As we approach the end of the semester, we have reached the point where everyone has submitted at least the draft and feedback of their second Reflection Project, if not the revised project itself. I’d like us to focus our discussion this week around the work folks did for the second Reflection Project.
Select a Reflection Project from round 2 by another student in your Family, and tell us about it. You can discuss a project you gave feedback on, or another project that stands out to you. What was exceptional about it? What did you find inspiring, intriguing, compelling, or otherwise affecting about it? What questions did it raise for you?
This week, each family will hold its own conversation below. Reply to my family comment headers below, or to someone else in your family!
Remember, you can be very brief in these comments, but you need to add something new (an observation, an argument, a quotation, a question). For full instructions on participating in the discussion forum, click here. Your comment should be submitted before midnight on Wednesday.
Children of Medea (Family A): Post your comments here!
I truly enjoyed Vivian’s essay on Natalie Haynes’s Stone Blind, which retells the story of Medusa! I’ve been really interested in the reclamation of Medusa as a feminist symbol, and Vivian delves deep into this in their essay. Not only was the essay extremely well-written, Vivian was effective in explaining how Haynes’s story is in conversation with previous Greek literature, which is helpful for a more casual reader of mythology.
I really enjoyed Crista’s book nook assignment. I am a visual person, and I loved getting to witness the scene she created with her project. She utilized her creativity and artistic talents beautifully, and her project was both detailed and accessible. As a whole, I really enjoyed the art/creative projects from this round of reflection projects. It’s exciting to see my various classmates’ forms of artistic expression and how they are able to encapsulate Greek myths and figures through art.
I really enjoyed seeing Orly’s ice cream inspired project. Her project was lighthearted and fun which was a very refreshing contrast to the often dark and disturbing content we move through. I really loved how she made mythology accessible to children and younger audiences through ice cream. In addition, I found it really cool that she only used ice cream flavors from the ice cream shop she works at. Her project was very personal and I could tell it was something she enjoyed curating.
As an avid ice cream lover, I was absolutely delighted to see a reflection project centered around my favorite dessert! I also love going to 1-900-icecream so it was very cool to see familiar flavors and the ways in which they were connected to Greek myth.
I really enjoyed Natalie’s essay on the Amazons and female roles in Greek culture. The essay was very well-researched, and I found it so fascinating to read about the Scythian horsewomen-archers that were the real-life counterparts of the Amazons. I had never heard of the Scythian women before, and learning about their role in Greek society helped reframe how I think about the spaces and roles that women were able to occupy in ancient Greece.
I found Olivia’s creative project really engaging and impressive. I’ve been preoccupied with analysis of the Cyclops scene in The Odyssey for a long time, and she went in such a fresh direction with her take on an adaptation in relating it to her own life and experiences. She also managed to weave in three other myths, and found ways to connect them; it was so interesting to see how they intersected in terms of the emotions each one evoked.
One of the projects I enjoyed and commented on was Jared’s. He chose the artistic route in which he constructed a cardboard rendition of the famous Spartan shield. It was cool to think about the shield in action and how it contributed to the powerful aura in which we think about the Spartans. I really enjoyed reading about the phalanx formation in which the Spartans would use their shields to protect the warriors to their side, and everyone worked as a single cohesive unit. I have really enjoyed these artistic projects; it’s been so cool to see the receptions of mythology by my classmates.
I loved reading Nate Rose’s analysis of Oedipus Rex. He did a fantastic job of explaining the context of the play, its importance in Greek culture, and the larger meanings and values it displayed. He uses a plethora of secondary sources and analyses to support his points and create additional dialogue. I was inspired by Nate’s writing prowess, and his ability to draw the reader in and explore a fantastic story.
One of the projects that stood out to me was Julia’s Research Report. A common topic we have covered throughout this course is the portrayal of women in Greek myth. Julia very thoroughly explored the different depictions of women in the Odyssey. She shared a new perspective on the power some of the women had. Her analysis of their role was truly an enlightening and very enjoyable read!
I really enjoyed reading about Avery’s creative reflection and seeing her final weaving project! Avery has some experience with fiber arts and decided to create her own loom and weave which was already amazing, but her explanation of her project was truly next level! She connected the topic of weaving to the lives of ancient Greek women and how fiber arts (sewing, weaving, knitting, embroidery, etc.) are usually only seen as a process and product of domestic duty and never art! She really made me think about how to challenge traditional ideas and reinvent self-expression!
I was impressed by Alia’s creative project. Her drawing, which combined Vincent Van Gogh’s works with the goddess Nyx, was beautiful and detailed. Her written artistic reflection was also really enjoyable to read because it illuminated aspects of her drawing that I hadn’t noticed at first glance. I also found her project intriguing because it is a work of reception both of Greek mythology and Post-Impressionism. She integrated and responded to two very different kinds of art in such a fascinating way.
I was also really impressed by Alia’s art. I looked at the art before reading the explanation and at first I was like wow this is a really cool rendition that keeps the style. Once I read about all the details I went back and was like oh my god those really are horses that’s crazy (definitely my favorite part). I also just liked learning things about Nyx from the reflection.
