Troy & Ithaka Teacher Guide

7/31/2019 Troy & Ithaka Teacher Guide

1/6

Smithsonian Magazin

by Adle Geras

Praise and Honors forTroy

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

u is ers Wee y Best C i drens Boo o t e Year

Smithsonian MagazineNotable Book for Children

A Carnegie Medal Finalist

W it read ward Fina istBoston GlobeHorn Book Honor Book

A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age

Wit exceptional grace an enormous energy, Geras recreates t e sagao t e Trojan War rom a eminist perspective . . . Captivating.Pu is ers Wee y starre review)

Geras handles both her chosen perspective and her subjects grand themeswit aplom .T e Horn Boo starre review)

A sexy, sweeping tale, lle wit rama, sassy umor, an vivi ly imagineomestic etails.Boo ist

Delivers t e sack o Troy as an am itious, cinematic affair.T e New Yor Times Boo Review

Praise forIthaka

Geras once again s ows er skill at as ioning multi imensional c aracters rommythological figures and making them accessible to a 21st-century audience . . . Afresh, thought-provoking twist to the classic tale.Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Fi lle wit intr igue an su ter uge an replete wit visits rom t e go s, t isvisceral, lusty, tragic retelling will raw ol er teen rea ers.Boo ist

Mysterious, multilayered, and well developed, this interpretation of Ithaka . . . wille an irresisti le raw or Greek myt ans, romance rea ers, an t ose w o enjoy

strong c aracter evelopment along wit t eir attle scenes.T e Bu etin

Geras masterfully weaves her own story . . . while remaining true to the spirit ofHomers epic.VOYA


2/6

Tro Ithak

The Ilia

The Ilia

Itha

The Ilia

TO THE TEACHER

aaare companion novels appropriate for readers inroyy and It agrades nine through twelve, or students ages fourteen to eighteen.The books are inspired by Homers epic poems, T andhe Iliad The

his guide was created for use in the classroom, or withOdyssey.

smaller reading groups. The guide includes a variety of questions.Some involve comprehension of each story, and others promptreaders to draw conclusions, speculate, make connections, anddig deeper into the story. The questions could be adapted as

writing prompts. The guide also includes creative projects andwriting activities for each book.

ABOUT THE BOOKS

, Homers epic poem T is retold from the point ofn roy e I iad view of two Trojan sisters who live at the palace of King Priam.

Marpessa serves as handmaiden to Helen. Xanthe nurseswounded soldiers in the Blood Room, an infirmary. The city ofTroy has been under siege by Greek armies for ten years and thewar is nearing conclusion. Inside the walled city, food is scarceut death is abundant. From the heights of Mount Olympus, the

Gods watch the carnage and devastation. Aphrodite, Goddess ofLove, is bored with the endless, dreary war. With the aid ofEross arrow, Aphrodite causes Xanthe to fall in love with thewounded warrior Alastor. She then brings Alastor and Marpessatogether despite Marpessas objections and drives a wedgeetween the sisters. roy is an intricate and compelling dramalled with passion, romance, and tragedy. The book is a vivid

interpretation of the classic story.In aka, ten years have passed since the end of the TrojanIth

War, and Penelope is stil l waiting for her husband, Odysseus, toreturn home. The city of Ithaka is overrun with unsavorycharacters from nearby islands who are vying to win Penelopesand in marriage, thereby gaining control of the land. Inspiredy Homers O , the story is told through the eyes of fourteen-dyssey

year-old Klymene, who desires more than friendship with theyoung prince Telemachus. Like ro , a ais a lively, provocativey t kaintroduction to a classic Greek myth.

REREADING ACTIVITIES FOR BOTH BOOK

Readers will benefit from familiarity with Greek mythologto fully appreciate roy and aka. Have the students research thIthbackgrounds of the Greek gods who are depicted or mentionein the storiesAphrodite, Ares, Artemis, Eros, Hade

Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Poseidon, Pallas Athene, PhoebuApollo, and Zeus. Have the students research other commoreferences in Greek mythology, such as the Amazons, ElysiaFields, the Fates, Hydra, Mount Olympus, and the River StyEncourage them to use books, magazines, and the Internet fotheir research.

Although the Trojan War is a myth, there is evidence that aancient city of Troy did exist. Have the students research wharchaeological and historical facts have been established abouthe city, such as its present-day geographical location and thperiod of its existence.

