Odyssey books 11-15

Odysseus learns a lot when he descends in hades.  He finds out his future and his fate from talking to Tiresias.  He then speaks with his late mother Anticeila.  She explains to him how she died waiting for his return and the state Ithaca is in now that he is no longer there.  He meets famous heroes and gets to hear their stories of heroism and how they died and what they're known for.  This is a great learning experience for Odysseus and I believe its a very important part of the book.  Without his descending into hades, he would never have seen his mother again, nor would he know what his future truly holds.

odyssey 6-10

I feel as if Calypso 's island is a main topic in the overall story of the odyssey.  It is where Odysseus is stuck during his journey.  He is placed on Calypso's island by the goddess herself and thats where she keeps him held captive.  While everyone back at home is waiting for his return and thinking that Odysseus is either dead, never returning, or trapped somewhere, he is really resting on a beach.  Not only is Calypso a goddess, but she is keeping him held captive for herself because she wants to keep Odysseus there.  This is where Penelope comes into play because Odysseus loves and misses his wife back at home.  This really bothers Calypso because she wants to keep him there and doesn't want him returning home back to Penelope.  Odysseus's temptation skills are tested while he is on the island with Calypso.  She is a threat to Penelope and Odysseus and having her around causes a problem.

odyssey 1-5

I think that in book one, the story of the odyssey really gets a great introduction.  It explains where the story is at now and it also explains a background in what has happened in the past.  It also does a great job of introducing some of the characters from the book.  I like the fact that in the story there is both gods and human.  They have their differences but yet still work together.  At first you can't tell where the story is going to be headed but know about the people introduced.  Once the story starts picking up you realize that the story is started with Telemachus's journey.

genesis 25-28 32-33

Before Jacob and Esau were even born, it was known that one brother would serve the other.  Not only does Jacob have Esau's birthright, but also he stole his blessing from his father Issac.  Throughout the readings you can see that both twins differ in many ways.  Overall they are two completely different people.  The way they are treated and the way that they treat others show this.  The parents also differ in the way they see both of their sons.  Rebekah favors Jacob and goes behind Issac's back and deceives Issac into thinking that Jacob is Esau.  Issac gives Jacob his blessing before he dies instead of Esau.  This makes me believe that Rebekah cannot be trusted by anyone, not even her own husband.  Her husband is who she deceives.  Overall I feel that the two acts that Jacob has done that were wrong is the reasoning for what will happen to him in the future of his life.  He took his brother's birthright and his blessing, both are wrong and don't belong to him.

Genesis ch 12, 16-18, & 21-23

1. Abram reacts the way he does before going to Egypt because he is trying to be prepared for anything before entering.  He assumes and expects the worst which is that the Egyptians will kill him and take his wife for themselves.  He thinks that because they will want Sarai no matter what, that telling them she is his sister will save the Egyptians from killing Abram. When Pharaoh finds out its his wife he doesn't kill him and make her his wife, he is confused as to why Abram lied to him about the fact that she is already his wife. Pharaoh doesn't want to keep her as his wife once he finds out that she is already Abrams.  This shows you that Abram was kind of nervous and scared about entering Egypt because he does not know the Egyptians and don't know what they're capable of doing.  He figures the fact that he and his wife are entering their land, that now they can do whatever they please with them because they are now in their territory. 

3. I wouldn't consider Abram, Sarai, and Hagar a love triangle at all.  There is no love found between Hagar and Abram.  Sarai is Abram's wife and they love one another and no one else.  The first human problem that arises is the fact that Sarai cannot bare a child and cannot birth any of Abram's children.  Because Sarai understands this and cares so greatly for Abram and wants him to have a child still even thought she cannot be pregnant, she offers Hagar to carry his child for him because she is her servant and does anything that Sarai asks. Once Hagar becomes pregnant, Sarai has second thoughts on what she thought was a good idea at the time and sort if regrets ever going through with it.  This shows that the egyptian servant has to do all that her master tells her to do even going as far as getting pregnant with her masters own husband for her.  Once Sarai is harsh to Hagar, the servant leaves. The Lord feels for Hagar and explains to her that he will work something out in her favor with the son.

Genesis, ch 4, 6-9

 In the conversation between God and Cain, God asks Cain where his brother is.  God already knows that Cain has murdered his brother Abel, but wants Cain to admit it to him.  In the phrase "Am I my brother's keeper" Cain is trying to explain to God that his job is a keeper of the grounds not a keeper of his brother.  Although God already knows what has been done, he responds saying that his brother's blood is crying from the ground.  He references the ground because Abel is clearly dead and on the ground his blood is spilled, but he also references it because Cain is the keeper of the grounds, therefore he is the keeper of his brother now that he has murdered him.

Although Cain is a murderer he still is protected.  Some would say this is wrong but the way that I look at it is that Cain is now a wanderer and does as he pleases.  He is now no longer apart of Adam and Eve's family and started out his own family.  Because he murdered his brother, he gets punished for it and gets the mark.