IRP Blog Post 12
In the end of the novel, Penelope is so thankful that he is home. She is very weary though that this is just an illusion because throughout the whole novel, there is always illusions about people and disguises and she does not want to be tricked. She makes a comment about the bed being moved and immediately Odysseus claims that it can not be moved due to what it is made of. When saying this, she realized that it is her husband and immediately is filled with joy. Odyessus then says that he has one final quest to go back to Laerte's farm. He returned and explained everything that happen and how it finally was over with the suitors where Laertes was so happy that he embraced him for a hug. News gets around about the slaughtering that took place at the palace, so Athena gets involved and helps out and kills the Suitors that are planning an attack at Larete's farm. In the end, Odysseus gets to go back home and peace is given back yet again.
IRP Blog Post 11
Penelope still longing for her husband to come home, says that whomever can string this bow will be her next husband. All of the suitors try and give it a go, but no one can succeed. They all feel very inferior to Odysseus and continue to try. While this is going on, Odysseus reveals himself to Eumaeus and says that if he will fight with him, he will consider him one of Telemachus's brothers. Eumaeus decides to help so very willingly. Odyessus then goes inside and pulls out the bow and strings it quickly and starts shooting at the men. "Fear drained the colour from their cheeks and each man peered round to find some sanctuary from sudden death.." (Page 329) After the battle, Odysseus wins and kills all of them. But decides that it is more disrespectful to hang them.

http://www.santharia.com/weapons/bow.htm ; here is a link that describes a bit of what the bow is like and how it is used with terms and things. I think its interesting how complex in the making it was for something of that time period.
IRP Blog Post 10

(In this particular picture, you can see Odysseus really stepping up to the plate and protecting his family. You can see Telemachus really hiding in the other room, while his father fights the suitors. )



During this particular section of the novel, Telemachus and Odysseus's relationship really starts to progress and work together. Interestingly enough, they do not do more than work together with their arms, but you can definitely see the bonding throughout this section. The symbol of hiding is shown again in this section, because Odysseus's doesn't want his being home to get back to Penelope. The whole time they are back together at home, they are trying o figure out how to kill the suitors. Ironically throughout this, the suitors are trying to figure out how to kill Telemachus. Penelope does have a breakdown where she is so distraught of her husband not being home, that Zeus needs to get involved. He sends down a huge clap of thunder to try and restore any peace that can be made back to them.
IRP Blog Post 9

After Odysseus and Telemachus talk for awhile about the "suitors" and how they plan to kill them, Telemachus decides to head home to Penelope. Upon returning home, she is so thrilled that he comes home, that she starts to cry. As they are feasting together (Something that they love to do in this story, symbolic of strong family ties), Telemachus tells his mother a small portion of him hearing about Odysseus. While he is talking, he does not mention the fact that he has seen him in the hut at Eumaeus's. While this is going on, Eumaeus and Odysseus head to the palace. When they arrive back home, Odysseus is incognito as a begger and tries to sneak to Penelope's room so that the Suitors do not see him. All the while, fighting breaks out among Odysseus and some other begger, but Athena gives him more strength so that he is able to fight back. Then Penelope comes out and claims that she was told that she could have another husband if Odysseus had not returned before Telemachus became more of a man and matured physically. The suitors try to win over Penelope by giving her presents.

"...they brought a long embroidered robe of the most beautiful material on which were fixed a dozen golden brooches, each fitted with a curved sheath for the pin.." (Page 283)

It was interesting how detailed Homer went into the items that they brought. I think it shows the wealthiness of Penelope and how Odysseus and her, really should have been equated with royalty.

http://www.search.com/reference/Telemachus ; here is a link to a reference site that talks a little bit about Telemachus and what his name means. I think it is interesting that in Greek his name means "far away fighter", yet he is always the peacemaker in the story and does not really fight a lot.

IRP Blog Post 8

Along his travels, he meets up with Eumaeus, whom gives him some pork and other foods. Homer goes into great detail describing the place that he meets with Eumaeus. I believe that the hut that he describes symbolizes a sort of hope for Odysseus that he will return home to his family eventually. Hope was something that Odysseus carried with him throughout the whole novel, and it really showed through here at the hut. Without the hope of being able to eventually make it through, he would never have been able to survive such trivial and vigorous activities. I think this really connects to The Motorcycle Diaries, because Ernesto really had a sense of needing other people to survive, where as Odysseus did not need someone to survive but it was nice having that short comfort. Telemachus was eventually brought back up and Athena convinced him to return home from the area before a man took his mother’s hand in marriage. Telemachus then gets news that his father is in Eumaeus’s hut. When he arrives there, he realizes that he is not because Athena changes Odysseus to someone else. After Eumaeus goes to Penelope to tell her that her son is home, Odysseus turns back into himself and they embrace each other

Interesting Fact: A heavy metal band, named Slough Feg, formed in PA, wrote a song after the character named Eumaeus. The song is named "Eumaeus the Swineherd". Although the words are hard to understand, it is interesting enough that this character that Homer writes about is famous enough to influence music being made in our own area today. Here is a link to a youtube video of the song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3VsonyGLqY
IRP Blog Post 7

After fleeing the scene, Odysseus sails away on his ship and returns back to Circe, the witch. He asks her many questions and she insists that she knows what is going to happen to him. She knows all of the obstacles that he is going to face along his journey.

