Zen Part 2

Unlike Shelby, I find the philosophical parts of this book difficult to drudge through.  I suppose though, it is this part that needs swishing around in my brain for a few days.  Once I think it through and come to my own conclusions, I appreciate it more.  It just doesn't have the immediate reward that the storyline does.

I've been thinking about which style of thinker I am.  I'm either classical trying really hard to be romantic, or vice versa.  I still haven't definitively sorted each out.

"...no one is willing to take on the formidable task of changing the structure just because it is meaningless." (121) - This seems to be the case with a lot of things.  This doesn't necessarily apply directly, but it reminds me of something I read about revisions to your own writing:  people are really attached to ideas they have and don't want to throw them out even when they may not be the author's best work.  I find this to be true with myself.  I'll be so proud of a phrase or idea that even though they may not fit, I change everything around them to make them fit.  It may have been way easier and more concise in the end if I had just trashed them or saved them for later.

"Thus the scientific truths of the twentieth century seem to have a much shorter life span than those of the last century because scientific activity is much greater." (141) - Just think of how much we think we know now.  How quickly all of that is going to change.  I also think of the difference between children and adults' thinking.  When you are little a small revelation can take days or weeks to mull over until you find a place for it to stay in your mind.  Time goes so slow as a child.  Now, we absorb so much in so little time, and time flies by.  I guess we have a lot more responsibility and things to think about as adults so new pieces of information get filed away quickly.  Same with scientific truths.  There's just so much new information that each one means a lot less.  I need to clarify my thinking on this...

"...institutions...tended to direct thought for ends other than truth, for the perpetuation of their own functions, and for the control of individuals in the service of these functions." (148) - Religion anyone?

"It's so hard when contemplated in advance, and so easy when you do it." (153) - This is why my fear is so ridiculous.

I understand how Pirsig feels going to meet DeWeese and knowing that he will presume he is the same person.  Having moved a few times, I know that I have different priorities and values brought on by different circumstances and people.  It's kind of depressing and yet nice to talk to old friends who expect that you're the same as you were - similar to them.  I hope that I continue to change in positive, not negative, ways like what Pirsig says of DeWeese on page 195:  "it's also a brand-new person who's been renewing himself continually."

"You are never dedicated to something you have complete confidence in." (189)  -  I disagree.  I think you can be dedicated to something that YOU have confidence in, but that other people may not see.  Though if others end up not seeing what you do in [whatever you have confidence in], the thing may cease to exist because of lack of public support?

"It's not the technology that's scary.  It's what is does to the relations between people..." (193) - such a mix of impersonal and very personal


"The beer and sun begin to toast my head like a marshmallow.  Very nice."  (196)  - I just like the simile.  Very nice.

"The ultimate test's always your own serenity.  If you don't have this when you start and maintain it while you're working you're likely to build your personal problems right into the machine itself."  (206) - I've heard how plants and water respond to the attitudes that are directed at them.  Perhaps inanimate objects are the same way.  I actually had this epiphany a couple of weeks ago after I tripped over a stick. Whether or not this is real, I need to think this way when creating clothes.  I should have a good, kind attitude throughout the whole process and I think the end product will turn out better.

The way Phaedrus is always searching reminds me of a short story I was required to read in High School.  I don't remember the name but the premise is this:  A man accepts a bet that he cannot be completely solitary for a long time (twenty-five years?).  He lives in his little cell and is provided anything he wants to occupy his time.  He reads and masters piano, and just learns everything he can abut everything.  When the time is up he destroys his prize money and kills himself.  The lesson to me is that knowing too much makes everything really depressing.  When you are aware of all the truths that are to be known, life loses all meaning.  I was of the opinion for awhile that ignorance is bliss.  I'm still deciding on that one...

On page 221, Pirsig talks about how he is teaching techniques of writing by giving examples that the authors' may not have even been aware of.  I think about this a lot in literature and poetry courses.  We're deriving meaning from the tiniest arrangement or choice of words, when maybe to the writer, it was the only thing that fit at the moment.  We like to think that authors are amazing at applying the rules, when really, that's just how their brain was working at the moment.