If students have not read T and , providehe Iliadd The Odyssey

synopsis of both so they will have context for understanding thinspiration for each story.

READING AND UNDERSTANDING TROY

Please note: Page numbers are listed for both the hardcover and paperbaeditions of the book; page numbers for the paperback appear in italics. If onone page number is noted, the page number is the same for both the hardcovand the paperback.

What is the cause of the war?

What does Alastor realize about the war when he is standingon the Plain? (p. 7)

What words would you use to describe Boros?

Why does Alastors mother not want Xanthe to treat her son?pp. 1718)

Xanthe believes it is better to be an ox than a poor girl.What does this belief reveal about the status of women inTrojan society? (p. 17)

How does Alastor feel about his mother? (p. 19)What does Xanthe tell Alastor about her parents? (p. 19)

Xanthe describes her sister Marpessa as strange. What doesshe mean? (p. 19)

What is the significance of the tapestries Marpessa weaves? (p. 23

What is the role of the Gossips in the story? Use the discussioas an opportunity to introduce the concept of the chorus inclassical Greek literature.


3/6

OTHER ACTIVITIES FO

What is Polyxenas misfortune? (p. 31)

Why does Iason prefer the company of horses to people?pp. 3334)

What does Xanthe say happened to her in the Blood Room?hat is Marpessas response? (p. 40)

Why does Marpessa worry about Xanthe? (p. 41)

Why does Boros go to see Andromache? What is her reaction?pp. 4243)

What are Andromaches fears? (pp. 4445)

What are Polyxenas views of love? (p. 48)

Why are the Trojans so terrified of the Greek warrior Achilles?p. 50)

What does Hecuba reveal about Paris to Marpessa?pp. 8788; 9)

Who does Halie meet at the fish market? What does he revealto her? (pp. 9293; 394)

What does Aphrodite reveal to Marpessa in the Blood Room?p. 103; 105)

What does Iason find Hephaestus making for Achilles?pp. 106107; 08109

What does Achilles do with Hectors body? Why does he doit? (pp. 11214; 1416)

What impact does Hectors death have on the people of Troy?

What does Iason want to reveal to Xanthe in the stables?pp. 17273; 17879)

What does Iason ask of Polyxena? (pp. 17475; 18081)

How is Paris killed? (p. 216; 26)

Why does Marpessa end her relationship with Alastor?pp. 24041; 5153)

What does the Black Warrior reveal to Alastor in a dream?pp. 25355; 6567)

Why does Marpessa go to Mother Poison? (p. 256; 268)

What do the Trojans believe when they see the great horse?p. 265; 27980)

What is Xanthes response to Iasons marriage proposal?p. 268; 282)

What does Poseidon reveal to Marpessa? (pp. 27374; 88

How does Xanthe respond to Marpessas confession about herelationship with Alastor? (pp. 28083; 9598)

Why do the Greeks kill Astyanax? (p. 310; 2627)

What do you think the future holds for Marpessa, Xanthe,and Alastor?

, gods and goddesses meddle in the affairs of mortals.In royould you characterize the meddling as benevolent,

ischievous, or malevolent? Cite specific examples from thetory to support your characterization(s).

OTHER ACTIVITIES FORRTROY

Marpessa tells stories through the tapestries she weaveMaking tapestries is one way humans have used art to tell storieand detail events. What other ways have humans used art to testories and their own histories? For a creative project, have eacstudent re-create a favorite scene from roy using whatever med

he or she chooses. The Singer recounts events through song. Ask each studento write a song or poem that relates to a scene from the story. Oto inspire a more personal connection between art and ones lifave each student write a song or poem that relates to a year iis or her life. During wars throughout history, women have tended th

wounded, sick, and dying. Xanthe is a fictional character, but hrole as a woman during wartime is historically accurate. Todamany women are soldiers. How would the story of the TrojaWar be different if women had been soldiers in Homers timeHave each student write a fictional account of the Trojan War i

which the gender of key characters has been changed. As with Adle Gerass Troy, there are many films and playbased on Homers . They include the play TIliad he Trojan Womy Euripides, and the films roy (Warner Bros., 2004) and

an War Discovery Channel, 2004), among otherRead Tearch of the Troj

, or excerpts from it, and then read Gerashe Iliadcorresponding interpretation in roy. Follow up by viewing filmversions of the story or by reading Euripides play. How are thvarious interpretations similar in their depiction of the TrojaWar, as well as of the gods and mortals? How are they different

