Jolene

Question: How would things have turned out differently if Penelope hadnt
remained faithful to Odysseus?
Answers
Jolene- If Penelope hadnt waited for Odysseus then she wouldve married a suitor and forgotten about
Odysseus. On rwaag.org it says, Penelope could have chosen a husband from one of the wooers. Her
new husband would be king. He would then take care of her and kill Odysseus if he returned. Odysseus
could have stayed with Calypso forever. But since Penelope and Odysseus shared a familial love for one
another, she confounded the wooers, and he came home with gifts, but no women prizes. And on page 15
it says, But there have been a hundred suitors in my house for seven long years now...to feast themselves
on while they pester my mother for her hand in marriage. That showed how faithful Penelope was, that
she waited not only 7, but 20 years and she had also tricked them to lengthen the years.
JennaTalulla- Telemachus would probably not have gone on that voyage to seek news of his father, Odysseus,
because his hope that Odysseus might still be alive would have vanished. On page 4 Athena says, For
my part, Ill go to Ithaca and see his son, Telemachus. Ill rouse the boys courage to resist that pack of
wolves-the shameless suitors who harass his mother, Penelope, and consumes his wine and cattle, feasting
in Odysseuss palace.
Lauren- Many things would be different. Without her faith she probably would be married to an ignorant
and rude suitor by now. Like on page 9, Athena in a form of a former warrior asks why there are greedy
and arrogant suitors in Odysseus great hall. All those awful suitors ate Odysseus food, expecting to be
able to marry Penelope. On the website www.maicar.com, it says: So the cowards think they can creep
into the great mans bed? This shows that everybody already think all those suitors are bad, but they still
try to marry Odysseuswife.
Evelyn- Reason 1: Penelope probably would have been killed by Odysseus because the gods favor him.
Also, he has no mercy for traitors. If Penelope had married one of the suitors, then Telemachus might
have been killed by Penelopes new husband, for the suitors deeply dislike Telemachus.
Book Quote: We thought that Telemachus would never make the voyage, and here hes carried it off
beneath our noses! That boy is going to give us trouble. Quick, get me a ship and twenty men. Well catch
him in the straits of Ithaca and the bluffs of Same and sink his ambitions. The suitors plotting
Telemachuss death (page 43)
Web Quote: In Heroides I, Ovid writes a letter from Penelope to Odysseus. In the letter, Penelope tells
Odysseus (though she does not know where he is, or if he is still alive) of the suitors and the pressure she
is under. At the same time, Penelope states that she will remain faithful although Odysseus is
"disgracefully" absent. - web.stanford.edu
Theme: Faith
Subject: Penelope remained faithful of Odysseus
Subject Connection to Theme: Penelope has faith in Odysseus, she was still loyal to him and didnt
want to believe that he was dead, she still loved him.
Connection to Book:
Research: Telemachos despairs, but Odysseus tells him to have faithafter all, the gods are on their
side. Book 16
Citation: The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds

