The three cards I was given was the child, the tree and the coffin.

Purely based on my imagination, my initial impression of the cards were that each card represents a different stage in my life. The child represents a child like spirit, a sense of youth and carefreeness. The tree represents growth, however because it is a tree, it presents a slow growth that will take time to prosper. Requiring love and attention for optimal growth, similar to a person. The coffin however, represents the end of a phase in my life, or an end to a version of myself.

When applying these cards to my life, the coffin may represent the end of my youth. This is the last year of high school. High school is often associated with a sense of carefreeness and recklessness, therefore the coffin may present the end of that and the beginning of growth. As high school ends and university begins, this represents the beginning of a new phase of my life, which can be interpreted by the reflection shown in the card with the “child”. This illustrates that my past is behind me as there will be more to come in my future. This is evident as the card shows a child looking into the horizon, which may reflect a positive future.

Is Odysseus a complicated man?

Odysseus is a complicated man to a certain extent, throughout The Odyssey Odysseus is portrayed as an intelligent trickster, however he continuously lies even when it is unnecessary. This is especially true when it is concerning his identity, we can question his moral judgement as even though there is no need to lie, due to meeting some welcoming people, he continues to lie or hide the truth. Furthermore, although Odysseus is portrayed as someone who cares for his family, when he returns back to Ithaca, he chooses to lie to Eumaeus, Penelope, Telemachus and Laertes. Odysseus makes the conscious decision to lie to his father, even though he is aware of his grievance for his, however Odysseus continues to refrain from telling the truth. Moreover, as he meets Laertes he has already taken revenge on the suitors, therefore deceiving people, even those he loves, is part of his identity now, which is an aspect of what makes him complicated. 

 

Moreover, Odysseus’ wit is an example of what makes Odysseus a complicated man. In book 9, Odysseus shows his internal conflict, he shows his desire for fame, therefore he exposes himself to the cyclops, as he has a longing to be known for his accomplishments of using wit to defeat a cyclops as powerful as Polyphemus. The internal conflict illustrates that Odysseus is a complicated man, as although his brain, and his intelligence is aware that this would not be a smart decision because of Poseidon’s wrath, he continues to do so anyway. In the end Odysseus reveals himself “Cyclops! If any mortal asks you how your eye was mutilated and made blind say that Odysseus,” even though he is aware of the repercussions of his actions with Poseidon. 

 

However, to an extent, it can be said that Odysseus is not complicated. Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus has also been portrayed as a simple man. An example is with the sirens. He is portrayed like many other men who long to hear the sirens’ voices. Odysseus uses his wit to avoid the consequences throughout his journey but he has slept with countless women, illustrating that Odysseus is not as analytical as he may have been portrayed. Like other men, Odysseus succumbed to the beauty of the Goddess, Calypso and Circe. This demonstrates that Odysseus is not as great as he may seem, as he has the same temptations as other men. 

In the prose A Low Art, from The Penelopiad (2006), Margaret Atwood’s creative retelling of The Odyssey is a monologue from Penelope’s point of view in first person. Margaret Atwood conveys Penelope’s escape from oppression as she voices her ideas in a monologue. 

In this monologue, Penelope’s current state allows Penelope to be free of her duties as a woman. The monologue begins with “Now that I’m dead,” which allows readers to understand Penelope’s situation. The state she describes herself in, “Boneless, liplessness, breastlessness” takes away the physical attributes which defines her as a woman. Females are often reduced to their sexual identity, therefore when her feminine characteristics have been taken away, it results in being free of her role as an oppressed woman. Therefore, she is no longer forced to keep quiet as the silenced victim.

Furthermore, Penelope’s circumstances allow truths to be revealed,  resulting in Penelope breaking free from the role of a suppressed woman, and voicing out her ideas. Penelope voices out her thoughts to anyone who will listen, because when she was alive she did not have the opportunity to do so as she followed the expected duties of a woman, “So I’ll spin a thread of my own.” “Thread” is not only a symbol of her femininity, as in The Odyssey this was a trick Penelope used on suitors. Furthermore, it reveals that Penelope is taking control of her own narrative, therefore breaking free from the constraints when she was alive. This is also a form of female representation, which there was a lack of in The Odyssey. “Keeping the right doors locked and going to sleep during the rampages,” shows the restraint and denial Penelope had when she was alive. “Doors locked” is a metaphor to symbolise suppressing any ideas which would expose the truth, or be aware or the situation. “Going to sleep during the rampages” illustrates the ignorance as her duties of a woman forced her to keep quiet, however now that she is dead, she does not have the responsibilities of a woman, nothing is at stake.  

