Odyssey, Books 20-24

3. The symbolism of the bed

Penelope uses the bed that she shares with Odysseus, as Odysseus' last test. She wants to be sure that the man standing before her, truly is her husband, back after twenty years. She instructs one of her servants to move the bed, knowing that it is impossible to do so. Odysseus immediately makes this clear, describing how the bed is impossible to move. "Who could move my bed? Impossible task..." Odysseus then goes on to describe how he build the bed him self as he recalls all of its fine details. Penelope now knows that this is truly Odysseus. No one knows that bed as well as Odysseus does. No one has ever laid in it with Penelope, aside from Odysseus. Here is the symbolism. The bed represents Penelope's loyalness. She never let anyone lay beside her in Odysseus' absence, that is why she is so sure that Odysseus is the only one who truly knows the bed; That is how she knows that Odysseus is truly standing before her. Back when the suitors plagued the house, the bed used to represent a goal for the suitors. They all wanted to lay with Penelope. It represented extreme lust in the suitors' minds. Now, with the suitors gone and Odysseus back in his rightful place of power, the bed once again represents the love and between Odysseus and Penelope, and the loyalness that Penelope has show when Odysseus was gone. The bed is for them two, and no one else. That will never change, nor will their love for each other. Their feelings will never shift, just has the bed will never move.

4. The resolution of the final book

I didn't expect the poem to end so abruptly. After spending only one night with Penelope, Odysseus is off with his son and servants to visit his father. This makes sense, but why didn't he bring along Penelope? He has spent hardly any time with her. Then suitors' loved ones then try to kill Odysseus in yet another battle, but Athena stops it all and demands peace. So peace just like that? Not questions asked? Why couldn't this happen during other events in the poem? Is it just because Zeus finally wants to grant peace? Why now? Is it just to end the poem? I am sure the suitors' loved ones are still angry. Do they just fear the gods so much that they decide to instantly listen, or do they except peace because the instigator of this last violent out break, and their leader, Eupithes, is killed immediately? All of this doesn't bother me that much I suppose. The suitors are dead, Odysseus is again the ruler, the gods declare peace. What really bothers me is the absence of Odysseus' last journey. "...we have still not reached the end of our trials. One more labor lies in store-boundless, laden with danger, great and long, and I must brave it out from start to finish." Odysseus then goes on to describe the journey that the prophet in the house of death instructed him to go on: go far inland, pant his oar, make sacrifices to Poseidon, and so on. I feel that this is very important, and it is just left out. When will Odysseus go one this journey. What is peacefully Ithaca like? What will come of Telemachus? The poem kind of just ends, and I am not sure how I feel about that. It's as if there are some books missing or something.

Odyssey, Books 15-20

1. Meeting of father and son, hiding identity from Eumaeus

When Telemachus and Odysseus first met face to face, Telemachus was hesitant. Once Odysseus convinces Telemachus that he is the young prince's father, Telemachus embraces his father, as if he has known him all of his life. They go on to plan the suitors demise, and their future; father and son working together, as if they have been doing so all of their lives. Their instantly close bond may be surprising at first, but in a way Telemachus has always know Odysseus. "All of my life I've heard of your great fame." When Athena had Telemachus tour the world earlier in the poem, it way to help him learn of his father. He heard many long stories about his Odysseus, from ones that were close to him. Telemachus heard stories that Penelope, Odysseus' own wife, still doesn't know (at this point). Perhaps a reason why Athena had Telemachus learn so much about his father, was so when Telemachus does finny meet Odysseus, they do not spend time dwelling on the past, rather, they build their future. Odysseus hiding his identity is imperative if he wants his plan to test the suitors innocence, then ambush the guilty, to go perfectly. Word spreads fast, as we see when word gets to the suitors that Telemachus has come back.

3. Odysseus's test of the suitors

I found it rather interesting that Odysseus is testing the suiters and the servants of the house by seeing how they treat him in this disguised form of a beggar. It is interesting to me because I feel as if it is a test of Odysseus, just as much as it is a test of anyone else. Sure, Odysseus needs to see if any suitors will treat him well, and thus show a reason to be spared. While this is useful for Odysseus, one must not forget, Odysseus is not purposefully in this disguise. The disguise is all Athena's doing. She is making Odysseus look like a beggar, as if it is his last and final test. He has been a strong man all his life, but for once, he sees everything from a different perspective. He has harmed innocent people in the past, but now he is the innocent person being harmed. Athena purposefully makes the suiters harass Odysseus many times through out the chapter, just to test Odysseus more. "But Athena had no mind to let the brazen suitors hold back now from their heart-rending insults-she means to make the anguish cut deeper into the core of Laertes' son Odysseus." Time and time again, Athena prompts the suiters to become brash, and violent, so Odysseus can know what it feels like to be lower then anyone.