I also like how Pirsig compares good grammar and mechanics to good manners.  I suppose communication would be very difficult to comprehend if we weren't all going by the same rules.  But there comes a time when going by the rules hinders the artistic process.  Side-note:  I write with too may commas because that's where my brain pauses when reading.

"except for a kind of phychic eddy current she has left behind" (225)  - nice visualization

Zen Part 1

This book is definitely a harder read than On the Road.  At first I was a little put off that I knew Pheadrus's identity before beginning- I suppose I wanted some suspense or mystery.  (I rarely read book introductions or prologues for this reason, but after a short scan, decided to do it this time.)  But getting further in, I was thankful because I would have been so confused.  The narrative doesn't have a particularly unique or electrifying style, but I think weaving the current story, back story, and philosophy together helps move each of them along nicely.  I don't have a chance to get bored by any one of them before I'm reading about the next.

The introduction says how schizophrenia is two minds with different values (xiv).  Maybe it's because I'm no longer basing my values on Christianity that they change as often as they do.  At first I was thinking that everyone questions their values, but it seems that the older people get, the more they know what is important to them.

"He never tells his story except in ways that are calculated to make you like him" (xiv) - I think I write this way.  I'm ever searching for approval.  Even when I write things that aren't the most flattering or like-able, I believe that the honesty I have exhibited will be admired.

"There are human forces stronger than logic" (21).  That's why pro/con lists never work.

"Physical discomfort is important only when the mood is wrong.  Then you fasten on to whatever thing is uncomfortable and call that the cause"  (24).  No one has headaches in bed during the first few weeks of a relationship.

I like the idea of slowly reading a book with a child that is over their head in order to encourage discussion.  (49)  I guess I'm doing that myself on some level with this book.

"Practicality isn't the whole thing with gloves or anything else" (53)

Goethe's poem seemed quite blatant foreshadowing, especially after the revelation of Chris's stomach problems and imminent mental illness.

John and Sylvia are usually in the same mood and have the same sense of urgency or exhaustion.

"From all this awareness we must select, and what we select...call consciousness" (97).

"...fear that comes from knowing there is nowhere you can possibly run" (109).  That's why anxiety for me so so terrifying.  It's just a spiral in my mind that feeds off fear and creates more, covering up any hint of escape.

Classic vs. Romantic Thinking

This site describes liberals as romantic and conservatives as classical.

....So which am I?
* I started reading the list of motorcycle parts in categories and immediately wanted to skip it.  I thought this made me obviously a romantic thinker, but later saw that Persig was using that list to over-illustrate how romantics think about classical thinking.
*I do like organizing and knowing the "why".  I believe I'm very rational and like to find the most economical or ergonomic or (time-o-nomic?) way to do things.
*I can get really excited about making or doing things, then once I realize what process is involved, I bail.  Romantic or lazy?
*I like the idea of discussion but going so deep on a word like quality seems like beating a dead porpoise.  Maybe that's why I didn't find meaning in Easy Rider.  Looking for meaning seemed like we were contriving something special.

Conclusion:  Sexual preference was once explained to me as a bell curve.  Some people were 100% straight or gay, with most of the population being somewhere in the middle.  I think this is how the personality types are.  Maybe Persig was able to see it clearly because he and Sylvia/John were complete opposites.  But most people don't always fall into one type or the other and have some qualities of each.

