Musical Parallels Between The Odyssey and OBWAT

            When we watched O Brother, Where Art Thou? in class, I was struck by the music present throughout the movie. Everyone seems to sing constantly, whether it's the rhythmic chant used by the KKK or the Soggy Bottom Boys' hit single "Man of Constant Sorrow." It's almost like watching a Broadway musical, but with authentic music. In O Brother, Where Art Thou?, folk music fills the role that epic storytelling does in The Odyssey; namely, a fundamental cultural meme that simultaneously drives the plot forward and grounds the story in a unique historical context.

            The Odyssey was originally written and performed by Greek bards, and the tradition of oral storytelling was firmly ingrained in their culture. The phrase "tell me the truth" is uttered by almost every character in the book and is the response is always a lengthy story. These stories are sometimes long enough to include nested sub-stories, which at one point are three levels deep. One of Odysseus' greatest assets is his fantastic storytelling ability, and bards themselves appear frequently to deliver epic poetry. All of this evidence points to the fact that storytelling was a fundamental component of Greek culture, as well as a plot device that supplied Telemachus and Odysseus with the information they needed to succeed in their quest.

            Modern America doesn't have this sort of oral tradition. People still tell stories to each other, of course, but the sweeping, poetic epics of Homeric Greece are no longer commonplace. However, folk music can be considered to take its place. America is a nation of immigrants, and the influx of styles from around the world has given our country an unusually rich tradition of folk music. O Brother, Where Art Thou? draws on this to great effect, firmly rooting the setting in early 20^th century America with the opening song, “Big Rock Candy Mountain.” This song, popularized in the 1930s, references the hobos in the first scene as well as the idealistic dreams of “the treasure” sought by Ulysses’ companions. As the plot moves forward, different songs evoke different moods within the same setting. The equivalents of the Sirens and Lotus-Eaters sing tempting folk songs like “Down to the River to Pray,” and the gravediggers at the end sing “Lonesome Valley” to provide an eerily inevitable quality to the climax of the movie. Most notably, Ulysses sings “Man of Constant Sorrow,” which becomes a hit and eventually redeems him and his company. In addition to playing a pivotal role in the plot, “Man of Constant Sorrow” appears to directly reference the plot of The Odyssey. It tells of a man forced to wander away from his home, and the name even means something similar to Odysseus, the “Man of Pain.” By taking authentic folk music that closely mirrors and reinforces the plot of the movie, I think that the Coen brothers manage to insert elements of American culture as comfortable and familiar to us as the epic storytelling of The Odyssey was to the Greeks of Homer’s time into O Brother, Where Art Thou?.

On Epithets and Kennings

Homer's Odyssey is a remarkably complex narrative. The story has remained popular for so long largely because of this: the myriad interweaving storylines and curious tensions between fate and free will give readers much material with which to speculate. We've spent a lot of time in class debating the morality of the mortals and gods, and wondered whether or not the suitors deserve the impressively brutal slaughter they receive in the climax. However, I don't want to focus on any of this in my blog post tonight. I'd rather talk about the poem's usage of language.

Since The Odyssey was originally performed orally, it has a very distinct structure and sound to it. Certain passages are repeated to place emphasis on similar events as well as to aid memory. For example, when Telemachus sends Penelope to her room in Book 21, he uses almost the exact same words as he does in Book 1.

"So, mother, go back to your quarters. Tend to your own tasks, the distaff and the loom, and keep the women working hard as well. As for giving orders, men will see to that, but I most of all: I hold the reins of power in this house. (Fagles 1.409-414, emphasis added)"

"So, mother, go back to your quarters. Tend to your own tasks, the distaff and the loom, and keep the women working hard as well. As for the bow now, men will see to that, but I most of all: I hold the reins of power in this house. (Fagles 21.389-394, emphasis added)"

Penelope's reaction is identical in both situations. By having the little episode from the start of the book recur at the end, Homer demonstrates how far Telemachus has come. In Book 1, his directive was almost comical and we took it as evidence that he hadn't quite learned how to act yet. In Book 21, the same statement is backed up by his growth as a character and is thus taken far more seriously. This sort of repetition is recurrent in The Odyssey, and it creates an relaxing rhythm that lulls the listeners (or readers, recently) to sweet somnolence.

For me at least, the most curious aspect of The Odyssey's repetition was the extensive usage of epithets for the characters. Odysseus alone is referred to as "man of twists and turns," "master mariner," "godlike," "crafty," "embattled," "wise," and "storm-tossed." Athena always has flashing eyes, Ino has exceptionally beautiful ankles, Telemachus is calm and cool-headed, and Eumaeus is the loyal swineherd. When characters have numerous epithets, they still revolve around a couple of central themes. For example, Odysseus' epithets pretty much all refer to his guile, war-crafting abilities, or suffering. In a work with such a huge number of characters, major and minor, epithets make it easier for both the bard and audience to keep everything straight. In addition, they allow Homer to fit his poetic meter (dactylic hexameter, if you were wondering) more easily by essentially adding syllables to the character's names. Even though our translation is not metered, the epithets add a sense of rhythm that drives the poem forward ceaselessly.