Not only does Athena's work test Odysseus, but it seems to test Telemachus' leadership skills as well. In these books more then any, Telemachus both recognizes him self as a man more, and is a better leader then he ever was. He says to his mother "the boy you knew is gone." Telemachus' reactions to the violent actions of the suitors against his own father, are so well constructed, and so well spoken with confidence, that the suitors actually start to listen to the young prince. A suitor even says this after Telemachus speaks: "Fair enough, my friends; when a man speaks well we have no grounds for wrangling, no cause for abuse." In fact, another suitor says the same thing again later on, as if they are starting to respect Telemachus. Telemachus standing up for his father (who is disguised as a beggar) is testing his leadership, and earning his respect, while simultaneously teaching Odysseus one last lesson.

Odyssey, Books 6-10

2. The central characters of Books 6-7 are Naucisaa, Arete and King Alcinous. What do they (along with where they live) represent in Odysseus's journey (remember, these are the first characters he meets after Calypso - how does this move represent the beginning of his "journey home"?).

Naucissa, Arete, and King Alcinous, along with their land, the Phaeacians' city, represent the first sense of family, and peace, that Odysseus has seen in a very long time. Not only does this place remind him of home, but I refreshes him with interaction between numerous people. He once again becomes assimilated to every day life, as opposed to the bizarre life he has lived over the past years. It marks the beginning of his journey home in numerous ways. He is promised, by King Alcinous, a safe passage back to his land: "And on his way no pain or hardship suffered, not till he sets foot on native ground again." It also mark the beginning of his journey because of the previously discussed assimilation back to a normal life. Most importantly though, it marks somewhat of a turning point for Odysseus. In the past years, he has not know peace. Even after fighting the brutal Trojan War, he still encountered many violent scenarios: Watching giants eat people, then stabbing the giants only eye with a scorching dagger, and even going on to steal from, and continue to taunt that giant; Having numerous other huge men toss boulders at his ship where ever he roams; having his crew turn mutinous; watching men turned into pigs; threatening a nymph, with a word up to her neck; watching one of his ship mate fall of a roof. Through all this violence, much of it which he instigates in some way, he seems selfish. For instance, when exploring on the island of Aeaea, he decides he will stop wondering himself, and send some of his men instead: "feed the men, the send them out for scouting." They could just leave this seemingly dangerous island, but instead he risks his ship mates, instead of just leaving or risking his own life. This is very selfish of him. Last time he went on an island he was nearly eaten by the cyclops; last time he sent his own men off on another island (at Artacia), they were eaten by giants. He is not going to risk him self this time, instead he sends his crew for almost certain doom, at the cost of perhaps finding a bit of food. He does turn around and save his crew from the nymph on Aeaea, but only through yet more violence. When Odysseus is in the Phaeacians' city, seeing all of the peace, and reflecting on his past, he realizes how retched his past has been, and how violence often brought no good things. He cries while hearing songs about the Trojan war, he truly regrets decisions that he has made in the past, and not only dreams of peace, and his own homeland, where he can be peaceful. It truly represents the beginning of Odysseus' journey home, because he has learned of peace through seeing it him self, and through reflection of his own violent life. He is now allowed the passage home because of this.

4. Book 9 with its Cyclops is one of the most famous episodes of 'The Odyssey.' What do the Cyclops represent? How does what he represents indicate a kind of "starting point" for Odysseus's trials on his journey? Why the need for these trials? How do you interpret Odysseus's statement that he is "Nobody"?

I believe that the Cyclops represents violence and hatred between two types of people, simply because they are different. In a way, he represents prejudice. This represents the starting point for the trials Odysseus will face, because the acts of violence he faces when he encounters the Cyclops (both the Cyclops eating his shipmates, and subsequently, Odysseus stabbing the Cyclops' eye out) will plague Odysseus for years to come. Because of this encounter with the Cyclops, and the way Odysseus reacts to violence with only more violence, Odysseus is cursed by the Cyclops' father, the God of Earthquakes. The God of Earthquakes causes all of the terrible experiences that Odysseus faces staring after his encounter with the Cyclops. The purpose of these trials are to make Odysseus find peace, to make him more like a God, and lass like a dumb, violent human. When Odysseus claims that he is nobody, this is representative of how, although he may be famous to many, he still his not famous for necessarily righteous reasons. In fact, as far as perfection goes, when compared to the Gods, he is nobody.

