Optional: Read the Introduction
You may now read Lattimore’s Introduction to The Odyssey. You don’t have to do this, but it could give you an idea for writing your paper. I rarely read introductions before I read a book for the first time; instead, I keep them for after I finish. They often have lots of plot spoilers, and they are written assuming you’ve already read the book.
This Introduction has a lot of background and technical information, but includes some excellent explanations and insight into the book. It is worth reading.
Arguing about The Odyssey
You have a lot of options. You can do a comparison between two characters, trace an opposition or contrast, take a question from our discussions, work through a problem you noticed in the reading, or just make a claim you believe is true. The point is to take one small piece of this book and argue it well. I’d like you to find your own idea rather than one we’ve already talked through in class, but you can certainly branch off something that came up.
Two pages forces you to choose. You can’t cover everything, which is the point. Pick one thing and make it convincing.
When you’re done, you’ll stand up and read it to the class. You’re not memorizing it — just reading it aloud. Then we ask questions, and you defend it. This goes back to the Oxford tutorial method: you write a paper, read it to your tutor, they push back and discuss. In this class, we’re all the tutors. You’re choosing your own ground, so you’re the authority on your topic.
An Argumentative Paper
For your first paper, write two pages where you convince us of something you noticed about The Odyssey. This is not a summary or a plot recap, but an argument.
Stating Is Not Arguing
Most students have been taught to write a thesis statement. You state your claim, you prove it in three paragraphs, you restate it in a conclusion. That structure is not wrong, but it can fool you into thinking that stating your point is the same as arguing it.
It isn’t. Stating is: here is what I think. Arguing is: here is why you should think it too. The first is a declaration. The second is a conversation — you are trying to bring someone along with you who doesn’t yet believe what you believe.
When you ask yourself have I convinced them? instead of have I stated my thesis?, you will feel immediately where your argument is thin. That feeling is important. Follow it.
An argumentative paper is not a report. You are not summarizing what the book is about. You are picking something specific — a comparison, a question, a problem, a claim — and staking out a position on it.
What You Can Argue
An argument doesn’t have to take the same form every time. You might argue through a comparison: these two characters are opposites, and Homer uses that contrast to show us something. You might identify a pattern in a character’s actions and argue what it means.
Here are some examples of the kinds of arguments students have made about The Odyssey:
- Odysseus’ pride is his greatest flaw.
- Penelope is as clever as Odysseus.
- The gods in the Odyssey are not all-powerful.
- Odysseus’ willingness to lie, even to his allies, shows that Homer thought deception was a virtue.
A good argument means someone can say: “I don’t agree with that.”
Notice also that most of these arguments can be flipped. By looking at different evidence, it could support the opposite claim. Here is a point that can be argued different ways; this complexity is what makes great literature great: it is reflecting the real world and all its natural complexity.
Odysseus and pride
Pride is his greatest flaw. When Odysseus escapes the Cyclops, he has everything he needs to go home. Instead, he turns back and shouts his real name so that Polyphemus will know who outwitted him. That single act of pride gives Poseidon the name he needs to curse him. Homer places this moment at the center of the wanderings because it is the cause of everything that follows — ten years and the destruction of every one of his men, all for the satisfaction of being known. Pride does not just wound Odysseus; it destroys everyone around him.
Pride is his greatest attribute. Without pride, Odysseus gives up. It is pride that makes him refuse Calypso’s offer of immortality — he could live forever on a beautiful island, but he chooses a mortal wife and a small kingdom because he cannot bear to be unknown. It is pride that drives him to string the bow no suitor can string, to reveal himself at exactly the right moment, to take back what is his. In Homer’s world, the man without pride is the man who disappears. But Odysseus never disappears.
When you choose your argument, you are choosing a side. Make that choice deliberately, then defend it.
How to Write It
Step 1 — Choose something that interests you
It can be a comparison, a question, a problem, a claim. But make sure it’s something you find interesting.
Keep it specific. “The Odyssey is about fate” is too large. Something like “The lotos eaters symbolize the danger of forgetting returning home, which foreshadow’s Odysseus problem through much of his wanderings” — that’s something you can argue in two pages. The smaller the claim, the more fully you can prove it.
Step 2 — Use the text for support
Always think in terms of “making your point.” I suspect you’ve argued with your parents or siblings before: you bring in evidence to make your point. Do the same here.
