Aim: How does “Sailing From Troy” and “The Lotus Eaters” (Book IX) establish Odysseus’ role as a leader?
Do now: It was known since the beginning of the story that Odysseus was forced to leave home and won’t return for at least 10 years. The Do Now for today was to name things that we will miss the most if we have to leave home for that long. One common idea was that named from our classmates were: “Family.” They explained that we’ll definitely miss our family the most since they are the ones who look after and care for us the most. Some groups even dived deeper into this idea and suggested things such as home-cooked meals. Home-cooked meals will obviously be missed because it reminds one of our home and you can’t get it anywhere else, making it unique and special. Besides all these things, we’ll also just miss the idea of feeling safe. Our homes are supposed to be our sanctuary and we have this idea of “No matter how crazy everything outside is, I’m safe when I’m home,” therefore having the saying “Home Sweet Home.”
Characterizations
Direct Characterization-The author makes direct statements about the character (can be revealed through a narrator or through another character in the story). The author TELLS the reader what they want them to know.
Indirect Characterization- Indirectly stated from character's actions, choices they make, dialogue/relationships with others, thoughts, feelings. The author SHOWS the reader what they want them to know.
What’s the Difference?
Direct characterization is usually the preferred method for readers to learn about a character. That’s because it’s straightforward, TELLS us as it is, therefore requiring little to no thinking.
Indirect characterization, on the other hand, requires more thoughts to it since it doesn’t just straight up tell you exactly you need to know but allows you to discover and understand the character.
How to Recognize Indirect Characterizations?
The STEAL Method
Speech
Thoughts
Effect on others towards the character
Actions
Looks
To further our understanding of indirect characterizations, we watched a video about indirect characterization on Disney’s Frozen: Characterization Lesson | Using Disney's Frozen [4:55]
Sailing From Troy: Sailing from Troy (lines 18-69
Group work:
The Odyssey is Odysseus’ ten year journey home and throughout this journey he obviously misses his family and home tremendously, and so he will always reference and think of them throughout his thought process. One example of this is (according to Kate) in line 28, Odysseus said, “I shall not see on earth a place more dear.” This quote implants the idea that there’s nothing that can ever compare to his own home. He furthers this idea by continuing, and said “I have been detained long by Calypso, loveliest among goddesses, who held me in her smooth caves, to be her heart’s delight.” This line strengthens the idea that Odysseus really misses his family and home because Calypso, a (lovely) goddess, who loved him deeply (according to the footnotes on the side) couldn’t even tempt Odysseus from his determination to return home. Finally in line 35, it states: “Where shall a man find sweetness to surpass his own home and his parents?” This line shows how much he misses his home, and recalling back to our earlier analysis, further implies how there’s no place that can compare to his home, hence the line “find sweetness to surpass his own home.” Through several lines of reference and implication, Homer describes to the readers how much Odysseus misses his family and home.
The Lotus Eaters: Lotus Eaters (lines 18-69)
Group Work:
2. In your notes, summarize the key events in "The Lotus Eaters."
(Celeste) “The Lotus Eaters,” begins with Zeus making a storm, making the ships impossible to sail safely, causing Odysseus and his crew to be stuck on a coastal line. Odysseus sends out two picked men and a runner to who lives on this island and that’s when they meet the Lotus-Eaters. Hungry and tired, Odysseus and his crew were presented with the Lotus flowers from the Lotus-Eaters. Since the Lotus-Eaters didn't show any signs of harm and instead gave them food, the two picked men and the runner ate the Lotus flower. Soon, however, those men seemed to have changed and didn't care about returning home anymore, but instead wanted to live forever on this island. Odysseus noticed this and commanded his people to, “All hands aboard; come, clear the beach and no one taste the Lotus, or you lose your hope of home.” He even forcibly brought the three men who consumed the Lotus back aboard and tied them to benches on that ship.
3. What kind of world do you think the Lotus Eaters live in?
Describe the type of lifestyle it is?