The Odyssey Books 1-5

The major character I would like to discuss, form books one through five, is Athena, daughter of Zeus. She is a very interesting character to me. In the beginning, she requests her father's permission to help Odysseus. She feels for Odysseus, and would like to help him out. With Poseidon (the only God that, for some reason, does not feel pity for Odysseus) far away in Ethiopia, Athena sees that this is the perfect time to help Odysseus. It is most interesting, how Athena never seems to help Odysseus directly.

From the beginning, her plan involves leading Odysseus's son, Telemachus to find his father. She plans out his trip, and landmarks along the way. She recomends different kings his father once knew (King Nestor in Pylos, King Menelaus in Athens). Athena know's that Telemachus will get clues along the way, and find out that his father is alive, and his exact location. She pushes Telemachus to be a man, to not be shy, and to find out about his father. All this time she know's exactly what is going on with Telemachus' father; where he is, and what his troubles are. For some reason though (even though Telemachus already know's Athena is a goddess) Athena would rather have Telemachus figure it all out on his own, through the meeting of people. Perhaps she wants the boy to learn of his father, whom he never really knew (Odysseus was at war when he was very young)? Or maybe she wanted Telemachus to express how much he really cares for his father (and subsequently, cares for the good of his mother)? She does mention that she wants to glorify Odysseus' name, but is all of this really about just that?

When Athena decides that she must get Odysseus out of the hands of Calypso (in book five), she still does not help him directly. She urges her father, Zeus, to send a messenger to Calypso. The messenger then orders that Calypso frees Odysseus. Later in book five, when Poseidon has returned, and threatens Odysseus' life, Athena is said to have helped by stopping Poseidon. In reality, it is primarily Ino who helps the most. Ino supplies Odysseus with an immortal scarf to protect himself from death.

I find it interesting that Athena is so set on helping Odysseus, but never does so in a direct way. Perhaps it is because a God's job is to guide humans, not to run their lives. Maybe Athena is just as worried about making Telemachus into a great man, as she is worried about Odysseus. The amount Telemachus grows in just the first few books is evident. He becomes much more well spoken. Perhaps this is Athena's intent, after all Telemachus is the heir to the throne.

Genesis 37, 39-50

In Genesis 40, two prisoners ask Joseph to interpret their dreams. Joseph replies by saying: "...do not interpretations belong to God?" Then instead of stopping he goes on. "Tell them to me." As if God is speaking directly through him. He interprets the two mens dreams, and his predictions are absolutely spot on, once again as if God is speaking through him. He later interprets the Pharaoh's dream, and thus predicts the future of Egypt. In many other parts of this section of Genesis, the text says things like "and the Pharaoh saw that God was with Joseph." The Pharaoh even says to Joseph: " Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.” It is important to realize that Joseph is a direct connection to God, like a messenger. Joseph's father Israel, favored Joseph for this very reason. Joseph does't even blame his brothers for selling him and sending him to Egypt, he says it was God's doing, and he was sent there for a reason: "So it was not you who sent me here, but God." Joseph is even the first one to use the word sin (at least in the parts of Genesis I have read). It is interesting how throughout Genesis God will pick one person (often holy man's son who has many other brothers), and be closest to them only. Although analyzing the omniscient and omnipotent side of Joseph helps us understand Joseph's narrative, it also helps to realize the other side of Joseph, the more human side.

Joseph knew that he was the favorite son, and he showed it. In Genesis 27, he really rubbed it in his brothers faces, telling then dreams he has had of his brothers bowing down to him (although this actually does happen in the future). He is a bit cocky, a very human characteristic. When Joseph predicts the future of Egypt, and saves up food before the great famine, he can't help but to make tons of money off of the deal, as any human would do. He doesn't just give out food and grain when people are in need, he sells it to them. When they run out of money, he takes their live stock. When they run out of live stock, he takes their land. He doesn't give anything for free. This is very human like. Joseph distrusts his brothers when they reunited, as any human would given the circumstances. He tests them by making them go back and forth many times from Egypt, to their home, and he makes sure the brothers come all together. Then eventually, as any human would, he forgives them. The thing that perhaps makes Joseph the most human, is the amount he weeps. He must cry over five times in this passage, unlike any other character in genesis. This shows his great range of emotions, a very human characteristic.

One understands Joseph, once they understand his God like, and human like qualities.

Genesis 25-28, 32-33

2. Look at the role of the parents in this conflict. Do a character study of Isaac and / or Rebecca. Use specific quotes from the text to support your reasoning.

