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One pattern that showed in the excerpts that we have read are feasts. I noticed that when everything is calm they usually have a feast all together; valuing food and friends.
| A pattern that I repeatedly saw throughout the passages are the ships and boats that they use - These ships were important in the story because they carried Odysseus and his men from island to island, and protected them over the dangerous seas. I noticed it mentions each time that they sail into a new location. | A pattern that I’ve seen through the passages that we’ve read are the rams. The first time I recall rams showing up is when Odysseus fled from the Cyclops with the rams. The ram made another appearance beside the boat when Odysseus returned, weeping and groaning. I think that the ram represents humiliation because it always appears in the most humiliating of times for Odysseus. One symbol that recurs in this passage are the Laestrygonians. The Laestrygonians are human-consuming monsters, representing how we can also get consumed up by our doubts. This is significant because it pushes Odysseus to remember not to doubt.

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One pattern that reoccurs in The Odyssey is Odysseus’ help from the gods. “Hermes came up to meet me, in the form of a young man with the first slight traces of hair on his lips and cheeks, in the loveliest prime of youth” (10. 270-272). I believe that this pattern tells me that Odysseus thinks he can do everything on his own, not knowing that there are many more powerful beings who can help him on his journey. Although Odysseus is a very powerful man, he can not do everything on his own, leaving the gods to humble him. In addition, harbors repeat in the story, however they represent life. “And then, at the head of the harbor, there is a spring of fresh water that gushes out from beneath a cave” (9. 35-36). Harbour comes up a lot in the Odyssey and it represents potential. Odysseus is explaining an island with the most fertile land and the beautiful animals that would be perfect for a civilization. This island has a fantastic harbor with great potential. Some symbols that recur in the story are Animals and Feasts. In The Odyssey, Animals represent humility. “When they had emptied the bowls, with a stroke of her wand she turned them all into pigs and she drove them outside and shut them in pigties” (10. 233-235). This proves that Odysseus is learning throughout the book because he must use the animals to gain back his men or to save himself. Similarly to the gods, these repeating symbols have taught Odysseus to change his definition of “kingly.” However, Feasts represent selfishness or gloat. “I plundered it and killed all the men, and we took the women with us as slaves, with a vast haul of treasure… There was plenty of wine, and they took many sheep and oxen down to the beach and slaughtered them there and feasted” (9. 40-41 56-57). This shows that Odysseus and his men are selfish because they just destroyed a fully functioning society and all they can do is feast. They also took all the treasure which shows selfishness.

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It seems that apologizing is very important. Circē turned Odysseus’ Comrades into pigs, making him rather frustrated. It was later important that Circē take care of Odysseus (offering him food and clothes). It also became very important that Circē turned Odysseus’ crew back into humans. Initially, Odysseus was looking to punish Circē for her actions. However, he eventually forgives her as she apologizes.

The amount of days and nights Odysseus and his crew spend rowing are repeated throughout Book 10. Rowing is a rather tedious task; it takes a great amount of strength and isn’t particularly entertaining. The crew is most certainly becoming discouraged, causing exhaustion and irritation in Odysseus.

When Odysseus meets Circē, she prepares a drink of Pramnian wine with honey stirred in for his comrades. The drink is served with cheese and barley, which may indicate that Circē’s offerings are welcoming. Circē uses the flawless presentation of her drink to stir in a powerful drug, one that “will make a man completely forget his home and his own dear country” (Homer 130). Their forgetfulness allows Circē to turn Odysseus’ men into pigs. The intriguing and comforting presentation of Circē’s welcome is a trick to Odysseus, mainly because offering refreshments to guests is considered kind.

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Wind has a powerful influence and tends to impact the lives of Odysseus and his comrades daily. He is denied help from Aeolia because the wind they gave him blew his ship back to their land. His ship is constantly toyed with, and the ferocious seas with its unpredictable winds being his unconscious mind is symbolic of his chaotic thought processes.

Every island or civilization that Odysseus and his comrades come to, they climb sheer cliffs to seek humanity. Then, they identify smoke/fire, or agriculture, and make their assumptions and judgments about the people of the land based on that. I think that these cliffs are symbolic of the high and mighty mindset that Odysseus has. His first action when visiting a new land is to, quite literally, look down onto the people.

Intricately fashioned silver-studded chair - Odysseus is seated in this chair by Cerce after being bathed. He is presented with food, but doesn’t have the heart to eat because of his men in captivity. This chair could be symbolic of Circe’s oath to do him no harm, and her great power that will help Odysseus on his journey.