http://www.rwaag.org/penelope

Jenna
Question: Were there times that Odysseus having to work alone would have
created a better outcome of the story?
Answers
Jolene- Yes, like when his crew members opened the bag of winds on page 113, if it was only Odysseus
on the ship he wouldve gotten home then but because of the crews recklessness they were stuck on sea
for a lot more years. But if Odysseus was working alone since the start, he wouldnt have escaped
Polyphemus because it was his idea in the first place to stay and ask for hospitality on page 96 and he
couldnt have defeated him by himself. On businessinsider.com it says, Men simply don't trust their
colleagues' abilities ... men tend to be overconfident in their skills and are more pessimistic about the
abilities of their potential teammates.""Once youre on a team with someone, your fates are tied together,"
Kuhn tells Business Insider. "Its risky to tie your fate to someone elses.
Jenna- Yes, because sometimes his crew was ignorant and reckless and caused trouble, detouring their
journey. For example, on page 120, Odysseuss crew is drawn in by Circes voice and she turns them all
into pigs. If his men had been more careful, Odysseus would have a team. But, on the other hand, if the
crew hadnt gone to Circe, Odysseus might have not known that the men were transformed and might
have gotten himself turned into a pig too. In addition, according to elitedaily.com, Make decisions by
and for yourself, whatever they may be. Dont ask for advice, do what you want and learn from your own
mistakes. Many people are afraid to think for themselves because that involves taking responsibility for
their own lives. WHen Odysseuss men were all dead he worked alone and he reached his home. His
crew made it longer to get home.
Talulla- There were some times for either way. An example of when it helped Odysseus when he had his
crew with him is on page 92. It says ,But they didnt come back. You see, this was the land of the Lotus
Eaters. They made my men friendly offers of the fruit from the lotus plant, which made them forget all
their cares, forget their homes too, and want nothing more than to stay and enjoy the blissful euphoria this
plant bestows. If Odysseus had been by himself he would have eaten the lotus plants fruits and would
have never made the journey back home. Another time when it helped Odysseus when he had his crew
with him is on pages 115-116 which say ,Two of my men volunteered to go and see what manner of
people lived there...But they were treated to a savage and beastly reception. If Odysseus had been alone
he would have had to gone and been killed. An example when working alone would have helped
Odysseus was on page 144 when Eurylochus says ,We should not die pitifully on this beach, with those
fat, majestic cattle so near at hand[Odysseus says ,] I knew we were doomed, and soon fearful omens
confirmed it. The hides began to crawl, and the meat on the spits to bellow like a herd of cattle. If
Odysseus had been by himself then he wouldnt have killed any of the cattle and he would have a safe
journey home.
LaurenEvelyn- Reason 1: Yes, because usually the men's ignorance keeps Odysseus away from returning to
Ithaca. For example, after Odysseus and his men sacked the city of Cicones, only Odysseus wanted to
return immediately home. His men loitered, wanted to feast on the fine food. If Odysseus had left by
himself, he would not have been attacked by the neighboring state. Also, he would not have gotten lost.
Book Quote: Then I commanded the men to board our ships and sail for home, but they resisted. They
wanted to stay and drink from the great casks of wine, gorge themselves on plundered delicacies. (pg.
90)

Web Quote: The truth is, our brains work very well individually but tend to break down in groups. This
is why we have individual decision makers in business - hbr.org (harvard business review)
Theme: Independence/ Dependence
Subject: Working alone vs working with a team
Subject Connection to Theme: Being independent can sometimes benefit you and sometimes not. When
you work with a team there are more people to support you and help you but they can sometimes get in
your way.
Connection to Book: Odysseuss crew sometimes got themselves and himself into trouble. For example
on pages 112, 120, and 144, the men did some reckless and arrogant things and detoured their journey.
Research: Working on teams can be rewarding, but at times it can be difficult and downright frustrating.
If there are poor communicators on your team, you may often feel left in the dark, confused or
misunderstood. To create a successful team, effective communication methods are necessary for both
team members and leaders.
Citation: The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds and
(http://www.effectivemeetings.com/teams/teamwork/effective.asp)

Lauren
Question: Can one mans ignorance affect the lives of others forever?
Answers
Jolene- Yes, because if you are in a team you need to act and think like a team so when a team member
does something stupid or reckless it affects the whole team. For example on page 94 when Odysseus
entered into Polyphemus cave he wanted to see who lived here and ask for their hospitality. But because
he wanted to stay, they had to stab Polyphemus eye to escape and that angered Poseidon so Odysseus had
to spend 20 years wandering around the sea. On globalresearch.ca, it says, Ignorance is pervasive in
America; it affects the rich as well as the poor, the powerful and the powerless, the famous as well as the
obscure...It defines this nation
Jenna- Yes, because like Jolello said, one bad action affects your crew. If someone is ignorant to
something, they can do something that will impact everything and everyone theyre with. On page 143,
one man of Odysseuss crew says, All men fear death, but the worst death of all is starvation We
should not die pitifully on this beach, with these fat, majestic cattle so near at land. and because he said
that, all the men except Odysseus decided to eat cattle when they werent supposed to. This resulted in all
of Odysseuss crew dead.
Lauren- I think they wouldve gotten home faster. I think this because like on pages 112 to 145,
Odysseuss crew made foolish mistakes. It is obvious that Odysseus and his crew would still get home
later, because of getting on the bad side of some gods; but the mistakes that the crew members committed
affected, and caused Odysseus and his crew to get home later than suspected.
Talulla- I think that everyone has to work together, and if someone makes a mistake then it will affect
everyone. But everyone will learn from that mistake, especially the person that made it. From the book
Advanced Data Mining and Applications it says, In other words, we can learn from ignorance This
quote shows that even though we made a mistake we can learn from it and be more careful next time.
Evelyn- Reason 1: I believe that the ignorance of one person in a team can affect everyone, for when
Menelaus and his crew were stranded on an island without any food, it was because of Menelauss