On the Road 1.2

Favorite lines:

• "the only people for me are the mad ones" p.8
• "...the things that were to come are too fantastic not to tell." p.9
• "intelligence was every bit as formal and shining and complete, without the tedious intellectualness." p.10
• "he was enthusiastic about things." p.18
• "threw himself on a stool" p.21
• "it had only sentimental value in any case" p.22 - usually that's the most important kind of value in clothes to me
• "wondering what God had wrought when He made life so sad." p.57 - Sal seems to be sad a lot.
• "life is holy and every moment is precious" p.57
• "everybody in America is a natural born thief" p.71
• "He wrapped himself around a pole to laugh." p.74
• "A pain stabbed my heart, as it did every time I saw a girl I loved who was going the opposite direction in this too-big world." p, 81 - I have a friend who I think sees women like this.  It's not necessarily lust, but he falls in love in a second with a girl who has something distinctly different or wonderful about the shape of her face, the way she walks, or the way sentences come out of her mouth.  It's very lovely.

On the Road 1.0

I feel the same way about On the Road that most people feel about Tarot cards.  The experience isn't going to be real unless the stack of paper is given to you.  Everywhere I've lived in the past few years, there's been a copy of Kerouac's book on the back of a toilet, in a kitchen cabinet, sitting on a speaker, or on some other surface that required me to move it frequently.  (I had started to read it once, but just couldn't make it to the last page.)  There's something about books that are supposed to speak to you that requires dog-ears, a missing front cover, or a big coffee stain.  That's why when purchasing books this semester, I didn't buy it.  Two months pass, and I can't even find it in a used bookstore, much less a friend's backseat.  I had resigned myself to buying it new the next day when, low and behold, I see it sitting on top of my boyfriend's bookcase that I had already thoroughly searched.  I'm so very happy to have a well-worn copy that I can add some character to myself.

So far, it's much easier to get through than the Odyssey, but it seems so much more surface level.  Hedonistic party times.  Riveting.  If you can't already tell, I'm a woman who isn't so much obsessed (hopefully) with her biological clock, but I see can the second hand moving from a distance.  I'm enthralled with all things marriage and babies and children.  I think I've at least got an adventure or seven in me before I really start getting nutty, but I'm probably going to talk about it a lot in my journal.  Anyway, the part of the book that I did like was where Sal suddenly found himself playing Dad and did what he had to do.  It was sweet, and kind of goes along with my Web Resource that talks about Neal Cassidy's wife.  She said that even though he was known for his wildness, there was a part of him that enjoyed being the responsible head of a family.

So there are a few lines here and there that I like in the book, but most of it lacks symbolism and meaning to me.  So I've decided that for my journals during these weeks, I'll spend my time chronicling my own travels for posterity.  Or just so I can look back in future years and see how youthful I have the potential be.

The Odyssey Ch. 20-24

I'm so happy to be done with this book.  It was a laborious read, but I did enjoy it and I like that it's under my belt.  The fight got surprisingly climactic and suspenseful.  I finished it last night, but got caught up in this guy's blog for a good hour, and didn't finish my own journal.  I've never taken a philosophy class, but the author is pretty interesting.  It kind of goes along with what we were talking about in class- questioning what you believe and seeing things from a different perspective.

Words:

• paramours (p.195) - adulterous lovers.  I should have been able to figure this one out from context.

Phrases:

• "growled his spirit" (p.195) - good imagery
• "destruction's cords are knotted" (p.213) - again, I just like the metaphor.
• "gallant son" (p. 214) - even while Melanthius is trying to escape his death, he seems to be honoring Telemachus by calling him gallant.
• "bit the dust" (p. 217) - I know it's a common phrase, but I just realized the true meaning.  This makes me feel ignorant.
• Eurycleia tells Penelope "it would have warmed your heart to see.."  Odysseus standing over the slaughtered men.  You'd think they had been awfully terrible to her for her heart to warm at the sight of them in a bloody puddle.
• "staying side by side to share the joys of youth and reach the threshold of old age." (p. 226) - just sweet

Other thoughts:

