Allusion Reading Journal


Mythology


Achilles

• First rank in Greek army
• Great warrior
• Invulnerable except for his heel
• His heel caused his downfall
• Usually explored when talking about greatness that comes with a great flaw that could lead to failure
• There is a good example in Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian when Achilles himself warns Percy about the River of Styx. Achilles warns him that he will obtain a great strength and an even greater weakness. 

Agamemnon

• Led the Greek forces in the battle for Troy
• Artemis was angry because the Greeks had killed a hare
• Only Artemis could calm the winds that were keeping Greece from war
• Agamemnon had to kill his daughter as a sacrifice  
• He acted out of selfishness even though someone else's well being was at stake

 Antigone

• Daughter of Oedipus
• Has two brothers
• Oedipus is exiled and throne is vacant
• The two brothers fight over the throne and both die
• One brother is sentenced to not be buried on penalty of death to anyone who tries
• Antigone defies the law and buries her brother and is then killed
• Fought for what she believed in regardless of the consequences

Cupid and Psyche

• Psyche was very beautiful and Venus got jealous
• Venus asked Cupid to shoot Psyche with an arrow that would make her fall in love with a monster but instead shot himself on accident
• After Psyche's parents consulted an oracle about her marriage, they were to leave her on top of a mountain and the wind was to take her to an invisible palace
• Her new husband came by night and instructed her never to look at her
• Psyche's sisters convinced her to try to kill her husband because they were jealous
• She makes a mistake and wakes up Cupid who vanishes
• She looks for him and eventually goes to Venus who makes her do various tasks
• Cupid convinces Jupiter to tell Venus to stop
• Cupid then marries Psyche and they live happily ever after
• This story is reflected in Beauty and the Beast

Daedalus and Icarus

• Architect who built the Labyrinth for the Minotaur in Crete
• King Minos was angry that the Athenians could escape and assumed Daedalus helped because they couldn't have done it without him
• The King imprisons Daedalus and his son, Icarus, in the Labyrinth
• He made wings for them and they flew away
• Along the journey the son died, but the father made it to Sicily
• King Minos was angry at his escape and tried to lure him out by setting a challenge
• Daedalus completed the challenge and the King went to Sicily to seize him
• The King of Sicily refused and Minos was slain
• This story demonstrates the Golden Mean
• Icarus went above that and died
• One shouldn't have too much or too little of anything but just the right amount

Echo and Narcissus

• Punished for her misdeeds, Echo can only respond with questions
• She sees Narcissus at a pond and begins to respond to him
• He gets aggravated because she only responds
• Narcissus sees himself in the pond and falls in love
• This is punishment for scorning the nymphs
• He then bids farewell and weeps near the pond
• He starves to death and nymphs find a flower in place of his body
• This story focuses on the dangers of self love and self absorption

Eurydice and Orpheus

• Orpheus is a great musician who can play irresistible music that no one can refuse
• He marries Eurydice but the joy only lasts for a while
• Eurydice dies from a snake bite and goes to the Underworld
• Orpheus goes to the Underworld to get her back
• He is told to not look at her until they have both reached Earth
• He glances too soon and loses her forever
• He dies a horrible death on Earth
• This story focuses on the importance of patience and self control

Hector

• Son of Priam of Troy
• Greatest fighter in Troy and drove the Greeks to their ships in the Trojan War
• Kills Patroclus
• Achilles is deeply saddened and kills Hector
• His body is then dragged through the battlefield 
• His father asks for his body back and he is buried with the greatest honors

Hercules

• Greatest and strongest mortal ever
• Half god son to Zeus
• Not intelligent
• Sense of judgement
• Uncontrollable emotion that leads to the death of his family
• He feels the need to cleanse himself and consults an oracle
• The oracle tells him to go to Eurystheus who will give him impossible tasks to complete 
• He learned to control his emotion and think with a clear head
• He always had a clear view of justice and judgement

