Return to Book 4

The Discussion: We seem to have reached the inevitable point in the semester where you are no longer afraid of me and no longer overly worried about succeeding in 9^th grade. The collective sigh of relief manifests in the fun of following random thoughts, especially when they’re humorous or about attractive movie stars. On the one hand, I am thrilled that you’re feeling relaxed and safe enough in my class to have fun. On the other hand, indulging too much in the fun of random association, keeps you from making progress in your understanding of The Odyssey and in your development of critical reading and writing skills. Continue to have fun, please. However, also work on developing the discipline to stay focused in your discussion. Nearly every page in The Odyssey offers rich possibilities for insight, like the excellent reading of Menelaus’ response to Helen’s story.

In that reading, you focused on the connotations of specific words. These connotations revealed important discoveries about the relationship between Helen and Menelaus. Menelaus responds to Helen’s story by saying, “There was a tale” (4.298). You noticed that the word tale implies a fictional narrative. The choice of that word suggests that Menelaus does not believe his wife’s version of what happened. You then went on to reveal how Menelaus sets himself up as an expert when he says “I have studied” and recounts his broad experience of the world. He even goes as far as to imply that Helen is evil, attributing her motivation for her actions outside the Trojan horse to some “dark power” (4.308).

Similarly, you noted that Helen’s story seemed very egocentric (“I alone” (4.281)). You also noted the frosting over of the scene after the exchange of stories as Helen speaks “briskly” to her servants. Furthermore, you picked up that Telemachus picks up on the tension he is the one who “ventured” (4.327) the idea that it is time to end the part. He is “Clear-headed Telemachus,” after all, and he would not have to venture a suggestion if there was no danger; he could just offer it.

Granted, I’m something of an English teacher geek. I have a hard time seeing how anything could be more fun than revealing the kind of literary insight outlined above. However, if this fun is not a strong enough inducement for you to stay disciplined in your discussions, remember that I do grade each discussion that you have.