Write a paper of 2-3 pages (c. 600-800 words) in which you discuss the interpretation of a passage in the Odyssey. More specifically, you should do the following:

• describe the passage

• ask a question about the passage or present a problem the passage poses for your understanding

• suggest an answer to the question (or solution to the problem).

The length of the passage may vary considerably depending on the sort of question or problem you consider. For example, if ask about a character's reasons for doing something, Homer's description of those actions is probably the passage you have in mind, and that may occupy a page or more. On the other hand, if you are interested in some aspect of Homer's language—a particular simile, for example—a sentence or two may be all you discuss.

The detail in which you describe the passage may also vary—with the length of the passage, but also with the kind of question or problem you consider. You need to describe the aspects of the passage relevant to your question or problem, so some details may be important and others irrelevant. Quotation can be a part of your description, but this is a short paper, so you shouldn't quote very much. You should refer to passages by book and line number, and you should also cite the translation you are using. (I don't require any specific form for such citations, but you should provide enough information for someone to identify the specific edition you are using.)

You should present your question or problem in a way that makes it clear why someone (you for example) would ask about the passage or find it problematic. In some cases, this may be clear without much effort on your part, but you should always ask yourself whether a reader will understand where you are coming from.

You should give reasons for the answer or solution you suggest, but you don't need to be convinced that it is the right one. Don't worry about proving that this way of understanding the passage is the right one. Concentrate on making your suggestion clear, but part of making it clear is telling your reader why you are suggesting it.

Monday 9/12 is a lecture day, so I won't meet you in class. If you want to hand in a hard copy, you can catch me at the lecture or drop it off at my office (Center 200H) or in my box in Center 207. But it's fine to turn it in electronically, as an e-mail attachment or in the drop box of the Blackboard site for our section. Unless you make special arrangements, the deadline is midnight that day.