This assignment focuses on how gender is portray is in The Odyssey.One way to approach this assignment is to consider how male characters think and speak about female characters (human and/or divine).

how gender portray in The Odyssey.

Week 1 Project

Assignment

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Due 42 minutes ago

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Literary Analysis Essay

The major writing assignment for this week is to compose a 600- to 800-word paper that analyzes how gender is portray is in The Odyssey.

One way to approach this assignment is to consider how male characters think and speak about female characters (human and/or divine).Moreover,  how do the males treat female characters? How do the female characters treat the males? What patterns emerge? Based on those patterns, can you identify models of female and male behavior in The Odyssey? In other words, are particular behaviors, conditions, or roles associated with men but not women and vice versa? Do any of the female and male characters violate rules that apply to women’s and men’s behavior and, in so doing, offer the audience negative models of gender. Reflect on The Odyssey‘s ending.

What do the ultimate fates of the female and male characters reveal about ancient Greeks’ ideas about gender?Gender is defined by FAO as ‘the relations between men and women, both perceptual and material. Gender is not determined biologically, as a result of sexual characteristics of either women or men, but is constructed socially. It is a central organizing principle of societies,  consumption and distribution’ (FAO, 1997). Despite this definition, gender misunderstanding as being the promotion of women only. However, as we see from the FAO definition, gender issues focus on women and on the relationship between men and women, their roles, access to and control over resources, division of labour, interests and needs. Gender relations affect household security, family well-being, planning, production and many other aspects of life (Bravo-Baumann, 2000).