• I'm not sure why Odysseus had to lie to his father when he first met him.  I think he has a habit of lying that he just can't shake.  Or he's narcissistic and likes to hear what people have to say about him behind his back.
• On page 196, Athena assures Odysseus that he will be able to fight all the suitors because he'll have her help.  It just reminds me of a Bible verse- Nothing is impossible with God.  When we humans have some difficult task to face, it's encouraging to think that we have something bigger on our side.  Imagine if, after completing a task, we could give all the credit to ourselves.  Maybe then we'd have the courage to accomplish more.
• I don't think Odysseus was happy enough to see Penelope.  For the journey made and time spent to get back to her I wanted to see something like "his spirit soared within."
• I really like how the author describes the room where the bow has been kept.  He not only says how it looks, but says how the carpenter smoothed it years ago.  It gives it a human element and I can almost feel the wood myself.
• I can't believe what they did to Melanthius!  Very gruesome.
• Odysseus turns down Eurycleia's offer to rat out the maids at first, but now he asks for her help.
• It seems mean to make the dishonest maids clean up their ex-lovers bodies and blood, then take them out to the toolshed for a good hanging.  I guess this is pretty much was though.  "They twitched their feet a little, but not long."  (p. 221)  Thanks for that detail!

The Odyssey Ch. 16-19

I find myself looking forward to reading as the suspense grows.  It's still kind of a chore though- I find the repeated stories very boring.

Words:

• impious (p. 160) - disrespectful
• hecatombs (p. 163) - Wikipedia says it's a sacrifice of 100 cattle
• scapegrace (p. 180) - rogue, rascal, scamp

Phrases:

• Telemachus calls the swineherd "father" (p. 153).  Later Odysseus calls Eurycleia "mother".  I guess it is a sign of respect for their relationship.
• On p. 161 Athene makes Odysseus look old again so the swineherd won't tell Penelope.  I understand that these people are really looking forward to seeing Odysseus again, and are also very loyal to their queen, but it seems like if Odysseus had a plan, the swineherd would respect him just as much and not run off to tell Penelope.
• On p. 166 a herdsman chides Odysseus for being a beggar.  The idea of hospitality must only extend to those able to be hospitable in return.
• I like the metaphor of Odysseus's dog and how they have aged together.  Argos is really old though!
• "sneezed at my words" (p. 172) - This page says the phrase comes from a society in which one would sneeze to show disapproval, which makes sense in context.  However, I'm not sure if this practice existed in Odysseus's day or if it was the translator's way of attempting to translate a colloquialism from the past.
• "To be a homeless man and shy is bad." (p. 172)
• Antinous and Eurymachus are both "honest minded men" (p. 175) - Some really good things have been said about these two suitors, yet they are doomed to death.  We have to realize that Odysseus's life isn't the only one controlled by fate, or the gods.  From Antinous's point of view, he is doing what he thinks is right, but will be punished in the end.
• "shepherd of the people" (p.175) - Odysseus = Jesus?  Or was Jesus referred to as all kings were in that day.
• "To grieve incessantly makes matters worse." (p.177)
• On page 180 Athene allows the suitors to continue scorning Odysseus.  She's helping hate build up inside Odysseus so he will have the strength and reason to get revenge.  
• On page 183 Odysseus's words are "unwinged."  This makes me think that "winged" isn't just a meaningless word used simply as syllables in a poem.
• "...He who is gentle and thinks gentle thoughts, his praises strangers carry far and wide to all mankind, and many speak him well." (p.189) - Kindness is a quality I admire most in people.
• Odysseus seems to disrespect Eurycleia by telling her he doesn't need her help in determining which of the servants are faithful.

Other thoughts:

• All the queens are always weaving or spinning.  This seems to me like it would be a chore more suited for servants.  I guess the queens need something to do, and perhaps weaving is more of an art than a chore.  All the best queens are said to be excellent weavers so it could be a status symbol equal to a man's fighting.
• There are a lot of stories repeated throughout the book.  This is a good device for storytelling, or singing especially.

