Blog #20 - Larry Shoyfer - Period 1 - 4/23/20

BLOG #20

LARRY SHOYFER

Period 1

4/23/20

AIM: How can foundational knowledge of The Odyssey,

Books I-VIII enhance our experience for the remaining work?

What are the updates around the world/community regarding the virus?

Everyday in the news we are being fed constant updates. These updates can

range from good or bad, and can be anything from updates on forms of

medication, to death tolls. In general it seems the tone of the news depends

upon where you look, and the outcome of the virus to one person may be grim,

while to another it might seem brighter.

Write about your thoughts regarding the reading?

Overall, the reading is very light and not too difficult or time consuming. The

amount assigned is always appropriate and fits with the pacing of previous lessons.

Moreover, the Odyssey is mildly interesting to me.

Write about what you learned in your online English lessons?

For one, I’ve learned many definitions of certain words that pertain to greek

mythology. Moreover, I’ve learned about the culture and dynamic of Greek society,

such as the religious importance of hospitality. Also, I’ve picked up a pattern in

Greek mythology in which they enjoy utilizing a lot of hubris in their characters.

Reflection:

Today I learned a wide variety of definitions and topics of importance pertaining to

Greek culture. For instance, this lesson seemed to have a focus on hubris, which

means excessive overconfidence in a nutshell. An example of hubris shown in the

lesson was with Odysseus, the main character of The Odyssey. During certain

moments in the book, he had a lot of hubris. This helped me further understand

Greek culture at the time, as they enjoyed putting a lot of hubris in their mythology.

Perhaps they were attempting to instill core values of patience and self-control into

their people? Overall, I will take away these values with me into my real life, and

utilize them for the better.