Odysseus+and+Me

=Steps in the pre-writing process for creating an Odysseus and Me essay.=
 * 1) First, look to the question. The task is to explain how you have displayed similar characteristics as Odysseus. Thinking about you is easy, so I would recommend starting with the difficult part - Odysseus.
 * 2) Therefore, begin by thinking about characteristics of Odysseus. You will need three, but think of more so you can eliminate any that sound repeptitive or that you have trouble supporting.
 * 3) After you think of a few, list places in The Odyssey where you recall Odysseus displaying that trait.
 * 4) Look through the text and find definite examples of where Odysseus shows the three characteristics you've chosen. When you find those examples, write a quote from the text that you will use in the essay.
 * 5) Remember, a quote is any passage from the text, it doesn't have to be when a character was speaking.
 * 6) Also, be sure to write down more than you may need, and write the line numbers too! It is easier to use less of the quote later than to return to the book and find more, and it is quite frustrating to look back through the text to find quotes you forgot to get.
 * 7) You may type these quotes directly into a Word document, which will save you work later.
 * 8) Think of a specific storiy from your life to match each of Odysseus' characteristics. You will need a specific story, not just a statement. Jot these down beneath the quotes you gathered.
 * 9) Write your thesis statement, mentioning Odysseus, you, and all three characteristics (because that is what the essay is about).

=Explanation of the writing process=

Now you are ready to begin the writing, and here I believe the process is less like a list than the prewriting. You don't //have// to do things in a particular order; you can do them as they strike you. Therefore, I will not create a list for this process. Instead, I have created examples of each basic part of the essay and listed the important elements of each part below the example.

For my example, I am comparing myself to Telemachos, so I don't steal any of your ideas for Odysseus.

Example and explanation of the introduction
It seems like in youth, every person goes through a difficult or awkward phase. The process of changing from a kid to an adult is large – how can’t it be difficult? Odysseus’ son Telemachos goes through his awkward period during Homer’s __Odyssey__. In that period, Telemachos reveals characteristics that are similar to the ones I showed when I grew up. Both of us were young, courageous, and both of us were fighters in our own ways.


 * 1) Make a statement on the theme
 * 2) Transition by introducing the title of the book and the author. Then introduce the character’s name. Don’t forget to mention you – the essay is about you too.
 * 3) Finish it off by telling us what you’re going to say about the character – that is, say your thesis statement

The Introduction

 * Begins with an attention-grabber
 * Attention grabber can be more than one sentence.
 * Focuses attention from attention grabber to thesis (a transition)
 * Last sentence of introduction is thesis

The Attention Grabber

 * Ideas for attention grabbers:
 * A startling statement
 * A small story (anecdote)
 * A quote
 * A fact
 * An interesting observation
 * A question
 * Consider beginning by discussing your theme rather than your specific text
 * Make your attention grabber more than one sentence – it takes the pressure off

Example of a supporting paragraph
=Example=

Telemachos and I are both loyal to our families. Telemachos expresses his loyalty to his father when confronting the suitors : “My father is not dead, he will return. You will see” (1468). Though Odysseus had not been in Ithaca since Telemachos was an infant, Telemachos never gave up hope that he would return. He was loyal even though he did not remember his father. Fittingly, nothing could make Telemachos happier than having his father return to Ithaca. His first reaction to his father express his happiness : “throwing / his arms around this marvel of a father / Telemachos began to weep (1059- 1061). It is not surprising that he wept, because he had been loyal for so long that he was relieved to see, finally, the person to whom he had been loyal. Like Telemachos, I have been loyal to my family. When my mom went on vacation, I looked after her pets and cleaned the house so it would be nice when she returned. Though my friends wanted me to throw a party, I refused, knowing my mom would be upset. Though the degrees of importance differed, Telemachos and I were obviously both loyal to our families?

=Key Elements=
 * 1) Begins with a topic sentence that mentions the characteristic as well as both Odysseus and you - because that's what the paragraph is about !
 * 2) For the quotes, it explains the context of the quote you're about to use.
 * 3) Also around the quote, it explains how that example demonstrates that Odysseus has that characteristic.
 * 4) Explains in a short story or anecdote how you have shown that characteristic.
 * 5) Attempts to wrap up the paragraph with a clincher that mentions the characteristic, Odysseus, and you.