For every class with assigned readings, students will turn in about a page, typed and double-spaced, with some of their reactions. They must cite one or two passages, by quoting or paraphrasing. You are encouraged to cite other sources, if relevant. It is a good idea to include a question, if your reading prompts you to ask one. Please proofread your papers for proper spelling and grammar. Be sure to cite passages by line number. Reading reactions must be in your own words, with properly attributed quotations and paraphrases. Do not copy material from other sources and hand it in as your own - this is plagiarism and will result in a 0 for the paper and other penalties.
Students may choose any part of the reading for their comments. The important thing is to interact with the material you read, and show that you have thought about the text and can say something intelligent about part of it. I encourage you to refer back to material we have already read, in relation to current assignments. That is, when reading about nymphs in Odyssey 1, for example, you could refer to nymphs in Hesiod’s Theogony, and/or a previously-read section of the Odyssey.
Reactions may be personal comments, and/or academic observations. Reactions may show what you have learned, and what difficulties the text presents. You might show that you understand a key fact about a god, or how s/he is described in literature. Reactions should not be vague: include examples, specifics, and solid supporting material.
If you are not sure how to react to what you have read, you might consider answering one or more of the following questions about the assignment, with one or two quotations from the text that relates to your ideas:
How is this story told? What is its form? What is its context? Who is the audience?
Why is this story told? What are the motives in telling it?
What is the role of the divine in the story?
What is the role of the mortal or mortals in the story?
What is the nature of the interaction between gods and mortals in the story?
How does this story build on similar stories or archetypes in earlier texts?
How might this story be reacting against similar stories or archetypes in earlier texts?
How and why is this story different from earlier versions of the same myth?
What religious beliefs does the story reveal?