Jason and the Golden Fleece

• Wanting to reclaim from his uncle, he is tasked to retrieve a golden fleece to prove his worth
• After successfully retrieving the fleece, he is tasked to sow a field with fire breathing bulls and overcome heroes
• He needs the help of Medea so he marries her
• They are successful
• They are exiled to Corinth from Iolkos 
• The king in Corinth offers his daughters hand in marriage to Jason and he accepts 
• Medea is angry that he broke his promise to her and kills all their children and the other woman
• Jason is killed by a beam that falls on his head 

Odysseus and the Trojan horse

• Formulated a plan to defeat the Trojans
• Architect behind the Trojan horse
• The plan was to leave one man behind to act as a traitor
• Then allow the Trojans to take the horse into the walls
• When the Trojans were drunk and asleep, the Greeks came out of the horse and killed all the men and enslaved the women and children 

Oedipus

• King Laius hears of a prophecy that his own son will kill him
• He leaves his son to die on a mountain but a man saves the baby
• Years later, the king is killed by robbers
• A sphinx is oppressing Thebes
• Oedipus approaches the sphinx and is challenge by a riddle
• Oedipus is correct and the sphinx dies making Oedipus the King 
• A plague ravages Thebes and a god says that for the plague to go away, the killer of Laius must be punished
• Oedipus looks for the truth and in the end finds that he killed his father
• His mom kills herself
• He gouges his eyes out 
• He exiles himself

Persephone

• Persephone is the daughter of Demeter
• Demeter is the god of harvest
• Hades kidnaps Persephone and brings her to the Underworld
• While Demeter is longing for her daughter, the world is in a winter
• Zeus intervenes and tells Hermes to go to the Underworld and get Persephone back
• Hades allows Persephone to leave but he gives her a pomegranate seed
• If she eats it, she has to return to the Underworld
• Demeter then goes back to Mount Olympus
• Because Persephone ate the seed, she has to go to the Underworld for four months every year, thus why we have winter

Perseus

• son of Danae who is the daughter of Acrisius
• There is a prophecy that the son of Acrisius' daughter would kill him
• The only way to prevent this is to kill his own daughter
• He can't, so he imprisons her. 
• Zeus impregnates her and she has a child
• They are exiled and taken in by Dictys
• Polydectes becomes fond of Danae and wants to get rid of her son
• He sends Perseus to kill Medusa to try to get him killed
• Perseus is successful
• He brings her head back and turns Polydectes and all his supporters into stone
• He goes back to his homeland with his mother and find that the father had left
• Years later, Perseus accidentally kills his father with a discus

Prometheus

• He is tasked by Zeus to create humans
• He makes humans upright
• He gives them fire
• Zeus resents the power that Prometheus gave humans and punishes him
• There was a prophecy that Zeus' own son would betray him and only Prometheus knew his name
• Despite threats, Prometheus wouldn't say anything and endured being eaten by birds

River Styx

• A mythological river that is the gateway to the realm of the dead
• The river can make someone invulnerable
• Legend has it that Achilles was dipped in the river and was made invulnerable except for the heel that his mother held him from

The Gods of Olympus

• These were the most powerful of the Gods who were the descendants of the Titans
• They were called the Gods of Olympus because they live on Mt. Olympus
• The twelve were Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Hera, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hermes, Artemis, and Hephaestus

Theseus

• Great Athenian hero
• Son of Aegeus
• His father puts a sword in a hole covered by a big rock and declares that once the child is strong enough they should bring the weapon to him and become the heir
• After many years, Theseus appears before his father but his father doesn't recognize him
• Seconds before Theseus is poisoned, he pulls the sword out and his father recognizes it
• Because of some unfortunate events King Minos is angry with Athens
• He vows revenge by forcing Athens to give teenage tributes to a minotaur
• Theseus volunteers and tells his father that he will kill the Minotaur and raise a white sail as confirmation of his success
• He kills the minotaur and sails home but forgets the white sail
• His dad kills himself
• Theseus later has a son with Phaedra
• Later Phaedra falls in love with her step son
• He refuses her advances
• She fakes his assault in a letter and kills herself
• Theseus finds her and the letter and banishes his innocent son
• Artemis appears to Theseus that he's made a mistake but it's too late because he already died at sea

