Reading Notes: Homer's Odyssey Part A

 Bibliography:

Homer's Odyssey, translated into English by Tony Kline (2004)

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-homers-odyssey.html

-As Odysseus and his crew set their way back to Ithaca, they reach an island that belongs to Cyclopes (one-eyed uncivilized humanoid creatures).

-The story is told in first-person by Odysseus himself as he leads his men through the Land of the Cyclopes.

-Including such unpredictable and dangerous creatures such as Cyclopes in a story certainly helps a story be more mysterious and jumpy. 

-The Cyclopes were blessed by the gods and never had to plough or sow in order to grow their own food, but rather the gods let the food grow like mountains. 

-Odysseus and his men decides to go into the cave of the Cyclopes and eat some of his food and is caught. 

-Absolutely terrified, Odysseus tries to explain why they are there using the gods, hoping that would scare the giant into not harming them. He mentions Poseidon, the god of sea and father of all Cyclopes, and the giant goes silent for a second with pity.

-Nope, the giant decides to attack Odysseus and his crew, instantly squashing a couple of them and tearing limbs of others apart. Odysseus could do nothing but watch as the Cyclops filled his big ole tummy with the flesh of his crewmen. 

-Wow, some vivid imagery here. I was not expecting such gory details regarding the death of Odysseus' crewmen. The more readers frown reading the story, the better you are telling the story. 100%.

-As the Cyclops filled his stomach till he was full, Odysseus hid in the corner and waited with a courageous plan to stab the giant until the next day. 

-The funniest and best twist this story could have as an ending came to be as the actual ending. Odysseus offers to serve the Cyclops some glasses of wine and the Cyclops naturally allows it. As the giant asks who he is, he replies and tells him that his name is 'Nobody.' After the giant has drank three glasses of wine, Odysseus stabs the Cyclops eye with a wooden stake lit on fire. As the giant screamed in agony and pain, his fellow Cyclops neighbors to aid him. Who did such thing to him they asked, but the giant could only reply, "Nobody did it! Nobody did this to me!"

-Now, that is the ultimate troll. 

(Image Information: LeFlore Odyssey Timeline https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/trojan-war-198c6de1-4380-41f1-b7fc-6c00716c8f01)