foolishness at only giving one god a hecatomb. However, even though it was Menelauss fault, his whole
crew suffered from hunger.
Book Quote: It has been decreed, son of Atreus, that you may not return until you go back to Egypt and
offer hecatombs to all the gods upon the banks of the Nile. Then you may sail swiftly back to your land.
(page 38)
Web Quote: A fascinating recent study has shown that a single, toxic team member can create group
team wide dysfunction and breakdown -agileforeveryone.com/
Theme: Ignorance and unintelligence
Subject: Odysseuss crew
Subject Connection to Theme: In the Odyssey, Odysseus crew was ignorant and unintelligent.
Connection to Book: Because Odysseuss crew was ignorant and unintelligent at times, those foolish
actions caused Odysseus and his crew to go through many troubles.
Research: www.psmag.com
Citation: No particular page number.

Talulla
Question: Does Odysseuss men trust him? Does this benefit or not benefit
them?
Answers
Jolene- I think that Odysseus men dont trust him because on google.com it says that trust is a firm belief
in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. That means that when you trust
someone you believe in them and trust them to do what is best for everyone. On page 90 it reads, Then I
commanded the men to board our ships and sail for home, but they resisted. They wanted to stay and
drink from the great casks of wine, gorge themselves on plundered delicacies. They didnt necessarily
trust Odysseus or they wouldve listened to him and trust that he did the right thing.
Jenna- I think Odysseuss men trust him because on page 138 Circe tells Odysseus, She is too terrible
by far. If you stop to fight, she will take six more. No, tell your men to row for their lives. That is your
only chance. so Odysseus lets Scylla eat some of his men so he could get past her. He never told his
men that the Scylla was going to eat them but his crew had faith in him and followed his instructions.
This benefits Odysseus because if his men trust him, they will always stick together and do what theyre
told to. Also, according to work.chron.com, Successful teamwork is built on a foundation of trust. Each
member of the team must establish trust, cultivate trust through his actions and words, and work to
maintain it. Odysseuss men all have trust in each other so they can work well together.
LaurenTalulla- Odysseuss crew may not want to trust Odysseus but they have to because that will keep them
alive. They cannot have people abandon their group. But when it comes to gold and riches, they cannot
resist. On page 112 Odysseus says, We sighted land-Ithaca! I thought my troubles were over, and I left
the helm to sit and rest my legs. But sleep overcame me, and as soon as my eyes were closed, mischief
erupted among my crew. They took it in their heads that the bag Aeolus gave me must contain gold and
riches, which I planned to keep all for myself. This quote shows that his crew didnt trust Odysseus. This
didnt benefit them because they were so close and now they have to start all over again. Also, this shows
that Odysseus trusts his crew because he didnt think that they would open the bag without his
permission. On mindtools.com it says, Trust is essential to an effective team, because it provides a sense
of safety. When your team members feel safe with each other, they feel comfortable to open up, take

