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.