The Odyssey Ch. 13-15

Words

• "white barley" (p. 133) - I keep reading over this, so there must be some significance.  I can't find a site that explains it in context, but Wikipedia says it was the first domesticated grain and was sometimes used in the practice of alphitomancy (where a group was fed barley bread and the guilty person would get indigestion) or cornsned (A barley cake topped with ewe's cheese made in the month of may would be fed to a person.  If guilty, he would choke.)  Okay, I'm going on a tangent here, but:  Barley was also used as a measurement.  There were 4 or 5 poppy seeds to a barleycorn, and 3 barleycorns to an inch.  (copied almost exactly from WIkipedia)  It also says that they still use this in shoe sizes in Britain today.  Oh Barley!
• sagacious (p.138) - having good judgement, or shrewd
• chine (p.140) - the backbone

Phrases:

• "Must he too meet with sorrow...?" (p.130) - There's some phrase that says how a writer in jail is better than a writer experiencing nothing.  You have to go through hardships, or sorrow, in order to develop character.
• "the earth shall cover" (p.130) - good metaphor for dying
• "let fall the leather" (p. 132) - crack the whip?
• "Yet nowadays for them I do not greatly grieve...but longing possesses me for lost Odysseus." (p.135) - the swineherder wants to see Odysseus more than his own parents!
• "left without a name" (p.135) - the suitors don't just want to get rid of Telemachus because he's a pest.  If one was to marry Penelope, they would want Odysseus's family and name completely erased from their land.
• "different men delight in different deeds" (p. 136) - We're all talented in different ways!
• "Some God beguiled me into wearing nothing but my tunic." (p. 140) - just blame the gods for your poor decisions.
• "For a guest remembers all his days the hospitable man who showed him kindness." (p. 143)
• "certainly when you were small you wandered far from home and kindred." (p. 149) - A trip seems to be a common rite of passage.  The book also says Telemachus will be revered for his brave journey.  Don't Mormons have a two year trip where they can do whatever they want then decide if they really want to be  Mormon?  I think I'm confusing Mormons and the religion of a character in a Chuck Palaniuk book.  But it reminds me of something my grandpa told me that made me feel better when I quit college.  He said that I'd learn just as much traveling as I would  paying for an education.
• "for afterward, a man finds pleasure in his pains" (p.149) - we still love to tell stories of how bad we had it and show off our battle scars

Other thoughts:

• Odysseus sure does make up a giant lie to tell the swineherder.  I guess he had to make it intricate in order for it to be believable.
• Why does Telemachus take in Theoclymenus, who is a killer?  
• Each place, like each character, has defining characteristics stated after its name.  I would be ... Jahana White, daughter of Sam White, blessed by the gods with the gift of music as might be found by those on fair Olympus.  At a young age he wed kind Pamela, and together they traversed the land, doing for themselves what they found pleasant at each moment.  Upon gaining much experience, years and wealth (though not of gold, linens or flock, but of love) Pamela bore jubilant Jahana and two others- faithful Jenna and exuberant Janessa.  What's yours?

The Odyssey Ch. 12

The part of Chapter 12 that really jumps out at me is the slaying of the Sun's kine.  Last night (with the storm of the century brewing, nonetheless) I watched the story of the Greely Party on TV.  It was an American expedition, led by Greely, whose aim was to go further north into the arctic than anyone had before.  Twenty-five men were dropped off with plenty of supplies, with the promise of being picked up the following year.  During this time they collected scientific data.  Due to ice in the way, their rescue party couldn't reach them and they decided to travel to a place where there was less ice in the way of their rescue.  I can't remember some of the details, but for part of this journey they actually floated on a sheet of ice till they reached their destination.  Like in Odysseus's journey, many of the men died along the way.  About three years later, they were rescued.

