Jordan’s Comments (group member since Nov 02, 2011)

Jordan’s comments from the 2012 - Ms. Richardson L.A. group.

In “The Odyssey” the main character Odysseus starts in the mundane world, a place where you are unsatisfied or don’t belong. The mundane world is the place the adventure starts, it’s the beginning of a journey. In book 5 Odysseus is trapped of Calypsos Island. On the island Odysseus is presented with everything that a man could want or need but he still yearns for more. Odysseus feels unsatisfied here and all he wants is to leave, leave a place where even the god Hermes had to stop and take in its beauty. At this stop on Odysseus’s journey he is forced to learn the true value of his wife that he had left back home
in Ithaca and the true meaning of love, and the courage it takes to step up to follow the thread of the hero’s path.

The second step on the hero’s path is The Call to Adventure, the point in the hero’s journey where they get the call to greater things. This call could be something such as a mental need and stability to leave the mundane world or a physical thing such as a letter or a person calling for there aide. On pages 1126-1127 Odysseus has finally come to agreement on the freedom of his men only if Circe the god in which held them were to be repaid only if a journey be maid by Odysseus and his men to the underworld, this being the call. This was the reason that Odysseus went on to his next adventure. His calling being the thing that lead him and started his great and heroic adventure.

On the hero’s path the third step would be Crossing The Threshold. This is the point in all stories where the call had been answered and they are taking the step and leaving there mundane world. Crossing the threshold would be leaving there secure place and taking that last step into the adventure so the journey can realistically begin. At one point in the book Odysseus agrees to leave wax out of his ears while crossing the path of the deadly sirens. Sirens are creatures that have lead many men to there death by the voice that they have. While all of Odysseus’s men have wax in their ears blocking the noise Odysseus agrees to be tied to the boat and kept with ears clear. This is one point in which a threshold was crossed he has left his safety when he agreed to take on this noble task.

The Path Of Trials is step four on the hero’s path. This step can be broken down in two simple subjects’ new friends, new enemies and new mentors and new knowledge/skills. It is basically anything that was gained on the journey. First would be new friends through the way Odysseus has gained several new friends on the journey but one being the witch Circe. She would not be directly classified under friend but as an ally, at one point Odysseus has to work with Circe to gain the freedom of his men only to have a adventure in the underworld as a payment. Along Odysseus’s journey there were several enemies mad one of the most memorable of those being the Cyclops. This Cyclops held Odysseus and his men captive as he slowly killed his men off. After being on the island for long enough Odysseus had escaped leaving a mangled Cyclops with a poked out eye in furry waiting for Odysseus return. In the novel Odysseus has picked up if not anything else knowledge. He has taken his own hubris and gotten involved in several unnecessary situations. He has learned of all of the inhabitants of the several islands that he stopped at and all that they do.

The last and final step of the hero’s journey is Master of Two Worlds. In this step the hero must learn how to balance there new knowledge and experiences with there original world. This they must learn to keep in peace and sync. In “The Odyssey” (pg1165) Odysseus in the end must learn to handle his new experiences and knowledge with his original world with his wife Penelope. He must take care of her and the new life that they have together while he holds his memory dear and within his knowledge.

In most storys there is a typical female archetype given. This is usualy played by the main female character. In the Hunger Games this female role is not played by the traditional archetype girl. It is played by the strong and protective Katniss who has rejected the female archetype. In the book Katniss is proven to be a protecter and a provider.
Katniss has gone throgh the majority of her life hunting and feeding her family. She spend most of her days in the forest outside her district risking her life to put food on the table for her family. Katniss does everything to protect her mother and sister she can. Even though Katniss risks her life hunting and trading she still barley thinks twice about it showing her protective instinct that proves Katniss to be a perfect deffinition of the male arhetype.
Even though Katniss does have moments where she seems as if she is the most typical female she is a great example of a male archetype throughout the majority o the book.

In the book "The Hunger Games" all of the charecters fit a common archetype. When think of these archeytypes the first that comes to mind would be the common female arcchetype that throught the book most commonly rejected by katniss.
As you continue though the book there are two specific male charectoristics that stick outto me first there is the very strong instinc that she has to protect and to be the strong head of the hoise hold. "I protect Prim in every way I can." Katniss states showing the detemination she has to keep her family safe even if it means putting herself second to them as volinteering as tribute instaedof Prim shows. The second trait is her strong hunting and fighting side. "I pul a arow from my quiver ans send it straight at the gamemakers table" This just shows the confidents that she has in heer hunting or in her aim which she has developed aftermany years of hunting for food.
Even though Katniss shows a strong male archetype she ocasionaly falls back on the female archetype. Through the games she shows her female side by decorating Rue aftrer her tragic death or when she twirls in the amazing dres Cinna had prepared for her interview.This shows that everyon eis not just one archetype. Each person can b ehis ornher own variety. As Katniss is throughout the book.

"The Most Dangerous Game" has a definite protagonist, which would be Rainsford. Throughout the story you see his perspective on everything that’s happening. In the begging he starts out as a hunter with no feelings for the animals being the opposite of his friend Whitney stating that it doesn’t matter what they kill and “animals have no feelings.” His feelings on this topic waver and evolve as his journey begins first falling form his boat, then being stranded on a strange island with the mysterious man General Zaroff. Once the two become acquainted they learn they have a similar interest in hunting. As they get to know each other better The General becomes open with his shocking high off hunting humans. This is the part in the story where you Rainsford actually show a bit of remorse as he finds the fact of hunting humans inhuman stating that it isn’t right. Further in to the story the Rainsford ends up in the place of the Generals pray being hunted by someone who knows the jungle twice as well as he does, knowing all the tricks in the book. After the three days point has gone by and Rainnsford has won the game he shows up in General Zaroff’s room leaving the story with a confusing yet obvious end. I feel as though Rainsford has taken the place of a well trained partner of Zaroff’s that was killed in there dangerous game. It as if Rainsford has attracted the same high as of The Genrals. Leaving the story with a ending much worse in thought then the beginning with even less value towards ones life.

In the story the scarlet ibis is a symbol for the main character Doodle. Like the ibis. Doodle is a very different and unique. Bothe Doodle and the ibis have also traveled a very far way, Doodle in the sense that he wasn't suppose to live and the Ibis coming from along distance. I imagine that the both have gone threw a awful lot physically and mental to get them where they had come to only to die. In the story both of there deaths are yet unexpected at the moment and somehow graceful. In the end they both die red of blood and of natural color coming to lie peaceful with both there heads crooked to the side.