Bible

Story of Creation Genesis 1

• God created heaven and earth
• God created light from the darkness
• He separated the two and made night and day
• He then created the dry land and the seas
• Then God created the grass and herbs
• Then came seasons, days, and years
• He then created the light that ruled the day and the light that ruled the night
• Then came fish and birds
• Cattle and other land animals came next
• Then man was created and he blessed them

The Fall Genesis 3

• A serpent persuaded Eve to eat fruit from the forbidden tree in the middle of the Garden of Eden
• She also gave some to her husband
• Their eyes were both opened and they were naked
• As the Lord is strolling through the garden, he calls for Adam and Eve
• Adam replies that he is afraid of the Lord and is naked
• The Lord asks why he is naked and if he ate from the tree
• Adam says he ate fruit from his wife who took it from the tree
• Eve says that the serpent tempted her into doing it
• The Lord cursed the serpent and told Adam that from now on he has to tend for himself and work for his food from working the ground
• The Lord put a cherubim and flaming sword at the entrance to the Garden and the tree of life

The Flood Genesis 6

• Men multiplied and their wickedness grew
• The Lord was ashamed of his creation and vowed to kill everything but saw grace in one man
• God instructed Noah to build an Ark of specific measurements and put two of every specie in the Ark
• The Lord was going to flood the entire earth and kill everything
• Noah was also instructed to take as much food and supplies as needed

Cain and Abel Genesis 4

• Adam and Eve had a son named Cain 
• Then they had his brother named Abel
• Abel tended to the animals while Cain tilled the fields
• When it came time to make offerings, the Lord only respected Abel's offering
• Cain got angry and killed Abel
• The Lord punished Cain heavily and cursed for the rest of his life

Abraham and Issac Genesis 22

• The Lord told Abraham to kill his son and offer him to the Lord
• Abraham obeyed and took his son and a few others up to a mountain
• He went off alone with his son and the altar supplies
• He builds the altar and binds his son to it
• As he prepares to kill him, the Lord stops him and says that he is glad that Abraham fears him and would sacrifice his son for him
• He then gives more descendants to Abraham

Exodus 

• Israel grew and multiplied
• The King of Egypt began to be afraid of the strength of Israel 
• The Egyptians became harsh and made work for the people of Israel
• The King also told the midwives of Israel to kill all the male babies and let the females live
• The midwives feared the Lord and didn't do it
• Then the King declared that every son that is born is to be cast into the river while the daughters can live
• There came to be a baby in the house of Levi that was a boy
• Levi's wife hid the boy for three months
• When she couldn't hide the boy any longer, she made a parcel and laid him in it then proceeded to let him go down the river
• When Pharaoh's daughter found the package when she was bathing in the river, she gave the child to one of her nurses and asked her to nurse the baby
• The nurse did so and when he was old enough, he became the Pharaoh's daughter's son
• She named him Moses
• Moses grew to be a man 
• He saw an Egyptian whipping a Hebrew and was troubled by it
• When no one was looking he killed the Egyptian
• Pharaoh chased him out of Egypt and he wandered the land of Mid'ian 
• He came upon a well and drank from it
• There were women who were watering the flock at the well
• He had a son with one of the women 
• The king of Egypt died and the Lord looked down with respect unto the people of Israel
• As Moses was tending to flock, a bush burst into flame and spoke to him
• God called Moses to bring his people out of slavery and bring them to the land of milk and honey
• Go and get all the elders and tell them what I told you
• The Lord then said that he will smite Egypt if they disobey
• Moses said they won't believe me
• The Lord then proceeded to make his staff into a snake and vice versa
• He told Moses that he will do amazing miracles with his staff
• Aaron will be your mouth to the people and I will tell you what to say
• Moses meets up with Aaron
• They bring the elders together and embark for Egypt
• Pharaoh refuses to release the people
• God told Moses to turn the water in the river into blood
• Then he told him to release frogs into Egypt 
• Then came the lice and the flies
• Then the Lord killed all the cattle in Egypt
• Then the Lord commanded Moses to pick up ashes and throw it to the heavens
• The ashes would give everyone in Egypt boils 
• Hail was to come next upon Egypt and kill many animals 
• The Lord sent locusts that killed and ate all the green of the land
• Then darkness fell over Egypt 
• The Lord declared that the first born of every house hold would die if they didn't put the blood of a lamb on their door during the Passover
• Pharaoh's first born is dead and he lets the people go
• As they are leaving, they need to cross the red sea
• Pharaoh decides to pursue them and slay them
• The Lord splits the sea and let the people go through but holds pharaoh back
• He lets Pharaoh through but drops the sea on the Egyptians
• God Gave the ten commandments