When the men were found, there were dead strewn about the camp.  The survivors were starving and hadn't had the energy to bury them.  When the frozen corpses were examined, it was found that pieces of flesh had been cut off and the six survivors were accused of cannibalism.  For me, this seems a horrifying, but necessary thing to do.  You're on your deathbed because of starvation and there is meat available...the body of your friend.  I mean, I couldn't blame the living for staying alive off of my dead body.  The press had a heyday with this and the glory of the returning men was overshadowed by the idea that they had eaten their buddies.  I guess this is why I can sympathize with Odysseus's men slaying the Sun's cows.  Perfectly good meat there...I'd rather eat it and maybe die than definitely die of starvation.  It seems that there wasn't a good way out for these men.

Greely also had a wife at home.  Her continued nagging of the navy and getting the press involved forced the government to send the rescue mission that brought her husband back alive.  Why wasn't Penelope trying to get Odysseus home?  Telemachus finally goes out to find word of his father, but Penelope has nothing to do with it.

One last thought:  It seems like recently, I've really been a POS.  All I do is sit and watch TV.  Last night after loathing my life, I almost threw it out the window.  What a waste of time.  I have so much I want to accomplish in life, and watching babies being born on TLC won't get me there.  It's easy to blame the winter weather (the gods) for keeping me inside, but there's plenty to be doing in my apartment.  I'm gonna have to drag myself off of the land of the Lotus-eaters!

The Odyssey Ch. 9-11

Words:

• viands (p.91) - an item of food, especially a delicacy.  
• pernicious (p. 95) - having a gradual adverse effect

Phrases:

• "...that you, like all, may know it" (his name) & "my renown reaches to heaven" (p. 80) - we did discuss in class that this was just a way of identifying himself, but it does seem rather prideful
• "gnawing our hearts"(p.81)  - good way to describe worry
• "the gift which is the stranger's due" (p.85) - Odysseus states to the Cyclops that it is his right as a visitor to receive certain things.  It's a good example of how hospitality has changed.  These days, we don't believe that we owe strangers anything.  Perhaps, like the Cyclops, we would be better off being kind and offering help instead of only thinking of ourselves.
• "my name...so deceived them" (p.87) - In English, Noman works well as a name and also "no man".  It's interesting to think of what the word was in Greek that could have been used both ways.
• "by night they sleep by their chaste wives" (p. 91) - It doesn't seem like an ideal situation to have a wife who is restraining herself from sex.  After looking the word "chaste" up, however, I found out that it means sexual behavior acceptable by society.  Which is also interesting because we're talking about brother/sister pairs and maybe that phrase is to note that that practice is socially acceptable.
• "no good came to them from their lamenting" ( p. 94) - it usually doesn't, but that rarely seems to matter when it comes to mourning
• "then I approached the beauteous bed of Circe." (p.97) - Cheater!  For some reason, I thought that Odysseus had returned to his wife a faithful man.
• "Why are you so in love with misery...?" (p.99) - Again, I think a lot of us are obsessed with the drama that misery brings and would rather have something bad to think about than nothing at all.
• "sad decay steals from the limbs the life" (p.105) - good metaphor
• "we judge you by your looks to be no cheat of thief" (p. 108) - This seems a strange way to judge people.  Maybe if he had been a cheat or thief, the gods would have seen to it that his physique matched his deeds.
• "she...brought shame upon herself and all of womankind who shall be born hereafter" (p.110) - Looks like Cassandra and Eve did a lot for our sex.

Other Thoughts:

• Odysseus's men are convinced, after eating Lotus fruit, that they don't want to leave the land of the Lotus-eaters.  For me, it's a metaphor for anything that sucks us in these days- drugs, alcohol, video games, TV, even a relationship.  It's so easy to become obsessed and addicted to things that are easy or offer simple happiness.  Once you've accepted being lazy, it takes a lot to get up and continue to search for truth.
• What is the symbol in Elpenor falling off of the roof and dying?  Certainly it isn't to warn of the dangers of drinking.
• Odysseus's telling of the people he met in the house of Hades remind me of holiday dinners when my grandma was alive.  My parents grew up in a small town, and the whole family could sit and talk for hours about the people they used to know, the children they had, and where certain ones were in life.  At both dinners, and while reading Odysseus's story, I'm unfamiliar with the names, but it's interesting to hear little details about people's lives.