I totally agree with Avery and Andrew.I was blown away by Alia’s detailed creation. In comparison to Van Gogh’s Starry Night, I find Alia’s artwork to be more blurred, and this adds a lot mystery to it. Like Andrew, I was amazed by the details like wings, steeds, and horses after reading the article. I really enjoying reading your work. Thanks for sharing this with us.
I also really enjoyed alias creative project. The way in which she beautifully encapsulates the juxtaposition between Greek mythology and post-impressionism. Which is hard to do, and she achieved it seamlessly.
I really appreciate looking at Emily’s handmade art piece and reading about the creating process behind it. I found the sharp coloring contrasting green and silver while at the same time, the embroidery floss blends the two, astonishingly well thought out. According to Emily, she wishes to reflect the characteristics combine in Artemis, thus creating a special balance. The art piece itself is carefully made and is absolutely beautiful. It draws on the characteristics of Artemis from a brand-new angle.
I enjoyed Riley’s essay on Sisyphus and how his story is a metaphor for our personal lives using various research articles. I found this very interesting as it gave a detailed analysis of how Sisyphus’ story relates to relate life in a philosophical way. Most of all, I found it interesting that this was a relatively well researched topic and found the analysis very intriguing
I really enjoyed reading and seeing Danny’s lego project. I thought it was a really cool way to interpret and represent a character that a lot of us know, Sisyphus, and really gather the parts of his story that many of us might not know, such as who he was when he was a mortal and king of Ephyra. By making the central part of his myth, pushing a boulder up a hill, the center of his piece, I thought he really encompassed the myth in a way that danced around the central part in order to depict a fuller picture. I also thought it was a cool medium to do the project through. As an avid Lego lover, I found the art to be pretty but also fun, another bonus to his project.
I thought Riley’s second reflection project posed a really interesting question: if Sisyphus’ life had meaning to it. With my reflection project, I explored key aspects of Sisyphus’ character and tried to represent them in LEGO form, so it was cool to see someone have a different approach to analyzing the mythological figure. Additionally, the question Riley answered in his project is an important one, as it can be translated over to many of our lives. Sisyphus has to push a boulder up a hill for eternity, and Riley discussed Sisyphus draws meaning from this simple task since his actions are based on human experiences and values. I thought this view on the character’s meaning was impactful because it made me realize the everyday routines I have developed and taken for granted have an important value to my life.
One of the second reflection projects I read was by Lauren. She researched how Homer’s The Iliad is seen by various scholars in modern culture and its meaning in society today. Lauren’s project was well done, and it was interesting to see how common practices and attitudes from centuries ago change over the year as society changes and adapts.
I enjoyed Andrew’s analysis of the 2020 video game Hades as a reception of Ancient Greek myth. I’ve heard a lot of praise about the game for its art and mechanics, but not as much about the incorporation of myth. Andrew did a great job stopping to examine the original myths versus how they were represented within the game. The ability to craft different endings for famous mythological figures was something I had not heard of. And Andrew also discusses the type of video game Hades is, and how that interacts with the mythic basis to better sell to a fanbase.
I really enjoyed seeing Jared’s creative project. He made a shield and the thought and creativity that he used in his process was very impressive. I liked that he took a different approach to the assignment, and used his knowledge of greek artifacts, the importance of shields in mythology and artistic skill to produce a very impressive final product.
I thought Emily Berg’s embroidery project was really cool — it’s an impressive piece of art overall, but the explanation of the usage of colors in the embroidery floss really made the whole piece even stronger.
For this week I looked at Avery’s embroidery of an olive branch. I really appreciated that she included a process to go along with the finished product. After reading her reflection, I was very impressed that she learned to weave specifically for this project. I liked the choice of the olive branch because it mixed the modern trend of embroidering plants with the ancient symbolism of Athena. Overall, it is a very impressive work.
I really liked how Emily’s embroidery project turned out. The linework was clean, the stitching was great, and the painted background was a really nice touch. As someone who’s been studying embroidery for awhile, I really admired how she was able to get such an elaborate picture, and I think it was incredibly well done. I could easily see a whole series of greek inspired embroidery pieces.
I edited Izzy’s second reflection project. I really enjoyed getting to read her work, and then additionally editing it, and getting to sit down and talk to her about it. I think we both learned more about Greek mythology and effective revising techniques together from the partner revision process.
I really liked Naomi’s poem. I know her personally and we are on the same field hockey team, so I see her often. She used a story that really has effected her life, the loss of her dog and connecting it to the ODdesy and it was so touching. I think that she took a hard subject for her and used it to her advantage. It gave a better understanding of her and the story, I thought it was so creative
I really enjoyed L.Smelser’s Creative Reflection on Medea. I enjoyed the format of creating a script for a play with casting directions and stage notes. The note on needing characters to display rage a certain way really spoke to me in how the play is written and discussed as a story about emotions that are difficult to express by one person in a shorter time frame. I also liked that it was said to be written by Euripides and then translated because that added to the authenticity of the play as a creative project.