The Book of Job

• Job has a lot of earthly possessions
• God praises Job for how good he is 
• Satan decides to challenge God and see if he can make Job crack
• He kills everyone but his wife, takes all his possesions, and destroys his houses
• Job remains loyal
• He then brings physical pain and ailments to Job but he is still loyal
• Job demands an explanation and the Lord scolds him
• For being so loyal, he gets double what he had before and dies at an old age

The Book of Ruth

• Famine hits Bethlehem which force Elimelech and his wife Naomi to move east with their sons to Moab
• They live there for about 10 years
• During this time the sons marry two girls, Ruth and Orpah.
• Elimelech and his two sons die 
• This leaves just the three women left
• Naomi decides to go back to Bethlehem but tells the girls to stay behind
• Orpah goes back but Ruth stays with her
• They need food so they go to a well known guys farm
• They realize that the owner is Boaz, a relative of Elimelech,. He is obligated to marry Ruth as next of kin
• Naomi tells Ruth to brown nose up to Boaz and get him to marry her
• Boaz is pleasantly surprised and is keen to marry her but says that there is a closer next of kin
• The random family member is not interested in the marriage so Boaz marries her
• They have a son who becomes the grandfather of David

David and Goliath

• The Philistine army had waged war on Israel
• The two armies were camped opposite each other 
• The Philistine champion, Goliath, came and mocked the Israelite army
• David, a teenager, was sent to the camp to get news from his brothers
• David saw the giant and wasn't afraid so he volunteered to fight him
• David was armed with only a sling shot and some rocks
• Goliath cursed at him and attacked him
• David slung a rock right at Goliath's forehead and killed him
• This prompted the Israelites to pursue the camps of the Philistines

The Nativity

• A baby was given to a virgin, Mary, who was engaged to Joseph
• She was instructed that she would have a child by the power of the Holy spirit
• She would name him Jesus
• She had the child
• Joseph was initially skeptical but the Lord convinced him otherwise
• At the time, a census was taken and every person in the entire Roman world had to go to his own town to register. Mary was pregnant with Jesus at the time and there was no room in the inns so she had to give birth to him in a stable
• After seeing an angel announcing the Messiah, sheperds traveled to Bethlehem to see the child
• The wise men followed a star and arrived in Jerusalem
• They met with the rulers and asked where the child was
• The rulers instructed them to report back when they found him
• The magi gave gifts like incence and myrrh

Lazarus

• There was man named Lazarus who was loved by Jesus
• His name is Lazarus
• When he became sick, his sisters sent a message to Jesus
• He eventually came but by then Lazarus had died
• He wept with them 
• He then went back the tomb with the giant stone
• Jesus screamed for Lazarus to come out and he did

The Last Supper

• When the Passover started, Jesus instructed two of his disciples to prepare the meal
• That night, Jesus ate his final supper before going on the cross
• He told the twelve that one of them would betray him
• The bread was broken, the wine blessed and they ate
• This is a very sacred ritual

Judas and the Betrayal

• One of Jesus' beloved twelve
• He betrayed Jesus by identifying him to the chief priests
• Satan entered him which made him betray Jesus

The Denial 

• As the Last Supper was finishing, Judas Iscariot was revealed as the betrayer
• Jesus made a prediction that all his disciples would abandon him during his time of trial
• Peter vowed that he wouldn't
• Jesus replied that before the rooster crowed, Peter would betray him three times
• Later Jesus was arrested
• Peter struck one of the high priest's servants ears
• Peter snuck away to a courtyard where he was quickly recognized
• He immediately denied it
• He was accused again and he denied again
• Finally, a third person said Peter's Galilen accent gave him away as a follower of Jesus
• Peter denied once more and at that moment a rooster crowed