“When your crew have carried you past this danger, you will have reached a point beyond which I cannot fully guide you. Two ways will lie before you, and you must choose between them as you see fit, though I will tell you both. “(Page, 190)

This particular passage demonstrates her knowledge about the journey that he faces in the future. After Odysseus leaves Circe, he meets Scylla, the horrible sea monster.

“She has twelve feet, all dangling in the air, and six long necks, each ending in a grisly head with triple row of teeth” (Page 191).

As he describes her, he claims that no one can really get by her on the ship. After she only eats a few of the men, he gets away, but barely. Then he heads to the island of the sun, where he tries to avoid it as much as he can. After he ends his story, he looks forward to leaving Scheria and heading home. After the land changing a lot, he doesn’t know right from wrong, so he goes out and asks a shepherd, (Athena) where he is. She tells him that he is in Ithaca.

IRP Blog Post 6

Odysseus continues on his story about how he is on is ship and a witch type thing, lures all of his men but one in bu her beauty and they never returned. The one man that is left, approaches him and asks him not to go after the crew, because it is going to cost his life, but he says its his duty and leaves the man behind. He then finds that all of his friends are turned into pigs which really bothers him, and the witch is impressed by him because the poison doesn't affect him. Circe and him eventually become "lovers" so to speak, and she eventually lets them all go. He then travels to the sea of the dead where he starts to see a lot of people that have passed away including the one crewman who committed suicide. After he continues on his story, he goes to try and stop and the men tell him to keep going that his story is really interesting and they start questioning him.

For the picture, ignore the watermark in the middle of the picture, that has no significance, it was the only picture that really demonstrated how beautiful she was, and how the pigs (the crewman) were so entranced by Circe the witch.
IRP Blog Post 5

After they feasted for awhile, Odysseus started to get challenged by the other members in the hall, they wanted him to join in the activities. But Odysseus only really yearning to go home, decided that he didn't really want any part in this. They then start calling him fowl names and making ugly speeches towards him, and he gets angry so he picks up the ring and tosses it further than any one of the athletes had tossed it earlier. This chapter really starts to show Odysseus's true emotions and really how he has changed throughout the journey. The picture I chose to include was in reference to the story's deeper meaning that Odysseus tells everyone of, and how the main part was all about greed and how it really can take over someone's grasp on reality and how it is an ugly thing. He also talks about the great dangers he faced on his trip, including the great lands of the Cyclopes.
IRP Blog Post 4
After being tossed around in the sea, he is guided by Athena in a protected "mist" so his identity is hidden. While he going on his way, finds his way to the Kings palace and he is overcome by its beauty.

"For a kind of radiance, like that of the sun or moon, lit up the high-roofed halls of the great king. Walls of bronze, topped with blue enamel tiles, ran round to left and right from the threshold to the back of the court." (Page 114)

When he approached this area, he had forgotten everything that Athena told him about the King and Queen and just walked right into the palace. When he arrived, he laid down at the Queens feet and wept. Then after the feast, Alcinous has a private conversation with Odysseus where he interrogates him as to why he came. He was so impressed by the answers that he was happy to give him his daughter. There is another feast and Odysseus is given a boat to take back to his home. One of the common themes it seems like is feasting and celebrating. The people in the story are generally really happy and they feast for almost anything.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0SDG/is_2_73/ai_n13493393/ This article shows how I was not the only one that thought feasting was a common activity in the book.
R.A.F.T.
Role: Wild Card (Ernesto)
Audience: Teacher
Format: Wild Card (Tweets)
Topic: Wild Card (Chile)

Ernesto: @heyheyErnie
Alberto: @Alby22
Mr. Yost: @mistahyost

@heyheyErnie: I am loving my time here in Chile, the people are so amazing, they are so hospitable for me and @Alby22 #iwantthistoneverend

@heyheyErnie: @mistahyost I heard you are the man at fixing bikes, it seems as though me and @Alby222's died while we were roaming, care to help?

@heyheyErnie: Thanks man, it barely made it up the hill. RT: @mistahyost: Yeah I'd love to, it would be really nice to experience that Chile culture!

