September 6th

"The effects of woman's betrayal are more subtle and less immediate perhaps, but equally devastating."  Page 69
Calasso is talking about the betrayal of woman in this quote and he is saying that although these actions might look subtle and innocent by nature at first, they can have devastating consequences that have lasting effects. He refers to Helen and the end result of her betrayal in which it wipes out a race and dawns a new age. These betrayals seem to be a constant in myth and its stories. Calasso tells us how we see it in Aridne and the ruin of crete, her birthplace, and with Antiope fighting the Amazons, her own subjects. In all betrayals they seem to have devastating consequences to those close to the betrayer. The reading seems to be getting a little better as i go on, but i still find myself struggling with the wording and keeping track of the different stories.
We started the class out today with talking about how there are three parts to literature: the beginning, middle, and end. These also appear throughout mythology. We talked about how Diamon means demon and we referred this to your alter ego, which is always there you just have to look for it. We also spent a good chunk of class referring to a quote on page 93. The basis for the quote is you are not responsible for your actions, the gods are. They seem to shrug all blame off and point to the gods. We talked about how to know the stories of the gods is to know a great deal about yourself. at'e- you are no longer in control, a god has possessed you. enthusiasm: possessed by the god.

We also had a weekend assignment in which we had to photograph ourselves hugging a tree. The reason for this, we talked about the myth where Daphne prays to the gods to transform herself to free herself from a man mad for her. The end result she is transforming into a tree right as he is reaching out for her.