Interestingly enough, these quirks of Greek oral tradition are not unique to their culture. Old Norse oral poetry follows many of the same conventions, albeit in a slightly different fashion. Rather than ubiquitous epithets, many words have kennings, circumlocutious and idiomatic phrases whose meanings are well understood by the audience. For example, fire could be called "bane of wood," and a sword might be referenced with the phrases "icicle of blood," "wound-hoe," or "leek of battle." These kennings are used frequently in Skaldic poetry (Skalds were the Viking equivalents of bards, reciting poetry in the courts of various kings) to fit the alliterative verse of their works. As time went on, kennings were also used to avoid saying the true names of certain evil things, as in The Lord of the Rings when the Balrog is repeatedly called "Durin's bane." Kennings were often repeated between poems, simplifying memorization for the performing skald much as epithets simplified memorization for Greek bards. Although our records of the Greek traditions are over a thousand years older than our records of the Norse, it's interesting to see how similar their methods of storytelling were despite the lack of communication between the two cultures.

PS: The structure of Old Norse poetry particularly fascinates me because it was based around alliteration rather than rhyming. If you'd like to hear an example of this and aren't satisfied by reading my pathetic attempt at alliteration at the end of the third paragraph aloud, the video below contains a modern composition that's pretty good. Enjoy! :)
 
https://youtu.be/zuFsBtQCfPY?t=3m48s

Why Read?

Back in 2012, there was an NPR "All Things Considered" interview with Joe Queenan that I vividly remember. He's an author who purportedly reads 125 books a year, even managing to squeeze in 250 one time before "running out of steam." When asked why he reads so much, he responded as follows: "People who read an enormous number of books are basically dissatisfied with the way things are going on this planet. And I think, in a way, people read for the same reason that kids play video games ... they like that world better. It works better, it's more exciting, and it usually has a more satisfactory ending."

I don't read anything close to 125 books in a year. Counting assignments for English class, I'd be lucky to finish forty. During the school year, I just don't have the time to read anything substantial. I try to make up for these dearths by taking in as much as possible during breaks, but I always wish I could consume more. Despite that, I think that I understand Mr. Queenan. The world is a morally ambiguous and terrifying place. Between climate change, pandemic, nuclear war, and a million other cultural and political threats, it can be difficult to remain optimistic about our future. Books provide a sort of escape for their readers; an opportunity to immerse oneself in another world where the problems of everyday life aren't so overwhelming. Even the most horrifying of novels is easier to contemplate than the quagmire of connections that constitute our modern society. For example, I read David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas over winter break. It [SPOILER] rapidly transitions from pleasant historical fiction to gruesome dystopia to the collapse of civilization and implied extinction of the human race [END SPOILER]. Even so, it manages to end on an optimistic note that gives a purer hope to the reader than any of the real-life heroes constantly being ripped apart by trolls on the Internet can.

This purity is why I like the arc of the hero's journey so much. There's something beautiful in the idealism of an ordinary person going off on wild adventures, overpowering evil, and returning home with the power to solve their own problems. These days, it seems that a lot of people criticize the classic hero for being too one-dimensional or unrealistic. Most of the time I read, I want something unrealistic. I experience real life every day, and books provide an chance for me to get away from that.

In addition, heroes don't have to be cynical or amoral in order to be complex. Take Les Misérables, for example (I refer here to the musical, not the Hugo novel. The book treats some of the characters rather differently, but I haven't read it so I'm not able to speak intelligently on the matter.). Almost every single character can be regarded as a hero, and while only one of them is morally complex, each one has a unique outlook on life. Jean Valjean, the main character, is a reformed conflict who was originally imprisoned for stealing bread to feed his starving family. He spends his entire life running from the law only because he needs to do good in the world. Enjolras is an idealistic student who becomes a revolutionary leader and is tragically killed at the climax of the show. Eponine is the victim of unrequited love, but stays loyal to her beloved until she is killed trying to help him. They never show any immorality whatsoever, but are incredibly interesting and complex in their interactions with each other, giving the show depth without comprimising its archetypically heroic nature.

Some people feel that heroes are a cliché, or that the heroic narrative has been done too many times before to remain engaging to modern audiences. To them, I say that literature is not about the what, it's about the how and the why. In the words of Mr. Queenan, "As long as there are beautiful books waiting for us out there, there is still a chance that we can turn the ship around and find a safe harbor. There is still hope, in the words of Faulkner, that we shall not only survive; we shall prevail. There is still hope that we shall all live happily ever after."

And the hero's journey gives me that hope.

Another New Class

Hello everybody!
This blog is now for Mr. Mitchell's "The Hero's Journey" class. Feel free to read whatever I post whether you are a member of the class or not, but anything added in the next semester will be devoted to analyzing the books we cover.

Spring Initiative Grant

Introduction

Spring Initiative is an intensive and innovative after-school program based in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Spring Initiative creates groups of around fifteen at-risk students (called “cohorts”) and works with them from early elementary school to graduation. These students are given additional support in all academic subjects, but a major focus of the program is reading. The students attending Spring Initiative have shown enormous progress due to the influence of a consistently positive environment, which has inspired the program’s quick expansion since its founding in 2011. In its five years of operation, Spring Initiative has had astonishing success, with seven members getting accepted to Piney Woods, a college prep boarding school, and several now applying for college.

