leaving him; she takes a stand for herself for the first time.  When Stefani sings, “this world is forcing me to hold your hand”, it reminds me of how Helmer cares too much about other people’s opinions.  For example, he worries so much about how other people would react to Nora’s tarantella dance; he wants it to be perfect so that they would look like a perfect couple.

I really love the next lines that Stefani sings in a funny, sarcastic way:
“'Cause I'm just a girl, little 'ol me
Don't let me out of your sight
I'm just a girl, all pretty and petite
So don't let me have any rights”

This description of a girl reminds me of how women, in a sexist way, are controlled by men and have nothing important to say.  They are constantly being watched by their husbands and are told what to do.  It reminds me of how Helmer expects Nora to do whatever he wishes and that she cannot argue; she is only there to be his obedient, pretty lark.