The Crucifixion

• Jesus was accused of blasphemy
• They took him to Rome to confirm his death sentence
• Pontius Pilate found him innocent but feared the crowd and let them decide
• Jesus was publicly torn apart and was forced to carry his own cross
• He was placed on the cross between two convicted criminals
• Darkness covered the land
• A little later, Jesus gave up his spirit

The Resurrection 

• Christ's body was placed in his own tomb after his crucifixion
• It was sealed by a large stone
• On the third day, several women went to his body to anoint him
• The stone was rolled away and they went inside in disbelief
• Jesus was no longer in the tomb and the women went and told the disciples
• As the women were going to the disciples, they ran into Jesus and were afraid
• He told them to see the disciples
• Jesus appeared to the women near the tomb and later twice to the disciples while they were gathering for prayer

Intro: Memory, symbol, and pattern allows the reader to indulge deeper in a given text. They allow readers to connect examples and experiences to pieces of literature which helps in the dissection of complicated text. I don't have an example of when I have done this because up until now I haven't gone into a book with this mindset.

Chapter 1: 
a. a quester
b. a place to go
c. a stated reason to go there
d. challenges and trials en route
e. a real reason to go there

A movie that I can think of that represents this structure is Glory Road. Glory Road is a story about the 1971 Texas Western basketball team winning the NCAA Championship. This is pivotal because of the amount of African-American basketball players on the team and all the controversy about that at the time.
1. Our quester: Texas Western basketball team that has both white and black players.
2. A place to go: Through the treacherous journey of the national championship run, they needed to end up in Kentucky where they would face the reigning champions.
3. Stated reason: They want to give pride to the school by winning and having a good season.
4. Challenges and trials: The team has a brutal loss against Kansas which almost drives the team apart. Blood was spattered all over the walls of their hotel rooms while on an away game which battered the team emotionally and really discouraged them from playing.
5. The real reason to go: They wanted to show and prove to everyone that there shouldn't be racism, that blacks and whites can live harmoniously and produce great things, and that by working together, people can overcome adversity and all the odds.

Chapter 2: As Thomas C. Foster states, communion is something personal. Eating with other people is a sign of trust. An example of this is the biblical story of the Last Supper. The Last Supper is a story about Jesus and his disciples. It was the night of the Passover and they broke bread and drank from the same cup.
Jesus metaphorically gave them his body(bread) and his blood(wine). This is a very symbolic and sacramental ritual. It brought all of them closer to one another and created an unforgettable bond. That's what communion is. Sharing food together is a gesture of peace, trust, and brotherhood.

Chapter 5: 
intertexuality: the ongoing interaction between poems or stories.
One example that comes to mind is Christ's crucifixion in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The book uses the New Testament and religious themes to parallel and portray the story. There is a betrayal that is committed by Edmund which in turn causes Aslan to pay the price for his actions. I had known about the biblical story before I had read the book which helped me understand the themes and nuances even more. When I was reading Lord of the Flies, I saw bits and pieces of Treasure Island scattered throughout. There was a feeling of isolation throughout both books and a sentiment of savagery in both books. I was able to relate better to the characters in Lord of the Flies after reading Treasure Island. After watching the television show, House, the character of Sherlock Holmes was fascinating to read about and follow in his adventures. I found myself thinking back to the character of House at certain moments. They had lots of similar traits such as the astounding ability to deduce clues or symptoms and they were both addicted to drugs. There was a feeling of loneliness and isolation the characters shared throughout their respective stories.