Rebecca is the main instigator of this entire conflict. She likes Jacob better, so she makes Jacob trick his own father, and steal Esau's blessing. Now that Esau's blessing was wasted on Jacob, and Isaac refuses to take back Jacob's blessing (for some reason) and give it to Easu, Easu wants to kill Jacob. Jacob has to be sent away for his own protection. Isaac is suborn for not just switching the blessing. What kind of parents are these? Each favoring one over the other? "Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob." Making brothers servants of each other? "and you shall serve your brother." Making brothers want to kill each other? "then I will kill my brother Jacob.” It is interesting however that God had predicted all of this just before the twins birth in Genesis 26.

4. How do you interpret the various elements of Jacob's dream and what might they mean within the larger scope of Genesis?

Jacob's dream acts as proof of his fathers blessing. He is blessed by the lord. The latter must represent a connection between earth and heaven. It is made directly to Jacob because of his fathers blessing. It is like a bridge from one world to another. This is why Jacob treats it as such. “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”It shows the power in the blood line of Abraham, and also represents the significance of a fathers blessing. He renames the place Bethel because of its great significance.

5. We are told here that "Jacob was left alone" (32:24). How do you interpret this with what follows - the wrestling with "something"? How do you interpret this wrestling? What or whom exactly might Jacob wrestle? Why?

Perhaps Jacob is left alone because he is a time of great conflict with him self (this conflict may have come about through the anxiety of his brother arriving). He feels for an instant, an absence of God, because he has lost hope. He struggles (wrestles) with him self for an entire sleepless night (possible even causing him self injury), but when the sun rises, he is hit with a sudden sense of peace, and no longer doubts God, or struggles with him self.

Genesis 12, 16-18, 21-23

1. Why does Abram / Abraham react the way he does before going to Egypt? There is no textual evidence to support the fact that the Egyptians will kill him (and as it turns out, Pharaoh is morally outraged at the outcome of the situation). What does this say about one's encounter with the other?

Abraham assumes that he will be killed if the Egyptians know Sarai is his wife. Because Sarai is so beautiful, Abraham assumes that the Egyptian's will surly kill him, in order to take Sarai from him. He distrusts the Egyptians, before he even knows them. Furthermore, he is willing to risk Egyptian's trying to seduce his wife, just because he is afraid of being killed. Abraham lies, and he makes his wife lie. Lastly, he embarises, and teases Pharaoh, who thinks that Sarai is just Abraham's sister, and whom Pharaoh wishes to marry. This does not make Abraham look like a very good person at all. Cirtanly not a man of God.

3. This is the first love triangle in Genesis. What very human problems arise from this triangle? How do you analyze the story along lines such as gender, class, ethnicity? What does the story reveal about suffering (from Hagar's point of view)?

Sarai, Abraham's wife, tells Abraham to conceive a child with their slave, Hagar. This is morally strange. Sarai tells her husband to cheat on him, to have sex with another women, all for the sake of having offspring. It seems as if it was okay for a man to have sex with many women, even when married, but for a women to have sex with many men would be wrong of course. God approves of this, even though later he makes Sarai able to bare a child. Why couldn't God have just done that to begin with? Then later Sarai makes Abraham get rid of Hagar, and her son, as if she regrets her decision. Very strange. Sarai and Abraham feel as if they own their slave, the slave is lesser then them (possibly because they are Egyptian), so they can do what ever they want, even though Hagar does not agree with it. Hagar is essentially raped, and feels ashamed, true suffering. Then she is scolded by Sarai for being upset.


4. This story is almost unreadable - a father who willingly will murder his own son in cold blood because a voice tells him to do so. Why does God test Abraham here (and with such a horrific test)? Abraham has already proven his fidelity to God - he has left his homeland after hearing a 'divine voice,' moved his wife and possessions to another place. Why does God need more proof? What might this story be stating about Abraham's relationship with the divine? Go to specific points within the text to support your analysis.

It seems as if God is simply messing with Abraham in this story; seeing how much he can control Abraham, and proving that Abraham will do anything for God. God is treating Abraham like his puppet. It is almost sickening. Abraham seems crazy, hearing voices in his head, and doing what ever they say. He is very submissive, and will do anything (seemingly with out thinking "because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son"). He obviously fears and respects the Lord's power a great amount. Lucky the angel had stopped him right before he stabs his son; or did he just decide with his conscious that it was wrong, stopped him self, and decide to sacrifice the Ox instead, which had been there the whole time, and did not just mystically appear?