Spring Initiative also aids the Delta community at large. When nine children under the age of twelve were left alone after their parents’ arrest, Spring staff watched over them for an entire week until the situation improved. When a mother had a heart attack and could not afford to call an ambulance, Spring staff drove her to the hospital. The leaders of Spring Initiative are highly educated, with degrees in diverse subjects such as history, business, and nursing. In addition, Spring Initiative hires expert support staff, most notably a therapist with whom the students may regularly meet. With its round-the-clock support structure, Spring Initiative is able to change the lives of its participants and help to solve the issues of substandard education and generational poverty found in the Mississippi Delta.

Needs Assessment

In the five years since Spring Initiative began, it has grown enormously. The number of students has tripled, the full-time staff has doubled, and an increasing number of part-time employees are involved in the program. Furthermore, the financial needs of Spring Initiative are growing as the participants age. Providing constant support for so many people becomes expensive. Spring gives financial aid to those attending Piney Woods and will potentially support students going to college if they require it. Spring Initiative also takes students on college visits and exposes them to as wide of a range of life options as possible. All of these things are critical to the success of the program, and as such Spring Initiative truly requires the money.

With regards to its reading program, Spring Initiative makes heavy use of volunteers to give all students individual attention. The money from this grant would be used to hire more consistent help on reading days, as well as to expand the library of reading materials. The school system in the Mississippi Delta is often abusive, beating and insulting them for perceived lack of effort. Volunteers in many other programs, such as Teach Across America, only stay for a couple of years, so these students are used to mentor figures leaving them. They truly need a source of constant support, and Spring Initiative attempts to provide that for them. With the funding from this grant, Spring will be able to hire more consistent reading assistance, which will in turn boost the students’ reading levels as they become more confident with the people with whom they work.

The problems that Spring Initiative faces cannot be solved quickly or easily. They are generational issues, stemming from centuries old racism and poverty. However, consistent, individual support has been shown to have a huge impact on children, and by granting Spring Initiative this grant, they will be able to give that support to many more. For this reason, Spring Initiative respectfully asks the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education to consider a grant of $175,000 for the expansion of their reading program to help impoverished children in the Mississippi Delta.

New Math!

Side note: It's not the movement I'm describing (or all that related to it), but I really wanted to share Tom Lehrer's song about the New Math curriculum, which I hear was designed by a Uni alum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIKGV2cTgqA

With regards to the essay, please enjoy and let me know what you think of the argument!

These days, there is a growing movement to change the K-12 mathematics curriculum. Too many people are growing up hating math and believing it has no place in their lives beyond school. To change this, standardized tests and curricula are increasing emphasis on solving “real world” problems, focusing more and more on gathering information from charts, understanding statistics, and grasping the fundamental ideas of geometry and algebra. However, in doing so they entirely miss the point of math. It’s not a science, it’s an art. Math is intrinsically beautiful and its study is a highly creative endeavour. Focusing only on the most common, specific applications of math in everyday life is like teaching music theory solely based on today’s pop music. Sure, that’s a lot of what people will see later in life, but it’s not nearly as interesting as seeing the full range of the subject. If middle school students aren’t excited by calculating averages, how can we expect them to enjoy calculating a mortgage instead, especially when a plethora of calculators exist to do it faster and better online? No, to be more successful math education needs to go in precisely the opposite direction.

Mathematics is woven from ideas and logic. At the highest level, it’s not really about calculation and numbers at all. It’s about abstraction, deduction, and innovation. New problems constantly arise in the world, ranging from unresolved paradoxes in quantum mechanics to the unpredictability of weather to aimless daydreams about the volumes of coffee mugs. These problems may seem completely unrelated, but more often than not math is able to connect and clarify their solutions. Throughout history, mathematicians have been able to resolve seemingly insurmountable problems just by viewing things differently. For example, Einstein’s theory of special relativity stems from changing a single assumption, flipping one sign in the equations governing reality, and yet it has proved to be one of the most brilliant and revolutionary ideas in physics. In school, we should be teaching people how to be creative, not beating them down with mind-numbing formulas given to us by the geniuses of old.

Even if you agree with me, you may be wondering how students will learn if left to their own devices. After all, it took thousands of years for modern mathematics to be developed, so it’s unreasonable to assume any student could reinvent it in twelve short years. Also, by having students derive formulas for themselves we run the risks of having them fall into traps, making mistakes and learning things the “wrong” way. Those concerns are legitimate, and I don’t think anyone has a full answer to them yet. However, I believe that the key is to mix strategies. Introduce problems and let the students think about them before revealing the answer. Don’t shut down unorthodox methods, reward creative thinking. Have them work individually, in groups, and as a class on different days. Have a teacher work closely with the students to help them get through potential roadblocks. Prompt them with some of the questions that have inspired new branches of mathematics or forced reevaluation of old ones. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but every time a teacher replaces a bit of rote memorization with an interesting derivation, the chance increases that the students will fall in love with mathematics. Or at the very least, learn to tolerate it.