The Odyssey: Ch. 5-8

Words I learned:

• bulwark (p. 48) - wall built for defense, aka, sides to the ship
• adze (p. 48) - tool for hollowing or smoothing wood
• petrel (p. 51) - a bird named after St. Peter, who was said to walk on water.  The bird flies right above the water, sometimes with its feet dangling in.  Ino rises from the water in this fashion to talk to Odysseus.

Phrases I liked:

• "Dawn from her couch...rose to bring light" (p.45) - classic anthropomorphism
• "Sweet life ebbed away in longings for his home" (p. 48) - you can just see his soul wearing away when day after day he is away from his home
• "Coil of evil that surrounds him" (p. 50) - no place for escape of it
• (p. 51) The different winds take turns hurling Odysseus through the waves, each one passing him off to the next.
• "And may the gods grant all that in your thoughts you long for: husband and home and true accord may they bestow; for better and higher gift then this there cannot be, when with accordant aims man and wife have a home.  Great grief it is to foes and joy to friends; but they themselves best know its meaning." (p.58) - Another reference to how fulfilling a family is.  I'm still stuck in a rut where I don't know what direction I want my life to go in.  At one time I thought I was quite the feminist, but I've realized lately how much I want a husband and children to nurture.  It doesn't help that my little sister has two kids, and lots of my friends are getting married and having babies. I'm not in a hurry, and I know there's still a lot I want to do before I really settle down, but my goals of being a rich important businesswomen have changed considerably.
• "There is no greater glory for a man in all his life than what he wins with his own feet and hands." (p.72) - I have lots of friends without jobs who rely on others for what they need.  On one hand, I think its good to have to rely on others for necessities- it teaches you to be thankful and get rid of pride.  But on the other hand, I think there is so much to be said for being able to look at what you have and know that you yourself made it happen.  It reminds me of what a friend told me he wanted his life to be: wholesome, simple, and industrious.
• "For a friend with an understanding heart is worth no less than a brother." (p.79) - Reminds me of a poem by Christina Rosetti, I think it's from Goblin Market... (pardon the bullets)
• For there is no friend like a sister,
• In calm or stormy weather,
• To cheer one on the tedious way,
• To fetch one if one goes astray,
• To lift one if one totters down
• To strengthen whilst one stands

Recurring themes:

• Birds:
• Hermes is compared to a gull when he nears the Calypso's island (p.46)
• Ino rises like a petrel (p.51)
• Pride in death
• (p.50) Odysseus wishes he had died with his comrades and had gotten a proper burial.  I would like to know more about the Greek's afterlife belief.

Other thoughts/questions:

• (p.48)  It says that Calypso "pleased him no more."  I'm not sure of the whole situation on the island, but was he satisfied with her at first?  I'm assuming that there weren't any sexual relations because he's such a good guy and all, but it makes me wonder.  Also, he sleeps next to her "unwillingly", but still, sleeps next to her.  It seems like women of that time would (dare I say) know their place in the realm of courtship and love, but Calypso seems pretty pushy.  I guess since she's a goddess, she does what she wants.
• Athena appears to Nausicaa in a dream to give her instructions (p. 55).  Earlier, (p. 44) Athene comes to Penelope in a dream to tell her not to fret.  In the Bible, it is in a dream that the angel Gabriel comes to Joseph to tell him to marry Mary.  Why do messengers come in dreams?  Is it more believable for the recipients to tell people that they dreamed something crazy and were going to do it?  Does it allow the messenger to only be seen by the recipient?  Is it just metaphorical for "sleeping on" an idea and waking up knowing just what to do?
• After many parts of the story where characters eat and drink wine to their hearts desire, the line where Nausicaa's mother puts wine in a jug for her day trip (p.56) finally got me wondering.  Are these people getting wasted all day, every day?  Though it seems to be a big part of society, packing up a jug for your daughter to drink while doing chores seems a bit excessive.  Maybe it was very nutritious at the time.  A friend told me the other day that Homer was a drunk- so maybe he just wanted his characters to share his obsession.  This website says that Odysseus enjoyed it because it allowed him loose lips.  I'm not convinced.