Chapter 7:
It is clear that James Joyce knows his Scripture as pointed out by Foster. There are many biblical references in the short story. A quite obvious allusion is the reference to Adam and Eve. There is a boy and a girl and one is trying to get something for the other that is a matter of temptation. A less obvious reference is the one made to the Garden of Eden. "The wild garden behind the house contained a central apple-tree and a few straggling bushes under one of which I found the late tenant's rusty bicycle-pump." I immediately thought of the Garden. The combination of the Garden reference and the Adam and Eve led me to think that the story was about a fall from innocence. Someone is going to get a harsh realization about life at the end of the story. 

Chapter 8: 
At one point or anther, everyone has seen, heard of, or read a fairy tale. For many of us, we were introduced to them at a very young age. For me, a fairy tale that comes to mind is Robin Hood. I loved that story as a kid because of the fact that he was putting himself at risk to take from the rich and give to the poor. There are some parallels with Ocean's Eleven. Ocean's Eleven is about a group of 11 people who steal $150 million from a wealthy casino owner. Both character groups put themselves at risk to obtain riches from a wealthier and more powerful person. Even though the way that they approach the job is on the more illegal side, it is done with the right intent. It deepens the appreciation because even though they do bad things, that isn't the main focus. The main focus is stripping away the wealth and power of a bad person and giving. 

Chapter 9: 
The myth of Achilles portrays him as one of the greatest warriors of all time. He was ruthless, fearless, and relentless. The myth helps the author convey Achilles' stubbornness and complete disregard for tradition in the face of revenge, hate, and contempt. Achilles suffered the loss of Patroclus at the sword of Hector. He in turn is enraged and humiliated Hector after he kills him and doesn't allow for proper burial rites for 9 days. His anger and thirst for revenge clouded his mind and fueled the anger he had for 9 days as he dragged Hector's body through the battlefield. 

Achilles took the slain body of proud Prince Hector
slit holes through warrior corpse ankles and proceeded 
to drag Hector’s defeated slain body behind his chariot
an ignoble act of revenge bitterness hate anger contempt

Achilles killed proud Hector with a single spear thrust 
Achilles refused to eat mourns on Olympian ambrosia
Achilles killed Hector with a spear thrust into the neck 
proud noble neck the only vulnerable on Hector’s body 

Hector who wore the god made prize armour of Achilles
armour stripped from slain Patroclus beloved of Achilles
in grief how anger festered into revenge rage in Achilles 
Hector victim of vengeance dies a slow agonizing death

Hector accepted his fate begged Achilles treat his body
with respect once slain but hubris was wrath of Achilles
shamelessly Achilles desecrates the Trojan heroes body 
for nine days dragging slain corpse around the battlefield

for nine days denying King Priam funeral rites for his son
Achilles enraged cared nothing for feelings of Hector’s family
shamed humiliated is corpse of Hector dragged behind chariot 
Achilles what great rage passions storm in soul possessed

Achilles who addressed Hector like an entreating dog
stated as he killed him it was hopeless to expect respect 
for his slain defeated corpse declared 'my rage, my fury 
would drive me now to hack your flesh away and eat 

you raw — such agonies you have caused me' “For what 
you've done. No one can keep the dogs off of your head, 
not if they brought me ransom of ten or twenty times as much, 
or more' then Achilles slices Hector's head hanging only 

by skin thus fell Trojan prince Hector to pride arrogance 
Achilles of scorn wrath slayer of Hector son of King Priam 
Hector with wife child who fought to defend his city family 
even Zeus was dismayed by hubris abuse to Hector's body 

at the command of Zeus Hermes led King Priam in a wagon
out of Troy across the plains into the Greek camp unnoticed
to Achilles' tent to plead with Achilles for a slain son's body 
to permit a father to perform his funeral rites for son Hector

Priam grasped Achilles by the knees and begged this feared 
killer of so many of his sons to worthy ransom his son's body
Priam begged by the gods kissed the hand of Achilles killer 
of his sons stirred Achilles' grief to tears to claim corpse son

only then after nine days of bitter agony did Priam at Achilles
feet begging reclaim Hector's body to take back into city Troy
only then could funeral rites be preformed only then could the
desecrated corpse of Hector be buried as Troy the city mourns

Chapter 11: 
There are two types of violence in literature. The first being the kind the author introduces into the story to advance the plot or for thematic development. The second is violence inflicted by characters on themselves or others. A prime example of the second type of violence lies in the book The Outsiders. There are two gangs, Socs and Greasers, who hate each other and have a vicious rivalry. At a focal point in the book, there is a big fight between the two. The violence and savage fighting that ensues makes the characters have a huge realization that the fighting is meaningless and that friendship and camaraderie is more important. It also allowed for some character development. A good example of the first type is the death of Harry's parents in the Harry Potter series. Their deaths are inherently meaningless except to add more back story and perspective to Harry's position and emotions that fuel and drive him. 

