FRESHMAN ENGLISH 213 LITERATURE AND WORLD HISTORY Name:

EMAILS: alan_reinstein@newton.k12.ma.us robert_parlin@newton.k12.ma.us

Homer’s Odyssey ESSAY ASSIGNMENT: Choose among the following options, all of which ask you to consider in 800-1000 words (2-3 pages), what’s meaningful about reading The Odyssey today. Your essay should include at least three well-integrated quotations from the text—anywhere they fit (introduction, body, conclusion). 1. WRITE AN Op-Ed PIECE IN THE NEWTON TAB: KEEP THE

ODYSSEY. o Let’s say that Newton Public Schools is thinking of getting rid of The

Odyssey from its curriculum. What would be the case that you would make for keeping it? Why study it? What lessons can we learn from it?

2. WRITE A SPEECH TO YOUNG LEADERS: LOOKING AT ODYSSEUS

AS A MODERN LEADER. o How could you use Odysseus’s story and actions to teach modern leaders

how to be good leaders—either as examples of how to lead, or of how not to lead? (You could include Telemachus also.)

3. WRITE A PAPER TO PRESENT AT AN ACADEMIC CONFERENCE:

SEEING ANCIENT GREECE AND/OR ROME THROUGH THE ODYSSEY.

o Imagine a conference with other historians. Choose a meaningful concept or idea from your study of Ancient Greece and/or Rome and discuss how it is particularly revealed in The Odyssey.

Organization Options o Classic five-paragraph essay. (“Keep The Odyssey for three important

reasons.”)—Introduction (100-150 words); three body paragraphs (200-250 words each); conclusion (100-150 words).

o OR—Alter body paragraphs by number of key ideas/supports to discuss.

4. OR—For a CONVENTIONAL LITERARY ANALYSIS—SEE OTHER SIDE !

CONVENTIONAL LITERARY ANALYSIS: ASSIGNMENT: Choose among the following options, all of which ask you to consider in 800-1000 words (2-3 pages), what Homer may be trying to say in this story, what we’re meant to learn from it.

1. CRITICAL THINKING. Choose to expand on any of your selected Critical

Thinking responses from your reading questions. 2. A LINE, A SCENE. Take any line or any scene and build from here toward a

satisfying understanding of the epic. Some Ideas (which may include continuing to develop the topic of your in-class essay)

3. INVOLVEMENT OF THE GODS. What is significant about the gods’ influence on the events of the story? And what are we to make of the very quick creation of peace that comes from the involvement of Zeus and Athena at the end of the story. Explore specific places of supernatural involvement in your reading. Maybe you’ll find a difference in the gods’ roles, say, in the different roles Athena and Zeus play. Maybe something else.

4. HOSPITALITY. Explore places in the text where the theme of hospitality to guests

is represented as important to the story. What message does Homer seem to be suggesting. What are the natural consequences to humans when this value is violated?

5. ODYSSEUS AND TELEMACHUS. Does Homer suggest that Telemachus is

less heroic, equally heroic, or more heroic than Odysseus? Answer this question by looking closely at two or three of Telemachus’s character traits and analyzing how they show him to be better than, equal to, or lesser than Odysseus. Be sure to use textual evidence to show that Telemachus has these traits.

a. Leadership and Heroism. Is Homer trying to make a distinction between

these two traits in his depiction of Odysseus in his adventures and in his return to Ithaca?

6. PENELOPE. Discuss Penelope’s emergence in the story in the later books. How

should we see Penelope as a representative woman in the poem? Is she representative? Perhaps compare her with other women who have roles in The Odyssey.

a. Penelope and Odysseus. Compare their strengths in the poem as Penelope

emerges as her own character in the later sections.

7. REVENGE and JUSTICE. Given that contemporary Greeks might have had different notions of revenge and justice than today, what should the modern reader make of the presentation of revenge—and/or justice—in The Odyssey?

TOPIC DEVELOPMENT (CLOUT—Say something meaningful; give it clout, significance.) Content 1. sophistication, consequence—reveals a fresh, unique look; subtle organization and expression 2. fullness—fully and thoughtfully explained, not rushed or skimpy 3. details—clearly support the thesis 4. quotations—appropriately and effectively used for support PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATION (CLARITY—Say it clearly.) Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs [title--interesting and/or descriptive; provocative; includes the work’s title in addition to an indication of the thesis] 1. hook/lead—interesting, provocative, stylish phrasing 2. thesis—a clear thesis is presented 3. roadmap—contains clear references (a roadmap) to the points covered in order to defend the thesis Body Paragraphs 1. topic sentence—the topic sentence clearly identifies the important point or points to be made 2. supportive details—clear and relevant support is presented 3. transition words--the writer guides the reader with transition words (first, next, then, also, etc...); the

paragraph progresses logically 4. concluding sentence ("clincher")--wraps up the paragraph in a satisfying way; may serve as a transition

to the following paragraph 5. UNITY--maintains a singular focus throughout. Every supporting sentence serves (advances) the topic

sentence. STYLE (CLASS—Say it with flair.) 1. word choice / vocabulary—clear, exact, rich language; powerful verbs, strong adjectives

• USE AT LEAST THREE VOCAB WORDS--UNDERLINED FROM ANY LIST STUDIED SO FAR 2. sentence variety--a rich, sophisticated balance of sentence types (simple, compound, complex) and

sentence lengths; unique phrasing • INCLUDE ONE APPOSITIVE PHRASE AND ONE PARTICIPIAL PHRASE—UNDERLINED

AND INDENTIFIED 3. voice—a unique tone of the writer; enthusiastic, expressive, sincere WRITING CONVENTIONS (CLEANLINESS—Be clean; follow the rules.) Mechanics

1. quotations—correctly cited–citing poetry in The Odyssey: “and he wept at last, / his dear wife, clear and faithful, in his arms” (XXIII.260-61)

2. spelling--words are properly spelled 3. capitalization--words in need of capitalization are capitalized 4. punctuation--sentences are properly punctuated 5. usage--words are used properly, e.g., subject/verb agreement, pronoun reference 6. sentence completeness--sentences are complete--no run-ons or fragments Format course guidelines are followed--double spacing; readable, 12-pt. conventional font; 1-1.25 in. margins; proper heading; contains writing process components (pre-writing, first draft, final draft)