@heyheyErnie: I don't know why I love this mate so much.. I really need to get back home.. but I don't know how I feel about her anymore.. #whatshouldido

@heyheyErnie: ..this sun is so hot, i can't take it anymore.,. I wish I didn't have to ditch my bike back there, it sure was great #regrets #memories
IRP Blog Post 3

I chose the picture of the guardian angel because Penelope, Telemachus's mother hears that the suitors have plans to ambush and kill Telemachus for leaving and not telling anyone. She is so devastated at the thought of losing her son, but she hears not to worry about her son anymore because he now has the protection of a goddess. (The Angel represents the goddess because I could not find a picture of a goddess.) As the story continues, eventually Odysseus decides to leave on a boat, but Poseidon, angered by the fact that he is able now to head home, sends a terrible storm to wash over the boat that he is traveling on. While holding on for dear life, he finds that another goddess is protecting him. The symbolism behind the goddesses would have to be protection. They worry about the men and follow closely to protect them from the evils of the land which as Odysseus and Telemachus have had to face a lot. Another repeating symbol is deception. Someone may seem one way in the beginning of something and by the end of that new "book" (Chapter) they turn around having very different alternative motives.
IRP Blog Post 2

Telemachus travels onward to find out any information about the disappearance about his father. He asks this fellow named Nestor if he has any information on his father, but nothing has yet turned up for him. They then continue to feast and talk about different things that have to do with his father. This reminds me of "Into the Wild" because as Jon Krakauer was trying to find information on Chris McCandless, he went on his own personal journey to try and discover where Chris had been. Likewise, Telemachus is doing the same for trying to relocate his family.


"Feasting while discussing Odysseus"
IRP Blog Post 1
As I was reading the Odyssey, I have come to the conclusion that one of the prominent themes is having strong family ties. In the beginning chapters, it starts out talking about how Odysseus left his young son for war, and when he returned home years later, never mentioned it to his son. "But I intend at least to be mater of my own house and the servants whom my royal father won for me in war." (Page 35) states Telemachus when confronted with the idea that his father may never be coming back home. Telemachus decides that he does not want to hurt his mother, so he leaves without saying a word, and heads out on his journey to find his father.
180° South Reflection Post

"Fear of the unknown is the greatest fear of all."

I think this can best portray any person that ventures out of their comfort zone in order to achieve some specific goal. For Jeff, that meant traveling down on a ship to climb a mountain that he has never climbed before. To make it even more original, he mentions when he arrives there that he has never climbed a mountain with snow on it. If he had not made that initial step out of bed, he would never have met some of the most influential people in his life. Likewise, in order to achieve my goal in going to Australia to photograph the different wildlife, I would need to make that initial step out of my bed and onto the plane to venture out into the new surroundings. Like Jeff, I might not know how to do everything, but I can not let that stop me on traveling through my journey.


Independent Reading

For the next independent reading book,
I will be reading:

The Odyssey

Written by: Homer
IR Blog Post #12 – Huffington Post 4
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/doreen-remen/post_1487_b_801434.html

3 Facts:
- The Cosmopolitan is the latest hotel in the Las Vegas strip and just opened on December 15th 2010.
- The hotel will contain graffiti murals, light art, and video art around the building.
- A graffiti artist named Fab is set to head up the hotels residency program.

2 Questions:
- Who made the decision to use graffiti in the building?
- Will new artwork be continully added to the hotel?

1 Supported Opinion:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/dec/12/art-dining-cosmopolitain-aims-be/

The article talks the hotel's art as well as it's entertainment and how it's set to appeal to the people.

Vocab:

I didn't find the vocabulary in this section, very difficult at all.
IR Blog Post #11 – New York Times- Music 4
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/30/arts/music/30taylor.html

3 Facts:
- Billy Taylor a prominent Jazz Musician died of heart failure at the age of 89.
- He started an orgainization in 1965 called Jazzmobile to bring free
outdoor concerts to street corners.
-He had formed his own Jazz trio in 1951 and had began to play at many
popular clubs.

2 Questions:
- What made him want to start Jazz?
- How was Billy Taylor able to make the switch from playing in clubs
to radio and television?

1 Supported Opinion:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/8232369/Billy-Taylor.html

The article talks more about the life of Billy Taylor and his musical career.

Vocab:

-Eloquently: expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively
-Inarticulate: without or deprived of the use of speech

IR Blog Post #10 – Lens 4
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/29/pete-padilla-of-calexico-my-first-mentor/

3 Facts:
- Pete Padilla started a portrait studio in 1934 and ran it for over 50 years.
-He had photographed many celebrities of the time including, John Wayne, and Earl Warren.
-He served for three years as a counterintelligence officer during World War 2.

2 Questions:
- What sparked Pete Padilla's interest in Photography?
- What did he have to accomplish to start his photography business?

1 Supported Opinion:
-http://articles.ivpressonline.com/2001-03-30/photographs_24201889

The article talks about Pete Padilla's life and his death of a heart attack in 2001.

Vocab:

-Calvacade: A procession or parade on horseback.

-Counterintelligence: The branch of an intelligence service charged with keeping sensitive information from an enemy, deceiving that enemy, preventing subversion and sabotage, and collecting political and military information.

-Exhorted: Strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something.