Children of Artemis (Family B): Post your comments here!
I didn’t give out any feedback for these projects, but I really enjoyed Ana’s short story! I think that people often romanticize (im looking at you lore olympus) the narrative of persephone and hades when it is, at its core, about grief. Additionally, we have spent a lot of time this semester focusing on women in classical stories who are vilified for their power, and I think she does a good job of responding to those narratives.
I gave feedback on Ellie’s Reception Project that focused on the similarities and differences between the basilisk in Harry Potter and the myth of Medusa and Perseus. I appreciated her analysis of the similar origins of both characters (Medusa and the basilisk), and how their stories diverged after said origin. I also thought her analysis of Hermione in Harry Potter was quite interesting. I enjoyed reading Ellie’s thoughts about what Hermione’s role within Harry Potter revealed about downplaying female characters’ accomplishments in literature very generally.
I gave feedback on Aiden’s project, which was a reflection on how the video game “Persona 5 Royal” portrays the mythological characters that are featured in its platform. I thought it was interesting how he planned to compare Greek to Japanese mythology in the context of a video game, and his opinion on how accurately the game portrays these figures. It never occurred to me that a video game could potentially connect with a college course. Overall, I think the game having to do with mythology provided a great opportunity to compare and contrast what we have learned in class to a popular form of media that is interactive, rather then simply reading a book.
I gave feedback on Erin’s research paper on Antigone. Her paper discusses the relationship between Antigone’s loyalty, fate, and civil disobedience. While reading her paper, the question that came to mind is what would change if Antigone didn’t know her fate. In the plays she knows what’s going to happen, which could make it easier for one to act with disobedience. Would she have been less loyal to her family? Or would she have acted out less? Does the knowledge of fate increase her desire to take risks?
I really enjoyed revising Ella’s project! She wrote a fictional article as if it were in a newspaper, in which she pulled parallels from Book 10 of the Odyssey. Ella depicted Circe as an employee at an apothecary, drawing from the idea of her use of witchcraft. I thought Ella added a lot of little details that were really interesting and I really enjoyed reading it.
I gave feedback to Lauren, she has some incredible work and really put in effort to find resources. It was incredible to see how much information is out there about myths. I enjoyed the way she formatted her work. She spent a lot of time focusing on connection and having a discussion with texts.
I gave feedback on Grace’s project, where she reimagined depictions of famous scenes on vase paintings as humorous rather than violent. I really enjoyed her work- her depictions of Heracles befriending rather than slaying the Nemean lion and giving a gift to the Hydra rather than killing it was creative and fun.
I really enjoyed engaging with Kayla’s artistic project on Icarus and Iron Man’s “iconic and tragic falls.” In the first round of drafting, Kayla outlined the themes she wanted to depict and several different ideas of how to do it. Through the feedback, I was able to comment on what really stood out and made sense to viewer to help Kayla figure out the best way to synthesize the different versions. It was cool to see her thinking about artistic interpretations of a Greek Myth and a reception of the Greek myth.
I enjoyed reading Caroline’s analysis of Balanchine’s ballet “Apollo.” While I was thinking about reproductions of Greek mythology, art forms such as dance never came to mind. I really appreciated her creativity in this assignment as well as its focus on the muses, a set of mythological figures I feel are often overlooked. Caroline’s paper also made me think about mythological reproduction in other forms that I had not previously considered, such as the modern Olympic games.
I really liked Riley’s crochet project. It was really interesting to see the adaptation of one fiber art from ancient Greece, weaving, and see it reimagined as a more modern one, crochet. I also thought it was really interesting how Riley reinterpreted the myth of Europa and the source material to create an original pattern. It makes me think about how not only are myths told and retold in different ways, they are also told in almost any medium imaginable.
I gave feedback to Lauren and Bela. I really liked how they tied their own perspectives to the myths they were telling. Especially because they didn’t it in different ways. Lauren wrote her’s on Medea as a research paper as Bela did hers on Nemean Lion as an artistic project. It was nice to cool to see Lauren’s opinion on Medea because our opinions were similar but still very different in the reasoning why we saw Medea in a certain light. As for Bela, it was cool to see how she connected to the birth signs and why the lion was so important.
I gave feedback on Izabela’s artistic project in which she created an image of the battle between Hercules and the Nemean Lion using emojis. She did a wonderful job explaining the myth and her artistic choices. I really appreciated her modern depiction of an ancient story in a format that is accessible to a wide audience, including children. I found her incorporation of the Leo constellation particularly interesting since I did not know the ancient story behind this constellation.