In the poem “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer,” John Keats conveys his intense admiration for Chapman’s Homer through the use of imagery of exploration and discovery, and through the use of metaphors to express his journey reading Chapman’s work. 

John Keats has structured his poem as a sonnet, because sonnets are associated with love. The structure expresses John Keats’ respect for Chapman’s homer, conveying the strong emotions felt, illustrating that this is an ode to Chapman. Furthermore, to portray the intensity of Keats’ experience, he has used imagery of travel “many goodly states and kingdoms seen,”  representing the vast collection of classics he has read. Furthermore, “many” reveals that he has read numerous classics, however, none has given him the satisfaction of Chapman’s Homer. Furthermore, to articulate the satisfaction he feels, “realms of gold” illustrates that it has given him the same satisfaction as a poor man who has discovered gold. It also shows that to John Keats, Chapman’s Homer is equivalent to gold. Imagery is a poetic device John Keats has used to convey that reading Chapman’s Homer has given him the feeling of travelling to a place no one has ever been, even though he has seen “round many western islands.” 

Furthermore, to articulate the profound effect Chapman’s Homer has had on John Keats, he has used metaphors to articulate the theme of exploration as he tries to figure out what it means to be a poet. “Then felt I like some watcher of the skies,” this transition is what moves the poem to a new idea from an unfamiliar voyage to his discovery. “Skies” illustrates that reading Chapman’s translation has broadened his vision. “Skies” can be compared to heaven, which portrays the idea of a “fantasy journey” and the high regard Keats feels for Chapman. This also demonstrates the idea of the beauty of a story being just as important as a story itself. Furthermore, “when a new planet swims into his ken,” is a metaphor which reveals the rarity of this discovery, the overwhelming emotions felt as he finds his quest for poetic beauty. The pleasure being compared to discovering a new planet as it is the revelation of a new world. Moreover, to expand on his self discovery as a poet, “breathes pure serene” illustrates his loyalty to poetry as he makes poetry, and Chapman’s translation a core part of himself, and his identity. 

A line you like because it reveals so much about the world of The Odyssey —the many turns, the echoing story, the ideas hidden inside it

“Tell me about a complicated man.

Muse, tell me how he wandered and was lost

when he had wrecked the holy town of Troy,

and where he went, and who he met, the pain

he suffered on the sea, and how he worked

to save his life and bring his men back home.” (Book 1)

These are the first lines of Book 1 of The Odyssey, as it is a summary of the adventure Odysseus goes on in order to return back to Ithaca. The rest of the books tell the story of his journey, suffering on the sea as he faced multiple challenges alongside his crew, for example encountering Scylla and being a prisoner on Calypso’s island. This is an introduction to the world of The Odyssey, with a reference to the Iliad, “wrecked the holy town of Troy.” Furthermore, the Muse gives us an introduction to the Goddesses of the world of The Odyssey, as they are inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts, therefore he is asking the Muse of poetry to tell the story of The Odyssey.

A line you like because it seems quite lovely —a beautiful expression, for whatever that’s worth (I think it’s worth a lot).

“He ran towards his master, kissed

his face and shining eyes and both his hands,

and wept. Just as a father, when he sees

his own dear son, his only son, his dear

most precious boy, returned from foreign lands

after ten years of grieving for his loss,

welcomes him; so the swineherd wrapped his arms

around godlike Telemachus and kissed him,

as if he were returning from the dead.” (Book 16)

I like this line because it is a very emotional moment for both Odysseus and the swineherd, Eumaeus is a loyal servant and therefore is treated as part of the family. It is a heartfelt moment for Eumaeus as people had suspected that Telemachus would not return, after grieving Odysseus it would be difficult to also lose Telemachus, who he loves as much as his own son. Moreover, this is a sentimental moment because Odysseus is unable to express how he truly feels because he is in disguise. He is powerless in this situation as he is not able to reveal his true identity. Therefore he cannot express the emotions he feels after seeing his son, who he has not for twenty years. Furthermore, seeing Eumaeus treat Telemachus in a way that Odysseus wishes to do, creates an emotional moment for the readers, as they are aware of the situation.