appropriate risks, and expose vulnerabilities. This shows that the whole crew needs to trust each other so
they wont feel like Odysseus is putting their life at risk. You must plug your crews ears with beeswax
and tell them to row on without stopping. But if you along wish to hear their song, tell your men to tie
you firmly to the mast. If you cry out for release, they must only bind you tighter. (Page 135) This quote
shows that the crew trust Odysseus, for he is telling them to do weird things. Odysseus is asking them to
go against his orders when he cries out for release.
Evelyn- Reason 1: Odysseuss men do trust him, though they do not obey his orders. This does benefit
them for he gets them out of tight spots. For example, when they are trapped in Polyphemuss cave,
Odysseuss men trusts that Odysseus will get them out (...somehow)
Book Quote: There was a massive stack of green wood lying in the cave, and I whittled it down to a
sharp point and hid it in the back of the cave. I picked four of my strongest men to help me wield it when
the time came. (page 99)
Web Quote: Successful teamwork is built on a foundation of trust. Each member of the team must
establish trust, cultivate trust through his actions and words, and work to maintain it. - work.chron.com
Theme: Trust
Subject: Peoples lives depend on one another
Subject Connection to Theme: Odysseus and his crew need to trust each other in order to stay alive
Connection to Book: We sighted land-Ithaca! I thought my troubles were over, and I left the helm to sit
and rest my legs. But sleep overcame me, and as soon as my eyes were closed, mischief erupted among
my crew. They took it in their heads that the bag Aeolus gave me must contain gold and riches, which I
planned to keep all for myself. (Page 112)
There was a massive staff of green wood lying on the cave, and I whittled this down to a sharp point and
hid it in the back of the cave. I picked four of my strongest men to help me wield it when the time came.
(Hinds, Page 99)
You must plug your crews ears with beeswax and tell them to row on without stopping. But if you along
wish to hear their song, tell your men to tie you firmly to the mast. If you cry out for release, they must
only bind you tighter. (Page 135)
Research: Trust is essential to an effective team, because it provides a sense of safety. When your team
members feel safe with each other, they feel comfortable to open up, take appropriate risks, and expose
vulnerabilities.
Citation: Hinds, Gareth, and Homer. The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel. Somerville, MA: Candlewick,
2010. Print.
"Building Trust Inside Your Team: Creating a Strong, Cohesive Group." Building Trust Inside Your Team.
N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2015. <http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/building-trust-team.htm>.

Evelyn
Question: Do the gods really love us humans, or are we just their play things?
Answers
Jolene- I think that the gods do love the humans but they dont want them to just take things for granted.
The gods want them to work hard for what theyve earned so sometimes they could be harsh or have a
grudge against them like Poseidon but other times for example, Athena would help them a lot like on page
78 when she led Odysseus into the Phaeacians. Another example is when she helped disguise Odysseus so

that no one could see that his true identity on page 155. On synonym.com it says, Only mortals who
behaved in a wholly moral, humble manner could hope to be rewarded by the gods.
Jenna- The gods want to make the humans happy but they also want the humans to make them look
good. For example on virtualexpedition, Athena and Poseidon were competing to be the patron god of
Athens. They both wanted Athens to represent them because the city was beautiful. In addition, on page
150 it says, I drifted for nine days before the gods cast me up on Ogygia. showing that instead of killing
Odysseus, the gods spared him because he didnt eat any of the cattle. I think the gods are pretty
reasonable and that they have some love for the humans.
LaurenTalulla- The gods judge people by their relatives or friends. For example, on page 45 Penelope says,
Athena, child of Zeus, whose shield, is thunder, if ever my husband burned rich thigh bones of oxen to
you, please protect my son. Because Athena favors Odysseus and Telemachus is Odysseuss son Athena
protects him. I think the gods think that they are helping us and they think we should take them for
granted. On page 3 it says, These mortals do love to blame their sorrows on us, dont they? But they
cause most of their troubles! The gods will never believe that anything bad that happens to us is their
fault. The gods want everyone to be good, and if they arent then something bad would happen to them.
On page 181 one of the suitors says, You shouldnt have done that, Antinoos. What if he was a god in
disguise? If they do something bad they know the gods will punish them.
Evelyn- Reason 1: I dont think that the gods love humans, because if they did, their tempers would be
less harsh. The gods sometimes favor some Greek heroes, but that is because they do errands or sacrifice
many things for the gods. For example, Athena favors Odysseus because of his rich sacrifices to her and
his bravery in the Trojan War. He has served her for many years.
Book Quote: Athena, child of Zeus whose shield is thunder, if ever my husband burned rich thighbones
of oxen to you, please protect my son. (page 45)
Web Quote: The Iliad told them that even the greatest of heroes could never have accomplished
anything significant without the aid of the gods, and that even the greatest heroes could not know for sure
what the consequences of his actions would be - helleniccomserve.com
Theme: Family
Subject: Loved ones
Subject Connection to Theme: Families, no matter how imperfect or unruly they are, are made up of
loved ones.
Connection to Book: In the Odyssey, (or in ancient Greece) family is very important. You actions, the
way you speak, and your behaviour reflect deeply on your entire familys honor and reputation.Therefore,
Telemachus was expected to live up to his fathers actions.
Research: In a world of turmoil and uncertainty, it is more important than ever to make our families the
center of our lives and the top of our priorities. Families lie at the center -lds.org
Citation: pages 1-50 (The Odyssey, a graphic novel by Gareth Hinds)