I really enjoyed Celine’s paper! She wrote about “Cassandra,” an ABBA song that’s also been on my mind during the course of this class. Celine calls the song “an ode and apology to Cassandra” and examines it in a twentieth-century feminist context. She argues that, by omitting the sexual violence of Cassandra’s story, ABBA fails Cassandra in a sense. This paper was eye-opening for me because I never realized that Cassandra’s fellow Trojan women (now slaves to the Greeks) were the ones singing. As a child I also used to interpret the ending of the song positively: The city is lost, but Cassandra is alive and sailing off into the sunrise. Now I know better. Cassandra is being forced into slavery with Agamemnon, where she will ultimately meet her death.
I really enjoyed Ben’s project and his sculpture of the Trojan horse. First of all it was adorable! clay is such a difficult medium to work with so I appreciate the work that had to have gone into it. I also liked the detail of the men’s faces on the sides of the horse, I think its a good representation that takes a lot of inspiration from classical sources while also putting a more modern spin on the subject.
One project I gave feedback on that I thought was really great was Ella’s. She did a creative project and turned a part of Circe and Odysseus’ story into a modern newspaper article. It was really cool to see an old myth manipulated to fit a modern newspaper article. Ella did a great job changing elements of the story to fit a modern narrative but still keeping the major themes alive.
I enjoyed reading and editing Anais’ story, Demeter’s Hymn, which is a modern retelling of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter; it sees Demeter, Persephone’s mother, arguing with Hades who has just stole Persephone away to marry her. Anais noted that her goal was to make the story focus more on Demeter and the struggles she faces with having to watch as her daughter is stolen from her, rather than portraying Demeter as the villain as ancient tellings of the story do. While I was primarily familiar with Hades being portrayed as villainous due to his kidnapping of Persephone, taking a look on its impact on her mother was an exciting and interesting new take on the classic myth. The story made me feel for Demeter, particular its gloomy and sad ending line, “Demeter sat in her dead garden and waited.” Well done to Anais for writing such a spectacular and concise story!
I provided feedback on Celia’s analysis of the Penelopiad as a reception of the Odyssey. Celia asserted that the Penelopiad reimagines an Odyssey where Penelope has a voice, which I found compelling. What I found most interesting was how she used the Penelopiad to argue that Penelope’s actions in the Odyssey are shaped by jealousy, a deep-rooted emotion. This led me to reflect on the limited portrayal of female characters in many texts where they are denied a voice. Celia’s analysis of the Penelopiad highlights this issue and emphasizes the importance of giving female characters agency and representation in literature.
I particularly enjoyed Caroline’s essay on the ballet Apollo by George Balanchine, that displays various scenes in the life of Apollo (i.e. his birth, his interactions with the muses, etc.), and symbolizes Balanchine’s own career. The essay did an excellent job of exploring the various parts of the ballet and how they line up with different eras of the creator’s life and career. Overall, it was a really cool exploration of the deeper meaning of this work and how it employed ancient Greek mythology as a device to connect to the creator’s life.
Children of Cerberus (Family C): Post your comments here!
I really enjoyed looking at Sarah’s second reflection project! They did a great job creating a beautiful Ancient Greek vase, while incorporating historical information about Poseidon. I was really impressed by their editing skills! It got me thinking about how the vase’s were actually made in Ancient Greece and the thought process behind each vase.
I enjoyed Rebecca’s second reflection project! She made bracelets reflecting imagery and styles from Greek culture. I think it was so cool how accurately she captured the rich Greek history. The artistic reflection projects have definitely been my favorite so far!
I also really enjoyed Rebecca’s second reflection project. I grew up making those type of bracelets so it was very nostalgic to read her project but also very interesting to think about them in a different context from what I normally think of friendship bracelets. Also her bracelets were BEAUTIFUL!
I truly enjoyed Tali Levine’s reflection project! Her collage of Medusa with two sides, one before her transformation as a beautiful human woman, and one after as the monster she was transformed into, was incredibly powerful to me. Tali surrounded both halves of the collage with words describing who Medusa once was, and what she became. I feel as though when people think of Medusa they only see her as a monster who preyed on men, though no one really thinks of who she was once, who she truly used to be. I am so glad that Tali focused on the before and after of Medusa, bringing an entire other aspect of Medusa’s story to light that not many people truly consider.
I also enjoyed looking at Tali’s reflection project! It was a powerful take Ovid’s version of the myth of Medusa. Her recasting of Medusa as a victim of sexual assault raises a lot of interesting questions for me. For example, was Athena’s revenge misplaced when it fell on Medusa?
Tali’s artistic rendition of Medusa also stood out to me! I thought the use of contrast emphasized the cool composition of the piece. I also appreciated how the collage contributed to the feeling that Medusa is a layered character.
I found Lyvia’s artistic reflection piece to be a great rendition of Circe because of how they incorporated animals and showed Circe to be a majestic and powerful figure. Their reflective writing was also really informative through their comparison of two other popular paintings of Circe and how they drew inspiration from it. It was a great piece to look at and read through.
I really enjoyed reading Emma’s research into the story of Atalanta. I hadn’t heard of her before reading this and I found the story to be very interesting. I think she made great points on how this story demonstrates a paradox of women. Emma successfully showed how Atalanta embodies many of the traits held by Greek heroes, but also is a victim of sexualization by men. It was also cool to be able to compare the treatment of Atalanta to other women in Greek myths that we have seen thus far.