A line that is satisfying on a pure storytelling or image-making level

“Odysseus, with ease,

strung the great bow. He held it in his right hand

and plucked the string, which sang like swallow song

a clear sweet note. The suitors, horrified,

grew pale, and Zeus made ominous thunder rumble.” (Book 21)

This line is very satisfying, as it is the line where Odysseus proved the suitors wrong, and humiliated the suitors for their inability to string a bow. Furthermore, this has great image making level, with the use of imagery “held it in his right hand and plucked the string” and metaphors “which sang like swallow song a clear sweet note”, to illustrate the ease of stringing a bow for Odysseus. This is also a significant line, as it shows the moment the suitors realised Odysseus was stronger than he looked, when in that form, “grew pale.” Therefore, being a fulfilling line for readers, having witnessed both Odysseus’ journey and Telemachus’ challenging life with the suitors, as it is the moment right before Telemachus and Odysseus get their revenge.

The poem “Ithaka” describes a hopeful journey, using imagery to visualise the adventures taken, “to buy fine things, mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony.” It describes the journey Odysseus has taken, and can be interpreted as Odysseus telling the story to other people who will embark on a journey similar, such as to Telemachus. Furthermore, descriptive words have been used in order to give the readers the sensation of beginning this journey, using different senses such as smell “sensual perfume” to do this.

Moreover, the last line of the poem says “these Ithakas” which illustrates that Ithaka does not only represent a destination in this poem, however it is also a representation of the journey. Demonstrating that the journey is almost a representation of life, as it illustrates the hardship and the victories along the way, however overcoming them in the end. Odysseus goes to Ithaca knowing he will die there, and knowing the situation.

A theme that Homer often alludes to in The Odyssey is using intelligence as opposed to physical strength. This is important for Odysseus and his strenuous trip back to Ithaca. His crew often inconveniences him, and distracts Odysseus from his journey back home, therefore his sharp-wittedness has constantly assisted them to overcome the challenges faced.

A key example of Odysseus displaying his wit is during book 9. As Odysseus makes his way to the land of the Cyclopes, he finds himself at a cave with the Cyclops Polyphemus. This was significant as it was a test of how cunning Odysseus was. He knew his capabilities, and understood that he did not have the strength to stop Polyphemus, therefore as opposed to using physical strength to stop him, he was able to carefully create a plan that would outsmart the cyclops, resulting in the ability to remain unharmed. Even with the use of physical strength, when Odysseus uses the tool to blind the Cyclops, it still demonstrates Odysseus’ skilfulness. Odysseus took command of his crew, even during a difficult situation, having just witnessed the members of their crew being murdered, he was able to use his intellect to carefully craft a wooden spear. This illustrates that Odysseus’ cunningness is his strong asset, the need for physical strength is inferior compared to intellect. In the end, it was not his strength which saved him but his ability to adapt, and his sense of judgement. Furthermore, this is then portrayed as Polyphemus yells “My friends! Noman is killing me by tricks, not force!” Not only is it highlighting a key theme of The Odyssey, however Odysseus exploited Polyphemus’ lack of intelligence by using the name “Noman” to trick him.

Odysseus’ approach to overcoming a difficult situation is interesting as it contrasts with The Iliad. The hero of The Iliad, Achilles, uses physical strength, whereas Odysseus’ main objective is to return home therefore needing to use wisdom in order to overcome challenges. Achilles is much more violent in his approach, illustrating the different approach individuals can take when enduring a problem. Odysseus defeating Polyphemus in Book 9, is an example of how we can lead our lives. Our intellect is often undervalued, especially during situations where physical strength would be the obvious choice, however Odysseus is an example of how we all have the ability to rely on intelligence.