READING AND UNDERSTANDING ITHAKA

What are Penelopes reasons for not wanting Odysseus to fighthe war in Troy? (pp. 34)

How does Klymene feel about Telemachus? Why wil l she notadmit her feelings to her brother? (pp. 1112)

What became of Ikarios and Klymenes parents? (pp. 1314)


4/6

OTHER ACTIVITIES FO

Why does Pallas Athene appear as a white owl? (p. 18)

What does Penelope believe about Argos, Odysseuss huntingog? (p. 24)

How does Klymene feel about Argos? (p. 25)

What fears does Penelope hide from Telemachus? (p. 39)

What is happening to Odysseus in the first story Penelopeeaves? (p. 42)

Who is the stranger Ikarios meets on the shore? What doesIkarios beg him not to do? (pp. 4546)

What does the second story Penelope weaves reveal aboutOdysseus? (pp. 6869)

What secret does Melantho share with Klymene? How doesKlymene respond? (pp. 7273)

What does Klymene realize when she sees Melantho andTelemachus together? (pp. 6364)

How does Melantho taunt Klymene? (pp. 7173)

What does Telemachus believe is the real reason behindLeodess visit to his mother? (pp. 9798)

What happens to Odysseus in the third story Penelope weaves?pp. 106107)

What does Poseidon reveal to Ikarios at the tavern?pp. 11213)

What does Melantho tell Klymene about her feelings forTelemachus? (pp. 13132)

Why does Penelope keep Antikleias unfinished shroud?p. 139)

What happens to Odysseus in the fourth story Penelopeeaves? (pp. 15051)

What does Penelope announce she must do before she choosesa suitor? (p. 167)

What becomes of Odysseus in the fifth story Penelope weaves?pp. 18586)

What is Telemachuss opinion of his mothers suitors?pp. 19092)

Why does Telemachus leave Ithaka? (p. 194)

What does the sixth story Penelope weaves reveal aboutOdysseus? (pp. 20910)

What does Penelope believe Telemachus would do if she agreedto marry Leodes? (p. 231)

What does the seventh and final story Penelope weaves revealabout Odysseus? (p. 241)

What does Ikarios overhear the Bear and the Rat discussing?p. 252)

Why does Odysseus pretend to be a beggar when he returns toIthaka? (pp. 26768)

What does Penelope think when no story comes for her toweave? (p. 283)

Why does the Rat kill Ikarios? (pp. 28788)

Why does Artemis keep Argos alive for Odysseus? (p. 304)

How does Nana recognize Odysseus? (pp. 308309)

Why does Pallas Athene commend Klymene for lying? (p. 348

Does it seem plausible that Penelope is unable to recognizeOdysseus? Explain why or why not.

Do you think Melanthos disfigurement is a just punishment?Explain why or why not.

Was Penelopes falling in love with Leodes a betrayal ofOdysseus? Explain why or why not.

Do you think Penelope is happy that Odysseus has returned?Cite specific references from the story to support your answe

Do you agree with Mydon when he tells Klymene that she isright to be happy when so many are dead? Why or why not?

OT E ACT T E FO R THAKA

Readers learn of Odysseuss adventures through the storiePenelope weaves. Her weavings feature beings and creatureincluding the Cyclops, Circe, Charybdis, Scylla, the Sirens, anCalypso. Ask the students to research these figures and choosone to write a minireport about.

Using the geographic details in roy and akaas well athetails postulated by modern historiansask the students t

create a map depicting Odysseuss journey from Troy to IthakLabel the map with the Greek and modern names for thcountries and seas.

Read Homers O paying close attention to sections thdyssey,reveal Penelopes story. What liberties has Adle Geras taken i

telling Penelopes version of the story? Can you think of othestories that are told from two points of view? Would you havwritten Penelopes story differently? If so, how?

Read aloud with the students the poem Ulysses by AlfreLord Tennyson. Tell the students that Ulysses is the Latin namor Odysseus. The poem is told from the point of view o

Odysseus. Does Tennysons voice for Ulysses match that oAdle Geras Odysseus in Ithaka What story points and characteappear in both Tennysons poem and Ithaka?


5/6

Itha

women

Tanglewood Tal

Book ITroilus and Cressid

INTERVIEW WITH ADLE GERASDid you always intend to write both novels or did you decide

to write Ithakaafter youd finished writing Troy?

, androythen saw that the reaction to it was enthusiastic, that I began toturn my mind to T .he Odyssey

What were the greatest challenges in writing these novels?