I also really enjoyed reading this paper. It was really interesting to see how this story was set up to establish Atalanta as a hero in her own right and free of the gender norms that other women in Ancient Greece were beholden to, but a huge part of her story is how she was endlessly chased by suitors, and eventually is tricked (with Athenas help) by one of the suitors. It definitely gave me some food for thought in terms of the portrayal of women in greek myths, since it is a very different role than we have seen in the past.
I really enjoyed reading Garret’s essay on gender in the Odyssey. It was super well researched, and I think it brought up some good points: specifically, I was intrigued by the idea of feminine silence as a way for the patriarchy to assert dominance. Men often discourage or exclude women from participating in conversations, which I hadn’t noticed before. Telemachus is often dismissive of Penelope, using his newfound adulthood to discourage her participation. In contrast, Odysseus invites women to converse with him, characterizing him as “better” than his male counterparts (though he has his own issues).
I was also intrigued by Garret’s paper. It offered a new look at an epic typically characterized by several women falling for Odysseus as he beats the odds set against him and returns home to his one true love. Also, there is the interesting change in characterization because, where he is the mastermind of the horrible fates for the women of Troy after the fall of the city, there is this different perception of him in his own story. The paper introduces ideas that can further the discussion of women and their place in the Greek world, as well as the portrayal of mythical characters across different stories.
I agree! I really enjoyed reading this essay. His interpretation of Odysseus’s interaction with Eurycleia as one of empowerment was not an angle I had previously considered, but it really highlighted and deconstructed the nuances of Odysseus’s behavior and persuaded me to see him in a different, slightly more sympathetic light.
I really enjoyed both of my group partner’s projects! Lyvia’s project focused on Circe and creating an artistic depiction of her, while Jennifer’s project focused on the show “Blood of Zeus” and how it depicts Hera and Zeus! I really liked both because of how one interpreted Circe and her story, and how the other showed how Zeus and Hera’s relationship takes a really dark turn in the show they talk of (no spoilers!). Both taught me about different mediums of art and of modern depictions of the myths, and I enjoyed both of them because of their creativity and what they taught me!
I really enjoyed Jennifer’s analysis of the relationship between Zeus and Hera in the Netflix show Blood of Zeus. The complexity of their relationship and how their love became twisted and darkened by their infidelity and envy was quite fascinating to read about. Jennifer’s observation that Hera’s manipulation and vengeance are not solely driven by jealousy but may be motivated by her loneliness and Zeus’ neglect was a part I found particularly engaging!
I truly enjoyed Vivienne’s essay about Ocean Vuong’s “Eurydice,” a poem about the lovers Orpheus and Eurydice, but is told from a more queer perspective as his male speaker inhabits Eurydice, giving this story a new narrative. Not only was her essay beautifully written, but the artwork itself was gorgeous and truly added to the nature of greek mythology as retellings.
I really enjoyed it as well! I actually spent a lot of time reading the poem in order to better understand the essay because it was so interesting. The language was beautiful in both the poem and final paper itself! I’ve fallen out of the habit of close-reading texts, but this essay really made me dig into the poem more than I would on my own, and I’m grateful for it.
I really enjoyed reading Sarah’s reflection project. She made her own rendition of Greek vases, more specifically in the red-figure style. I had no idea you could use Canva for to do something like this, and I was really impressed by that. I thought it was so interesting how Sarah used different models that drew her attention the most, to then create her own piece inspired by these works, paying specific attention to the contrast between red-figure silhouettes and a black background. It was really interesting to see all the inspiration behind the artistic piece, and then to see the final product that was drawn from it.
Children of Nobody (Family D): Post your comments here!
I gave feedback on Kayla’s second reflection, which was an artistic project. She chose to create a digital collage as a modern interpretation of the myth of Aphrodite and the painting The Birth of Venus. I thought that it was very compelling, as it provided insight into the change in perception of the myth brought about by the passage of time. I really liked how she altered some of the symbols from the original artwork in order to make it more comprehensible for modern audiences.
I read and gave feedback on Jasmine’s second reflection project which was creative project that rewrote the myth of Castillo. She changed certain elements of the myth to highlight queerness and to deal with the rape that happened in a more modern way. She did a fantastic job telling the myth from a queer and feminine perspective that brought to light some problematic social behaviors within rape culture. Her story was also really engaging and had lots of amazing detail and imagery built in. Her story led me wonder how the other gods/people perceived Callisto after she was raped and if there is a parallel between the current advocacy for SA survivors.
I really enjoyed Lucy’s second reflection, and how unique her idea was to create a pinterest board inspired by Pandora’s box. The images she chose were especially striking for how they juxtaposed life and death, as well darker more ominous images compared to softer pastel colors. I really like how Lucy used inspiration from her home as well as her favorite painting of Pandora and her box by Charles Edward Perugini. It was cool to see Lucy’s own interests and experiences shine through in this project.