 

After doing this practice IO, I realised that my outline was too text heavy, it almost looked like a mini essay. However, while having a lot on my outline, I still felt that there was a lot I was not able to say. Not only due to time constraints but also due to not being able to fit it in my outline (though I already had so many points.) This was a big issue as I felt that sometimes I was not able to connect my thoughts properly, and did not transition to my quotes well. Furthermore, I was very nervous for this practice which was very clear in my recording, this can be improved on with time if I practice more, therefore feeling more natural during the recording. During this practice IO, I spent too much time writing ideas down and analysing quotes that I was not able to have much time to practice, which meant that it was harder during the recording. This also caused me to repeat myself a lot, which again could be improved by more practice.

Furthermore, I found that I could have improved on structure. The structure that I had planned on doing this recording was: Introduction, Sappho, Fun Home, Similarities, Conclusion. However due to time constraints I was unable to say the similarities, which was a significant weak point. I did not have enough connections between the two texts, which meant that it felt like I was talking about two completely different things. This is a problem due to not showing the similarities between the two, and also a problem of relevancy in my points. I can now improve on my IO after reflecting on these points.

I enjoy Beth Ann Fennelly’s compilation of short stories from her marriage. She is able to make something interesting out of very mundane events in her married life, I find that to be unique. She is able to make something captivating although it is very simple. I think the reason to this is because I am able to find them relatable, although I am not married, while reading the “Married Love” series I find myself recalling similar events with family or friends.

Furthermore, I find that her short stories contrast Sappho, Sappho’s poems are about longing, whereas Fennelly already has what Sappho longs for. This shows the contrasting views on love, as Sappho often makes love appear difficult, whereas Fennelly has portrayed it differently. The “Married Love” series makes love appear simple yet fulfilling.

However, similar to Sappho they both show traits of selfishness, Sappho longs for someone and we are able to see this jealousy in her poems. Fennelly, shows selfishness in “Sweet Nothing” as it is evident that she said “I love you” for her future self.

I attempted to draw this panel in the style of Bechdel, however as opposed to focusing my attention on the background I focused attention on the subject of this panel, Cecily and Gwendolyn. I chose to draw this panel, the scene before Jack walks in exposing that neither him nor Algernon is named Earnest, as it was the scene before all lies had been revealed. This panel portrayed the theme of fiction vs reality, connecting with the theme illustrated in fun home. The main character, Jack, is often shown to blur the lines between fiction and reality, thus creating his fictional brother Earnest. Similar to Bruce Bechdel and Alison Bechdel in Fun Home, Jack uses this as an outlet for his emotions that he is unable to express. Both Jack and Bruce have created alternate personalities to express themselves freely without social constraints. However, unlike Bruce, Alison used fiction to connect with her real life experiences. Bruce, Alison’s father was similar to Jack in the sense that their identities were no longer clear. Both Jack and Bruce created a fictional life that eventually became more real, thus becoming more difficult to distinguish their real identity and the identity created for appearances/social norms. For both characters, this impacted their relationships, impacting the people surrounding them as it was no longer clear. This caused Algernon to do the same, and in fun home, Alison’s connection to Literature is similar to Bruce. Furthermore, this is then emphasised as in Act 1 Algernon says “a man who marries without knowing Bunbury has a very tedious time of it,” implying that all married men are the same as Jack, creating an alternate personality, leading different lives. Portraying the message that no man is able to escape desire to “bunbury.” This emphasises the theme of social norms, the more Jack and Bruce attempts to uphold their appearance, the more they indulge themselves in fiction.

In this panel, both Cecily and Gwendolyn are oblivious to the fact that neither Algernon nor Jack are named Earnest. Gwendolyn is a character which reflects societal norms, portraying the ideal qualities thus being infatuated with the name Earnest. Both Gwendolyn and Cecily are fixated on the name Earnest that they are unable to judge their true characters, ignorant that both Algernon and Jack are deceiving them. Both characters are unaware of the situational irony. This emphasises the theme of appearances, as they are focused on the name “Earnest” thus they have created a personality suited for the name. This causes them to be blinded by their image of that fictional character. In a sense, all characters are blinded by fiction, unable to see the true reality of things.

Furthermore, if this were a graphic novel, I would be more selective of the dialogue. Emphasising dialogue that connects with the theme in the play. The dialogue would be separated in a way that in each panel the illustration for Cecily and Gwendolyn would be different, each illustration aiding in the message I am trying to convey to the readers. It would be difficult to separate dialogue as there is much less narration compared to fun home, thus needing to make dialogue more concise.