Nilk and honey, barley meal, wine, clear water - Odysseus is told to, after he he passes Persephone's groves, to dig a pit and with a mixture of milk and honey pour a libation to the dead in order to cross over into the realm of Hades. Odysseus is given the exact same thing by Circē when she says an oath to do him no harm - symbolic of comfort, warmth, caring, maternal, entrusting

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Moly - a rare flower only immortals could harvest: represents distrust

Meat - the immortals hated Odysseus and his crew and had trouble in gathering food and drink: represents hope

Gold and silver - Odysseus’ crewmates became curious about how much silver their captain received from the king, because of their disloyalty they got flung into the sky: represents greed

Cliffs - Odysseus and his crew were seen in multiple places including cliffs either it be a place of comfort or used for a battle advantage: represents misfortune/danger

Fire and Smoke - Odysseus and his crew found civilization with fire, however at each of these places there was some sort of threat: represents danger

Harbors - Odysseus’ crew was exhausted and wanted a place to land their ship, and when they find a harbor they are relieved: represents shelter, a feeling of safety

Cauldrons - Odysseus entrusts his life to a goddess who could easily kill him at his most vulnerable state: represents trust

Storms - Odysseus’ crew is blown off course by storms on multiple occasions while trying to get back to their home: represents misfortune, danger

Wine/Potion - Circe uses a potion to take Odysseus's men and turn them into pigs: represents immorality

Forests - When Odysseus lands on Circe’s island, he and some of his men go into a forest where they eventually meet Circe: represents new beginnings, the unknown, mysteries

Boats - Whenever Odysseus and his crew are in danger, they go back to their ships: represents safety

Caves - In an earlier book, Odysseus and a few of his men go into a cave wanting to find treasure: represents greed, curiosity

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Greed - Odysseus’ crew thought there was treasure in the bag holding the storm winds, and opened it. In previous books there were instances where they went through trouble to get treasure

Trust - Odysseus repeatedly allows his crew to do important tasks that are crucial to returning home

Misfortune- Odysseus’ crew keeps dying and finding trouble wherever they go

Peril - Odysseus and his crew constantly face threats, at almost every stop they’ve made there has been someone that they’ve either fought or ran away from

Strength - Odysseus and his crew have had to show strength of all kinds on their journey back home. The main ones being physical, emotional, and mental

Recreant/craven - Odysseus and his men attack people and like to rain havoc but when something attacks them, they run away and cry in despair

Courage - While Eurylochus wanted to run from Circe and sail away after seeing the crew getting kidnapped, Odysseus did not falter and wanted to go inland to try and attempt to rescue his fallen comrades from the witch

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A pattern that I found recurring in The Odyssey was that both Circe and Calypso were singing and weaving in their homes on their islands. This pattern makes me think that perhaps weaving should be a symbol. Weaving is a way to tell a story and this is important now and it it could be important in the future.

Another pattern that I found in The Odyssey was that Odysseus and his men keep getting trapped on islands. For example, we start out the story with Calypso helping Odysseus on her island and then him staying with her for many years and only leaving when Hermes came. Another example of women helping Odysseus and then having him stay is when Circe turned Odysseus’s men into pigs. Then, when Odysseus came to help his men, she convinced him to stay for a whole year before she helped Odysseus find a way home by giving him very specific instructions, she even brings the animals that he requires to the ship for his journey back to Ithaca. Lastly, there’s one more example of this pattern when Odysseus is feasting on the isle of Æólia, home of Ælous and his family. I think that this leads to the idea that islands are a symbol in The Odyssey because they symbolize Odysseus’s distractions and lack of focus.

A strange pattern that I noticed throughout book 10 of The Odyssey is that Odysseus’s men are very emotional. Odysseus’s men are almost like his ‘soldiers,’ and when you think of a stereotypical soldier you think of cold and emotionless. However, there were multiple instances where Odysseus’s men broke out into tears they were so overwhelmed. First, when Circe had changed them back into humans, they broke out into tears they were so overwhelmed with joy. They can also be seen sobbing when Odysseus informs them they have to journey to the realm of Persephone and Hades in order to return home. Instead of suppressing their initial emotions and thoughts in order to show their devotion to Odysseus and his needs, they feel comfortable voicing their opinions and feelings. This pattern could symbolize the closeness Odysseus feels with his men and how much of a ‘family’ they are. Showing emotion makes you vulnerable, but Odysseus’s men feel safe enough around Odysseus to be their true selves.

A pattern that I recognized throughout book 10 was the importance of wine and red meat. When Odysseus marries Circe and stays with her for a year, he describes the glorious red meat and wine they feasted on every day. Additionally, when Circe described the sacrifices Odysseus has to make to the gods in order to enter Hades realm, she said Odysseus needed to sacrifice many items. One of the items he had to bury in a hole was wine. He also had to sacrifice an ox, the most handsome one he owned. I assumed that the ox would be used for meat. This pattern could symbolize that Odysseus’s culture values fine things in life, as red meat and wine are very ‘luxury’ things to have.