Something I really liked about Eva’s Reflection 2 is that she talked about a myth that her dad would read her when she was little. It made me think about how these myths and stories are still relevant today.
I really enjoyed Yassine’s reflection paper. Her drawing of Atlas was really well done, but her analysis of the myth as it applies to modern day struggles was even more fascinating. It was a really well done take on Greek mythology.
I liked Jill’s 2nd reflection projection! She played the song “Go the Distance” from Disney’s Hercules on the piano. I thought that her project was creative and I enjoyed listening to it. I thought she did a good job analyzing the character of Hercules and his emotions through this song.
I gave feedback on Jie’s tarot card project which depicted the story of Medea as the Queen of Swords. I have a great love of tarot cards and this was just a really stand out piece in my opinion. I love the style choice and inspiration from Soviet posters which is blended with high fashion. It just works so well and has this absolutely fantastic stylized angular quality which almost abstracts the body into a way which requires the viewer to look at the piece for a while before slowly realizing the horror of the scene. It is captivating and just a really thoughtful interpretation of both the story of Medea and her character as well as the multifaceted meaning of the Queen of Swords
I also gave feedback on Jie’s tarot card project and I was amazed by how well the themes of the story of Medea connected to the other sources of inspiration Jie selected. For example, the Soviet imagery of the card really blended with the feeling of the myth as well as the stylistic portrayal of Medea as an exemplary figure. I also was astonished by how much room for interpretation was left despite the symbolism of the card itself being pretty clear. The way Jie also melded the abstract style where it might be tough to discern what exactly you’re seeing with such an easily identifiable symbol made me think about how the myth itself does that in its own way.
I love Kit’s digital drawing of Penelope! Her serene posture and sepia tone invite the audience to witness a tender and sacred moment in a woman’s life. I almost felt myself intruding on her personal space. At the same time, the maternal aura in the drawing is comforting and reminiscent of a childhood afternoon spent with one’s grandma mending a shirt. The composition is very pleasing to the eyes, as the wavy lines of the tapestry, clothes and hair unite them wonderfully in a lyrical way. I’m also moved by her write-up that recognizes the sheer amount of time and energy that Penelope put into weaving (that is often easily overlooked while reading) and celebrates the feminine expression and community created by weaving. I already feel empowered looking at the drawing and reading the write-up.
I also really enjoyed this reflection project. I really appreciated the way the image was simple and yet so intricate at the same time, which I felt really captured the message that was presented in the essay as well.
I enjoyed reading and giving feedback on Edgar Leon’s paper about an analysis of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. I was particularly interested in how Edgar talked about Assassin’s Creed’s inaccurate depictions but then elaborated on what the game does well, like their inclusion of a majority Greek cast and a female protagonist. He also did an excellent job explaining the game’s storyline and how the Greek myths within the game relate to the storyline. He touched on the specific myths within the essay, like the minotaur and Medusa, but also on Ubisoft’s inaccuracies, like the spartan kick and the sea warfare between Sparta and Athens. It was fascinating to read a paper analyzing an Assassin’s Creed game, a franchise I have played before.
I really enjoyed Deklan’s second reflection reflection. I gave her feedback, and I really enjoyed learning about her topic as she chose to bake ambrosia. It was really interesting to hear about the process of baking, how she connected a personal memory to it, and how it connected to Greek myths.
I enjoyed looking at Yassine’s drawing of Atlas carrying the globe. The linework is simplistic, but at the same time is very detailed and clear to see what is drawn/what is being portrayed. This image is very familiar to me, yet I never knew the true story behind it so reading the reflection portion of this project was very interesting. The fact about the Atlantic Ocean being named after Atlas was especially fascinating.
I gave feedback on Cynthia’s second reflection project, where she chose to analyze Penelope’s character deeper in a research paper. I really liked how she dissected different scholars’ interpretations of Penelope over the years and made me question how Penelope has been portrayed to us over the years and why she is shown this way.
I gave feedback for Drew’s second reflection project. I think Drew’s project has a very interesting blend between creativity and academic research. His rendering of a laurel was very cool and demonstrated some very clear design talent, while his essay also taught me the history of a part of Greek culture I would have never thought to investigate! Overall I was very impressed by his project
I gave feedback on Jasmine’s reflection project, which analyzed a short story she wrote about the Artemis and Callisto through an LGBTQ+ lens. I felt this was a really interesting take on the story because it made so much sense in context (why Callisto might not be initially suspicious of Artemis behaving romantically towards her) and helped relate mythology to the experiences of marginalized people. I also thought her story was compelling and well-written.
I really enjoyed Jill DiTommaso’s reflection project. The idea of looking at something that I am so familiar with since childhood and then using it to perform analysis in classical mythology class was inspiring. I like how they used music and drew connections between the two stories. As a child who watched many times Disney’s Hercules, I never really thought about the lyrics, but now as a student in college, getting the chance to get back at it again and revisit it with a whole different intellectual level was fascinating.