I didnt really see roy as a challenge at all when I started on that.I just wanted to try to do a teenage love story set at that time. Iwanted to see the war from a different perspective and one weont often get: that of the noncombatants! All the stories that

Theano and the others tell one another; all the stuff about theGods and the Homeric backgroundI felt I had to put in for

those children who didnt grow up with these stories from anearly age. The challenge with Ithakka was much, much greater.First of all, because of the success ofTroy, I now had a hard actto follow, as it were. I was also conscious of the fact that if youtake away the adventures of Odysseus, theres not that much

rama in just hanging around and waiting for someone to comeomeor at least, not the same kind of drama. So that was a

challenge. . . . I also enjoyed the challenge of the poetry. I lovewriting poetry, and this was a chance to do it in the middle of anovel, which I relished but which had to convey what I wantedto convey.

Many reviewers characterize Troy and Ithaka as retellingsof Homers epics. Do you agree or disagree with that

assessment? Was it your intention to retell the stories in

these novels?

As they say, Disagree mo ! They are not retellings.st stronglyWhat they are, are novels about completely fictional people(whom Ive made up and who are the focus of my interest) mixedin with a v on of Homer. As I said previously, when I started Iersiwanted to ignore the Trojan War, but I was conscious of the factthat everything makes more sense if you know the background.So I put in accounts of whats gone before in the mouths of

various people. I also decided that, like Homer, Id have theGods in there, too. Whats good enough for him is good enoughfor me, and I cannot understand the decision behind leavingthem out of the movie roy. Besides, for those who o knowHomer, its fun to see a different interpretation. There have beenso many versions of this dramatic story, the horse and so forth,that of course in one way mine is just another . . . but I still hopethat its Xanthe and Marpessa, Iason and Polyxena, Klymeneand Ikarios, and so on that readers really care about. Of course,

its fun to take figures like Helen of Troy and Penelope ansubvert the common view of them, so I enjoyed making Helemuch nicer than shes been shown by other writers, much kinde

and more intelligent; and I also liked making Penelope humaand subject to the same sorts of temptations that any wife of soldier who doesnt return might experienceand react thsame way to them, too! So, no, when people say retellings, jump up and down and squeak loudly!

I have read several reviews that refer to the novels a

providing a feminist perspective on The Iliad and Th

Odyssey. Do you agree or disagree with that assessment?

I sort of agree. Its certainly the wom s viewpoint I wanted tensfocus on. I wanted to bring women into the foreground becausin all those wars and events, theyd been sidelined and pusheout of the picture. So, yes, I was interested in their point of viewBut of course you have to be historically accurate as much apossible, so there are obviously things going on, attitudes twomen and girls which would shock our young people. Butguess Id have to say I was interested in empoweringdonlike that word, but you know what I meanthe young womein my stories.

At what age were you introduced to the stories ofThe Ilia

and The Odyssey? What inspired you to write your ow

stories based on them?

A very early age. When I was about six, I had a book (still on mshelves) called Ta by Andrew Lang. Then there wales of Troy

esesby Nathaniel Hawthorne. When I went to schooTang ewoo Tawe still did Latin, for which Im endlessly grateful . We didAenei

by Virgil, which is basically about the sack of Troy. IBook IIIEnglish we read Tro a by Shakespeare, which is thilus and Cressidaest thing ever about what happens to men at war. Thersites

my favorite character: Lechery, lechery, still wars and lecherNothing else holds fashion. Shakespeare said it, and its true tthis day: sex and violence, in other words, which are, of cours

the motors driving most fiction! So Ive known the stories all mlife, practically. T came later, but its a stunner. I thinhe OdysseyI first read it at school after wed finished the Virgil. Terrifistuff, and full of monsters and storms and all the ingredientkids love. Thats why its been retold for children so often. should also say that the Gods have always appealed to medont really know why. It seems such a logical system of belieWhen there are earthquakes, floods, etc., I always think oPoseidon, whos become quite real to me, along with the other


6/6

The Fabulous Fantora FilPhotograph

Itha

Odyss

Pictures of the NighFacing the Lig

In Troy,the battlefield event you describe in greatest detail is

the murder and mutilation of Hector. Why did you choose to

focus on this particular battlefield incident?

