Blogger #30 - Wyatt Tan - Period 1 - 5/21/2021 - Day A

Aim:
How can we use the theory of neuroplasticity to analyze Odysseus as a dynamic character?

Our Do Now was to watch a youtube video. This video discussed the basics of neuroplasticity. Our first discussion/Do Now was to discuss the question, “How open/receptive are you to try something new, even when it’s scary?” This question was to ask how open minded we are as people. I thought that as people we tend to not want to try things that are not normal to us especially when it may seem scary. I personally don’t like trying new things that tend to scare me since I am afraid it may harm how I am doing without that new thing.

Our next task was to briefly read this article about learning agility. Which we discussed meant that it was how fast one could learn and how one was able to apply that learning in multiple ways. We discussed that this connected to what we read in Odysseus’s stories in which the Greek heroes had to use what they learned in their previous challenges to help them get themselves out of sticky situations in the present.

Next we discussed the differences between a dynamic and static character. As a class we discussed that a dynamic character is a character that is able to change and develop throughout a story such as a character like nemo who throughout the story develops his own mindset and thoughts. While a static character is the opposite in which that character acts the same throughout the whole story and continues to forget everything throughout the story.

The last part of this lesson was to fill out a chart about a character developed through a story. My group used the quote that was given already and discussed the quote, “My men came pressing round me, pleading… Ah, how sound [they were]! Yet I refused. I wished to see the caveman, what he had to offer - no pretty sight, it turned out, for my friends.`` We thought that this quote basically showed that in the beginning his curiosity killed his crew members and then develops when he decides to only send half his men into Circe’s island to check instead of sending his whole crew to die.

Nostos: returning/homecoming in Greek. 

A word commonly used in Greek literature to mark the homecoming/journey.

Kleos: Glory, claiming fame with the win of war, yet at the cost of one's life. 

Nostos is shown in Odysseus when he lives and comes home to see his family and is given glory already meaning he is given kleos without asking while someone like Achilles dies for kleos and doesn’t get to see his family because of his ignorance and claim for fame.

Motifs

During our class discussion we also talked about motifs. We described motifs as a repeated symbol that creates a theme. For example, in this video we watched Andy putting his name on all his toys as a symbol used throughout the story to show the toys that he loved and cherished.

Reflection: 

Throughout these 4 lessons, I learned about motifs, nostos, and kleos. I also learned about dynamic and static characters. All of these elements I was able to connect to the central theme of Odysseus and parts of his stories. For example, Achilles dying for kleos and Odysseus living for nostos and Odysseus being a dynamic character instead of being a static one by becoming more humble. This is important because I am now able to connect multiple literature aspects to the multiple stories of the Odyssey.