I really enjoyed Sam’s AI art piece. This past year has been amazing in terms of the development of AI. I’ve seen AI replicate popular music artists today, answer obscure questions on all kinds of topics, and, most amazingly, create art depicting anything with any style. I particularly enjoyed how Sam’s piece provided just as much opportunity for thoughtful interpretation of a classic moment of a Greek myth as any classical painting can. It was interesting how his piece seemed to portray Polyphemus as the civilized defender while Odysseus looked like a savage, crazed attacker.
I was really impressed with Owen’s 2nd reflection project! This project was a collection of original poems based around Greek myths. What I found really interesting and impressive is that it included original pieces inspired by Greek characters in myths who traditionally did not have a voice, and these original pieces were designed to bring those characters’ voices to light. Super original and impressive, and it also included some myths we covered in class!
I found Sam Millie’s Artistic Reflection project very interesting! I think the image created by Dall-E well represented the prompt that was used to create the image. I also enjoyed how Sam discussed the importance of the colors in both the inspiration paintings and the AI generated version.
Children of Chaos (Family E): Post your comments here!
For this post I read Tommy Dandino’s essay discussing Madeline Miller’s captivating novel, “Circe.” What made Tommy’s essay stand out was the insightful analysis of the themes woven into Circe’s journey of self-discovery and growth. The protagonist’s struggles with family rejection, societal expectations, and personal identity resonated with me, as these are issues that many people face at various points in our lives, making it so applicable to any age of reader. My favorite analysis is when Tommy effectively highlighted the themes of gender, self-discovery, and power that permeate the novel. Circe’s story demonstrates how women can defy traditional gender norms and seek empowerment independently. This concept doesn’t solely apply to women, though as Tommy discusses. In their entireties, both Circe and Tommy’s essays are reminders that we as people need to be aware of our biases and work on challenging our beliefs to foster a more equitable world.
I am replying to Andy since he spoke about my second project. Thank you, Andy, for all of your kind words about my work! I am close to finished with my revised version in case you want to read it!
Regardless, I will discuss a poem written by Deandre Chaney focused on three gods: Zeus, Poisedon, and Hates. I really enjoyed this poem because Deandre focused on these three gods due to the fact that they are brothers yet domain fairly parallel Earthly domains: the sky, the ocean, and the underworld. Deandre used a great mix of metaphors to personify these gods and help the reader, like myself, understand the presence and role within ancient Greek society and ancient Greek literature. His poem has a great flow, was fun to read, and did an incredible job of personifying and describing these three gods.
One of the projects that I gave feedback on was Kendall’s reception of the movie Wonder Woman. While I knew that some of Wonder Woman was based in Greek mythology, such as the fact that Wonder Woman was a demigod and descended from the Amazons, I did not know how this was a reflection of the social interaction between Greek mythology and the modern world. Her essay also discusses feminist ideals and how they relate to the Wonder Woman’ identity in the modern world. Her essay made me wonder more about the feminist ideals of Greek mythology and how they are portrayed in modern retellings, such as Miller’s “Circe” and short story retellings. Kendall’s reflection on the movie gave me so much more insight into the world of Wonder Woman in Greek mythology since I have never seen the movie before!
I also read Kendall’s essay on Wonder Woman. One idea that she had that I found interesting was the elements of the movie that were used for humor but actually had a deeper meaning. Diana’s interactions with our world were framed through her ignorance as a device for humor, but it provided a commentary on gender inequality and feminism that went beyond humor, and I thought that Kendall did a good job of bringing this idea to the surface in her essay.
I gave feedback on Ravi’s essay about barbarian othering in the film 300. I’ve never seen the movie, but nonetheless it was really interesting to read the essay and learn about how the film perpetuates harmful depictions of heroism, similar to that which we’ve seen in some of the ancient greek texts we have read this semester.
I also read this essay and thought it was very insightful! I was previously unfamiliar with this film, so I learned a lot about the way which media depicts heroism. It was also very interesting to relate these themes to the hero’s we have studied in class.
I provided feedback on Grant’s artistic reflection project, where he created a 3D CAD model of the trojan horse outside the city of Troy. I really enjoyed the level of detail he put into his project, and I enjoyed reading his essay that described the various sources he got inspiration from for this project. I also enjoyed seeing the mockup he included of how the CAD model would look if it was 3D printed. That was very cool to add!
I also provided feedback for Grant’s 3D model, and I was also really impressed! I thought it was so cool that he used a medium that not a lot of people are well-versed enough in to create something like this. Before reading his reflection and seeing the images, I never would’ve guessed that this was something a person could do with this medium, but it turned out so well and I feel like I learned a lot!
I really enjoyed reading Cameryn’s reflection project where she created a collage, inspired by Romare Barden, based off of the Iliad. I thought it was really interesting how she incorporated the modern world through technology but also used different colors and symbols to tell the story. Overall, I thought this reflection project was a really interesting interpretation of the Iliad and the influence on modern life on Greek mythology.
