Blogger #19- Chandler Mei- Period 9- 12/7/2020- Day C- Freshmen Lit 2021

 Blogger #19- Chandler Mei- Period 9- 12/7/2020- Day C- Freshmen Lit 2021

Aim: How can an understanding of Greek myths and heroes prepare us for our examination of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey?

Our Do Now: With a partner, brainstorm and list qualities that you feel belong to a “hero”.  Then create a unified, working definition of “hero” to share with the class.

• We took a few minutes to think about what our own definitions of a “hero” is. My personal definition was a person who is brave and does their best when they see a person or animal in trouble. The overall class answer was a selfless person who goes out and helps others with a good intent. 

Class discussion: What (if anything) do you already know about Greek heroes and Greek mythology?

• The class was asked to recall any details about Greek mythology and heros that they had before learning about it today. Many of the students are Percy Jackson fans and had some knowledge of the Greek mythology from there. We were asked why the Greeks used mythology and gods. We came to the conclusion from looking at gods like Zeus and Poseidon that the Greeks used mythology to explain natural events that they had no scientific explanation for like we do today. We can explain how earthquakes work and how lightning forms but back then, the Greeks didn't know about electricity and tectonic plates so they assumed that a higher being must have been manipulating parts of the earth and nature.  

Epic poems and their authors:

• Next, we were introduced to examples of Ancient Greece’s literature. 2 famous epic poems called “the Iliad'' and “the Odyssey” were both written by a Greek poet named Homer. We were also asked if we knew what epic poem was written before Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey and a classmate responded with the Gilgamesh. We also discussed how the myths and stories of Greek culture were passed down from generation to generation. Parents told their children the stories by mouth and those children went on to tell their own children the stories orally again until writing was invented and documents could be recorded for history. 

• We also began to discuss the formation of an epic poem and how they are written. Most epic poems usually begin “in medias res”. This means that the story begins in the middle of things and flashes back as the story progresses to reveal what events led them to where the story and characters are now. This helps the character development because you can see how the character used to be and understand how the struggles he/she went through made him/her the person they are in the present. Epic heroes usually have some sort of superpower that makes them unique. At the same time, the authors also ensure they have a weakness to remind the readers that the heroes are still human. 

• We were asked why the author would choose to use these elements. The class came to the conclusion that the elements are used to target readers by hooking them with middle events then drawing them deeper in with flashbacks to the character’s past.  We also learned that epics are written to convey a message or teach a lesson. 

• The class had some spirit reading about whether or not the term “hero” is overused in the present day. My personal opinion was that the word hero has not been overused in the present day because it does not have the same meaning as it did in Ancient Greek. Today, a hero could be a police officer, a firefighter, a doctor, or anyone who helps others. Back in Ancient Greece, the term hero inspired the image of a super strong man that helps damsels in distress and defeats monsters. Since the term’s definition has changed somewhat since Ancient Greece, it cannot be said that the word hero is overused because it doesn't inspire the same mental image anymore. The class was split over this topic with one half saying that the term hero is overused and the other half believing that the word is not overused because it doesn't mean the same thing anymore. Mrs. Peterson asked us to think about when most superheroes appeared and the class realized that superheroes usually appeared during times of war and crisis because people needed someone to believe in and follow as a symbol of hope. 

Reflection: Today’s lesson helped me learn more about Greek mythology’s purpose, origins, and content. I learned about some of the gods that Ancient Greeks prayed to, what they represented, and why. I also learned that heroes played a big role in Ancient Greek epic poems and mythology. The class discussion helped me realize that terms can change meaning over time and change is inevitable. I learned a small life lesson today and that is that change will always happen and you can only evolve and adjust to it to become a better person.