Before you write, outline what you’re going to say and in what order. An outline helps you organize your thoughts.
Step 3 — Outline your structure
Your first paragraph introduces the topic and states what you want your reader to think. Don’t bury your argument — come right out with what you’re comparing, questioning, or claiming. Think of it less as a formal thesis statement and more as just telling the reader what you’re about to show them.
Each paragraph after that is a different reason why your reader should believe you, proved from the text. One paragraph, one point. Find a passage or observation that supports your argument, quote it or describe it, and explain why it matters. That’s the paragraph. Then the next one does the same thing with a different piece of evidence.
Your final paragraph ties it together — not just a restatement of your introduction, but a sense of what it all adds up to. Here is an example outline. You don’t always have to have 4 points – you could have less than this.
- Introduction: Odysseus’ pride is his greatest flaw and can be seen in men’s suffering.
- Point 1: He pridefully boasts his name to the Cyclops which results in him being cursed.
- Point 2: He pridefully keeps his men from knowing what was in Aeolus’ bag.
- Point 3: He pridefully makes his own pleasure more important on Circe’s island than his men’s lives.
- Point 4: He pridefully fails to control his men who kill the cattle of the Sun god, and are in turn destroyed.
- Closing: Odysseus’ pride leads to the suffering, transformation, and eventual destruction of all his men.
Step 4 — Format your paper
Set up your document before you start writing. In the top left corner, put your name, the class, and the date, each on its own line. Below that, center your title. Use Times New Roman, 12-point, double-spaced throughout.
Your title should reflect your actual argument — not “Paper 1” or “The Odyssey,” but something that tells the reader what you’re going to claim.
You can then left-justify your paper. When you write, indent each paragraph 1 tab.
Your argument has to come from the text. Find the passages that support what you’re saying, quote them, and explain what they mean and why they matter to your argument. Don’t quote and move on — the quotation is evidence, and evidence needs explanation. Take the time to explain why that point supports your argument.
Step 5 — Write to convince, not just to state
There’s a difference between stating a thesis and convincing a reader. Stating is: here’s what I think. Convincing is: here’s why you should think it too. As you write, keep asking yourself — have I actually brought them along with me, or am I just asserting things?
If you’re using a term like “virtue” or “fate” or “heroism,” say what you mean by it. Don’t assume the reader shares your definition. Define your terms early and your argument will be clearer and harder to dispute.
Keep to 2 pages. This ensures you are keeping your arguments tight. Don’t make long quotes of the text, but instead refer to sections or use ellipses to focus on the most important point.
Step 6 — Read then edit; re-read then edit; re-re-read then edit
This is the most important step. Once you have a draft, read through it silently. You will notice mistakes. Fix them, then go back and start at the top reading it again. Every time you find a mistake, you have to go back to the beginning and read through the whole paper looking for mistakes.
- Read every sentence and ask whether each word is doing something.
- Omit what is unnecessary.
- Rewrite what isn’t clear.
- If you notice you’re using the same words near each other, find synonyms.
- If you can remove a word without changing the meaning of the sentence, remove it.
- If you are using conversational language, delete it.
- Watch for repetition — if you’re making the same point three times in slightly different language, say it once clearly and move on.
Keep reading, editing, reading, editing until you have a smooth, well-argued paper. Most people do not do this—it is literally the secret between a good writer and a mediocre writer.
Step 7 — Read it out loud to yourself
Finally, read your paper out loud to yourself before you present it. When you hear your own words, you’ll catch new problems you would never catch reading silently. Sentences that seemed fine on the page will sound wrong when spoken. Go back and re-write them.
Yes, I realize this is a long process. Writing takes time. You will get better at it, but the reason most people are not good writers is they don’t actually take the time to edit their own work. I had a professor in college observe that 90% of mistakes are caught by simply re-reading your paper multiple times. He observed that most students are too lazy to do that. Don’t be a lazy student.
Step 8 — Read it to a parent or sibling
Print out two copies, one for you and one for your listener. Read your paper out loud, start to finish. It’s possible that you’ll notice problems you didn’t notice before; if not, you’ve done a good job revising.
After you finish, ask them if they have any questions. Your job is to explain your argument in plain language. Ask them if it was clear, then be able to have a discussion about anything they ask.
Once you’ve done all this, congratulations! You’re ready to move to the next step.