Week II Readings

Each of the excerpts we read (The Odyssey, 1001 Nights and The Pillow Book) were heavily centered on ideas of faithfulness and judgment. Many of the stories were cyclical, with the roles of accused and accuser, victim and offender frequently changing between characters. The phrase 'no good deed goes unpunished' was often apt. Unlike most modern stories, however, the adjudicators of divine law are tangible. The gods walk amongst men and impose their will directly. The excerpt from The Odyssey opens with the gods discussing this, upset that mankind passes all of their blame onto their deities but refuses to follow their rules and warnings. Despite this frustration, however, the stories we read often were focused on just this issue: Divine interference in mankind's affairs and man's subsequent attempts to wield cleverness and deception to keep a step ahead.