Well, because its so ghastly. Its haunted me for years and years.I dont go with the fighting can be glorious thing, but I dorecognize that (a) wars are necessary, and (b) in the course ofthem, gallantry, bravery, heroism, etc., are often shownthat itdoes sometimes, in other words, bring out good qualities inpeople. But this is horrendous and not to be countenancedawar crime, in the days before this concept existed in law, anatrocity. You always have to respect the enemy dead. Homer putit in because its a shocker, and so did I. Dreadful horror on a parwith anything weve seen since, and weve seen plenty! It is alsovery dramaticyou couldnt leave it out.

In Ithaka, the adventures of Odysseus are recounted

through the tapestries Penelope weaves. Marpessa also

weaves stories in Troy. What inspired you to use thatnarrative device?

The fabrics, the weaving, the knitting, the embroideries, thelacethat sort of thing is one of my obsessions, and a version ofit appears in so much that I do. I cant help it. I regard all thosesorts of handicrafts as a good metaphor for life. (An irrelevantremark here: Harcourt will soon republish what was almost myfirst novel, calledA and guess what its about? Apricots at Midnight,patchwork quilt in which each patch has a different story thatgoes with it! Ive also written two books in which someone tellsthe future from their knitting. Theyre now out of print, buttheyre called T e Fa u ous Fantora Fi es es and The Fabulous Fantora

) While I was writing roy, I realized that weaving wasP otograp s s..probably one of the only fun things for a young woman to dowhen she wasnt engaged in domestic work, so I gave the weavingto Marpessa. It akawasnt in my mind at that time. When itcame to writing about Penelope . . . Well, Homers given us theweaving, so I had to run with itand it was a pleasure to do so.The poem at the front of the book by the appropriately namedPenelope Shuttle is one I heard on the radio one day when I wasjust starting to think about the book. I thought: T Sheshats it! theone who makes the adventures . . . kind of conjures them out of the weaving.And recounting those famous O eyey stories as small pictures onyss

a loom kind of reduced their importance. Cut them down to size.

In Troy, Boros is so vividly disgusting and vile. Did you have

any specific inspiration in creating that character?

Im happy to say I didnt. Never met or seen anyone nearly as awful,ut just as you can make your heroes fulfill your best fantasiesand thats half the fun of writing books!), you can make your

villains do the reversebring your worst nightmares to life.

What reactions have readers had to Troyand Ithaka? Do th

stories seem to appeal to one gender more than another?

is equally liked by both boys and girls. Ive had nothing buroygood reactions, though I guess the ones who hated the bookwouldnt bother to write and tell me. I think the boys like thviolent bits! Am I being sexist? Probably, but I notice that lots ocopies get bought in schools where I read aloud the short chapteabout Alastor getting wounded. I was most worried that boywould be bored by the domesticity and weavingness of Ithakut the ones Ive heard from seem quite happy. So far so good

What advice, if any, would you offer to teachers who may b

considering teaching Troyand Ithaka?

Goodness, I wouldnt presume to give advice to teachers. If thecan get their classes to enjoy the book and possibly go on treading the real thing, i.e., Homer, then thats great. OtherwiseIm fine with whatever they want to do. Id hate to think o

anyone being forced to read the novels if they really hate themthough. And I wouldnt like to think that reading them in clasmight put them off. Its never happened to me, I have to say. used to love what we read in class and understand it much betteut for a lot of kids, the books they read in school irritate them

or get their backs up in some way. Id hate for that to happenPleasure is what its al l about. You can quote me on that!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adle Geras has written more than ninety books for childre

and young adults. In addition to Troy and aka, her bookIthinclude the acclaimed Egerton Hall TriologyThe Tower Room

es, and P as well as two aduWatching the Rostand

ictures of t e Nig ttnovels, Fa .cing t e Light Hesters Story

Adle Geras has lived all over the world, including in JerusalemNorth Borneo, and Gambia. She currently lives with her husbanin Manchester, England. For more information about the authoand her books, visit her website at www.adelegeras.com.

roy0-15-216492-8 Hardcover $17.000-15-204570-8 Paperback $6.95

Ithaka0-15-205603-3 Hardcover $17.00

Edward T. Sullivan is a librarian and authoAbout the guides author:who lives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He has written many articlebooks, and reviews about childrens and young adult literature.

www.HarcourtBooks.com

Prices and availabi lity are subject to change without notice. Prices are higher in Canada . Copyright 2006 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved. Jacket illus trations copyright Erich Lessing, Art Resource, N

Documents

Troy & Ithaka Teacher Guide