(Niki) Lotus Eaters appear to be really harmless, peaceful and nice. They offered food to Odysseus and his crew when they first landed on the island and didn’t seem like they had any ill intent towards the travelers. However, little did the travelers (and perhaps the Lotus-Eaters) know, the Lotus has this “brainwashing” effect. People who consume the Lotus will not care about anything, including your family and loved ones, and just want to live forever on this island. The Lotus-Eaters seem to live in an almost carefree, but emotionless lifestyle because if they DID feel emotions, they would want to see their families, at least one last time, and not stay on an unknown island for the rest of their lives.
4. What do you think Homer is implying about this?
How does the Odyssey characterize the land of the Lotus-eaters as a veritable (real or genuine) paradise? And, why, then, is this land seen by Odysseus and others as negative, and something from which to escape? What do you think is wrong with such a place, if anything?
(Safiya) Homer is implying through the Odyssey that the land of the Lotus-Eaters is NOT a veritable paradise. Even Odysseus and others view this land of “paradise” to be negative because the Lotus-Eaters live in a world without any goals or care. They are deprived of emotions and only care for eating the Lotus, and how can one truly be happy if they lack the emotions to do so. Paradise by definition is “a place of extreme beauty, delight, or happiness,” but those are exactly what the Lotus-Eaters don’t have. The land of the Lotus-Eaters were originally depicted as this paradise, but soon Odysseus will realizes how big of an impact the Lotus has on the people who consume it. He realized that this “paradise” will serve as an obstacle from his goal, returning home, because once one consumes the Lotus, one doesn’t want to leave.
5. Consider the kind of leader Odysseus appears to be in "Sailing from Troy."
How do his leadership abilities compare to how he is in "The Lotus Eaters?"
Has your opinion of him changed? Why/Why not?
Why do you think these events are important to understanding Odysseus' character?
(Daniel L.) Our opinions of Odysseus changes after “The Lotus Eaters” because originally we believed him to be someone who’s selfish and was willing to do whatever was needed to get what he wanted ( how he was first introduced when he learned he had to go to war against Troy). Yet, as we read more about him in the Odyssey, we learn that he’s actually a good leader and cares for all of his crewmates. Although Odysseus desperately wanted to return home as soon as possible, he never abandoned his crewmates and even had to forcibly tied them to the ship just to save them from the land of the Lotus-Eaters. These events are important to understanding Odysseus’ character because Homer is using indirect characterizations to show the readers that Odysseus, though cunning, is also a righteous person. This also shows how he cares for others since he not only wants himself to return home safe and sound, but also tries to accomplish that for his crewmates. Another reason Homer includes these events was to create a dynamic character, aka Odysseus. These events will slowly change his character, for better or worse.
What is a Dynamic Character???
Dynamic Character is one who undergoes a tremendous change, starting in the beginning one way, and then near the end, taking a complete 180, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse…
Reflection
Through today’s lesson, I’ve learned more about and have started to realize a change in Odysseus’ character. I was first introduced to him being someone who’s cunning but almost cowardly, for trying to go against an oath and not help someone to benefit himself. However, as I learned more and read “The Lotus Eaters,” I’ve realized that Odysseus is someone who cares for others, which was why he didn’t abandon his crewmates but instead binded them to the ship in order to save them. I’ve also noticed how Odysseus changed to someone who would go against an oath to someone righteous: he cares for his crewmates, people who he probably almost died with him MULTIPLE times and if he was selfish, he would have just abandoned the people and left for home. I also learned about the term “Indirect Characterization,” something that I’ve touched the concept of several times, but never truly learned of. Through Homer’s use of indirect characterization, the readers can tell that Odysseus really misses his family and home without bluntly telling it to us, allowing the readers to personally imagine and realize this important fact. Besides “Indirect Characterization,” I also learned about “Dynamic Characters,” a more specific and in depth term for character growth. These are terms that will help explain and characterize future characters in the Odyssey along with just ANY other stories.
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