The Odyssey: Ch.1-4

Words I learned:

• kine (p.1) - plural of cow
• skill in birds (p.5)- After continued reading, the story of how Zeus sent out the pair of eagles to warn the suitors (p.13), kind of explains that birds are signs of things to come, and one might be skilled in reading them as one may read Tarot.  This site says it is the interpretation of the flight of birds   The Odyssey footnotes
• wimple (p.7) - a cloth worn by married women to cover their hair and possibly show status.  It would make sense that Penelope was wearing one because she is both married and rich.

Phrases that jumped out at me:

• "rover among men" (p.4)-  I like how it describes a traveler.
• "skein of war was wound" (p.5) - comparing events in a lifetime to fibers being woven together to form a single thread.  Aren't there three mythological women who cut threads to kill people?  Maybe this phrase is referring to that.
• "As he marked this in his mind, an awe came on his heart; he knew a god was with him." (p.7) - Sometimes you meet people that you seem to come into contact with at just the right time.  My current (and loose!)  spiritual belief is that everything on this earth, since it has energy, will respond to people's intentions and all this energy together makes up what some people would call God.  This phrase just reminds me of when something perfect happens and you suspect that something bigger than yourself is involved.
• winged words - seems to be quite the argument Discussion of "winged words"
• "The winds swelled out the belly of the sail" (p.18) - great figurative language
• "When a man dies, how good it is to leave a son! (p.22) - The subject of children seems to be prevalent in my life right now.  Yesterday, I asked my dad, who has three daughters, if he was sad he hadn't had a son.  He said no in a way that didn't convince me.  I guess this is most people's thought on that prospect.
• "Only because as guests we often had our food of strangers, are we here..." (p.29) - It's nice to be able to say that you have relied on the kindness of others.  It helps you to be kind yourself.
• "Easily is his offspring known to whom the son of Kronos allots a boon in birth and marraige" (p.33) - I can't put my finger on the Bible verse this sounds like, but I seem to remember a verse promising good children to people who loved the Lord.
• "shining feet" (p.34) - Everyone putting on sandals has shining feet.  Maybe because their rich and therefore able to be freshly showered?
• "Are you so very helpless, stranger, and unnerved, or do you willingly give way, taking a pleasure in your pains?" (p.36) - Am I actually stuck in a terrible situation or do I thrive on the drama I get from it and stay?
• "Coursing ships, which serve men for sea-horses..." (p.42) - ship=horse on the sea
• "heart-eating anguish"(p.42) - good description

Other thoughts:

Athena, or her exit of a situation, is repeatedly described as bird-like.  On page seven, it is a sea-hawk.

Everyone seems to question if Telemachus is really Odysseus's son.  

• "if you are indeed his child" (p.21)

Hospitality- Everyone that Telemachus visits is so good to him.  Food is always offered before anything is discussed, and it seems that everyone is always drunk and eating roasted meat.  Telemachus is a stranger to most hosts, but they treat him as family, giving him parting gifts and any transportation or other requests he voices.  This kind of reminds me of the couchsurfing website I'm a part of.  Anyone can sign up and offer their home for weary travelers, or get a free place to stay while traveling.  I love this idea so much.  There are so many generous people in the world, and this site gives them a way to connect and offer something as simple as a place to stay.  I have stayed with a couple in Memphis and a young women in Atlanta.  I hosted two young guys going to Arizona for a job.  They had college degrees, but worked as servers at whichever national park suited their fancy that season.  Couchsurfing is also a great way to meet people and have connections for later travels.

• (p. 25) Nestor is appalled that a son of Odysseus would sleep on the deck of a ship and makes him stay in his house.