One of the reflection projects that stood out to me was Wyatt’s artistic piece. He drew an interpretation of the Underworld, using the style of Fran Haslam. The drawing looked amazing! I thought Wyatt’s choice to include different elements of Greek myths worked really well to attract an audience that may not be familiar with Greek mythology. I had never really thought about what the Underworld would look like, but this drawing helped me see what people could imagine it looked like.
I also saw Wyatt’s project and I agree! The Underworld in the artstyle of Fran Haslam was really interesting to look at. All of the nods to other myths or mythological beings were also a nice touch. For instance, there were pomegranate trees as an allusion to Hades and Persephone in addition to Sisyphus in the background pushing the boulder up the mountain. My favorite out of these is probably his design of Charon as he has gold coins covering his eyes.
I gave feedback on Becca’s piece about Atalanta. I didn’t know much about her myth, and loved learning about it through this project. I enjoyed hearing about the reasoning behind the choices they made, such as the decision to put Atalanta hunting alone in the artwork because she is too often defined by her relationship with men (such as the footrace) in traditional artwork. It made me think about the female characters in mythology who are often only mentioned within the context of a myth centering a man’s story, but come to be iconic figures in a modern context. I’m really excited to see the final product!
I read and gave feedback on a prayer poem with an accompanying image. It was interesting to see how the student had subverted the narrative that their references provided. There was also a personal element to the image as the face had been removed to allow the reader to imagine themselves as the character. The reflection on the poem showed how we should be constantly trying to challenge the biases and perceptions of the time in our reception of myths.
One of the projects that I gave feedback on was Josh’s poem that was based on the myth of Prometheus stealing fire and bringing it to humanity. His poem stood out to me in many ways, and I really enjoyed reading it. One thing that I really liked about it was that he chose to write a villanelle, which gave the poem a very musical feeling, along with the alliteration. One of his inspirations for his poem was Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas. I could very clearly see the influence of Thomas’ work on his poem, and I also loved how his poem was able to combine the influences of Thomas’ poem and the myth about Prometheus into a work that is completely his own.
For this post I read Phoebe G’s essay on the contemporary interpretation of the myth of sisyphus by Andrew Bird. I was somewhat familiar with this myth but the essay brought out a ton of complexity and meaning which I had never thought about before. I particularly was intrigued by themes which Bird eluded to in his song that challenged conceptions of life and death as well as implicating free will.
I really enjoyed reading Mari’s drafted essay exploring the modern adaptation of The Illiad into the film Troy. I thought there were some really interesting points brought up regarding the difficulty of translating poetic descriptions into movie scenes, and was really interested in the section that highlights the differences in the treatment of Helen. I, like Mari, was surprised to find out that despite what you might expect out of a modern adaptation, Helen is not portrayed in a remotely feminist fashion in the film, having few lines, really only on screen to be on display, not taking part in anything directly.
I really enjoyed Zoe’s artistic project. I thought that it was a unique and awesome way to full the goals of this assignment. She picked excellent songs that both directly and indirectly related to Greek mythology, showing how a song does not need to directly relate to Greek myth to convey the same ideas and premises. Her essay also discussed how song relates to paintings of the past to portray stories, which was an interesting correlation I had not thought of.
I gave feedback on a collage and accompanying poem about Medusa and a villanelle from the perspective of the bound Prometheus. I really appreciated reading about the range in inspirations that my group brought to their projects; from Dylan Thomas to contemporary tattoo artists, everyone brought such interesting influences to interpretations of myth that I wouldn’t have considered bringing to a reflection project myself. It was also fun to see how my group members both used a common medium (poetry) to explore a mythological figure’s inner dialogue and emotions and read the analysis of the two vastly different end products.
I enjoyed reading Sayo’s poem about Selene. When the poem is read for the first time, it seems to be a traditional telling of the myth of Selene and Endymion, but when the poem is highlighted it reveals white text that tells the story from Selene’s perspective. I like how the poem incorporates stylistic elements from Greek Epic poetry and Japanese poetry, while utilizing modern technology. I thought it was interesting to read about how Selene does not fit into traditional categories used to group goddesses and to read the myth from her perspective.
I also enjoyed reading Sayo’s poem about Selene. I didn’t know too much about the story of Selene (and Endymion) before. I liked the fact that she subverted traditional depictions of her by turning her story into something more empowering.
I really enjoyed reading Samson’s essay about how spacial dynamics and internal audiences are used in the Odyssey to emphasize gender roles & power dynamics, it was really thought provoking!. There’s this one part of the essay that I found really striking, and enjoyed a lot so I will quote it here “While the inclusion of women in the internal audiences of the Odyssey may seem empowering at first glance, it also imposes limitations on the female experience by spreading patriarchal norms. By identifying with characters like Arete and Penelope, female readers may find themselves reinforcing patriarchal norms for female behavior, such as staying home while the husband works, as well as emphasizing their ties with men over other women.”