Chapter 12: 
The fence can mean many things. In the general sense, a fence is something that is a barrier of some sort. It either keeps things in or out or separates two entities. The fence in this story has a few meanings. One of which is the distance between the two characters. The narrator is always at a distance when he gazes upon his amour. He can't seem to realize that she is unattainable because he is full of infatuation and fails to recognize the distance that is between them. That distance is also an emotional one. Even when the two are talking within feet of each other, there isn't an emotional connection that he hopes there would be. There is still an emotional distance. The fence separates the two of them whether it's a physical distance or an emotional one. 

Chapter 14: 
There are many Christ-like figures in literature. The one that sticks out the most is Gandalf from J.R.R Tolken's Lord of the Rings. He fits a lot of the criteria. He is self-sacrificing, good with children, uses humble modes of transportation, kind of portrayed with arms outstretched, spent time alone in the wilderness, and confronted the devil. In the second book in the trilogy, Gandalf puts himself in danger to save one of the hobbits from the one of the Nazgul on a dragon. He is extremely friendly upon entering the Shire and greets Frodo with a smile. He enters the Shire riding a wagon being pulled by horse. Usually he is either on foot or riding a horse. When fighting the balrog in the Mines of Moria, he uses his staff and sword at the same time. In doing so, he outstretches his arms to signal to the beast that fighting will take place. When Gandalf became Gandalf the White, he was wandering the wilderness when he came upon the Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas. The balrog was a symbol of darkness and the devil. All of his actions lead the readers and his fellow characters to believe that he is a Christ figure. 

Chapter 15: 
Flight represents escape and/or freedom. A great example of escape is when a big bird helps Frodo and Sam flee from Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings. Frodo and Sam spend so much time getting to Mount Doom and destroy the ring. After the ring is destroyed, Mount Doom starts to collapse in on itself. Volcanoes start to erupt, the ground gets too hot to walk on, and molten hot rock rains from the sky. They become stranded on a rock. They think that all hope is lost until a giant bird swoops in, grabs both of them, and flies away. The flight not only represents the escape but also signifies that the journey is over and a big sense of fulfillment. 

Chapter 18: 
I will continue to use the Lord of the Rings as one of my examples. Baptism is a rebirth or renewal of life of an individual. It doesn't necessarily have to use water. Gandalf is a great example of someone who was "baptized" and became new. As I said previously, Gandalf fought the balrog in the Mines of Moria. He started out as Gandalf the Grey. He held a limited amount of power. During his trial by fire with the balrog, no pun intented, he faced great adversity and his will was tested. When he finally defeats the balrog, he is pulled from his former self and sees the light. He falls into a deep darkness but is awoken to a better and more confident self. He is now Gandalf the White. His transformation was a result of his baptism by fire and turmoil in the form of the balrog. The balrog represented the internal and external conflicts he had to resolve to fully transcend to a higher being.

Chapter 19: 
According to Foster, geography is setting that aids the theme or develops/defines characters. In the Lord of the Rings, there are many instances of this. The Shire is a good example of a setting that defines the hobbits. The Shire is a peaceful and calm place that mirrors the serenity the hobbits feel as they live there. It also represents the innocence of the hobbits before they leave and go on their adventures. The juxtaposition of the Shire and of Mount Doom represents the struggle between good and evil that is a theme throughout the trilogy. The castle of Minas Tirith is a vast expanse that is majestic, beautiful, and is a symbol of royalty. Minas Tirith represents the royalty that resides in it and the last stronghold of mankind. It represents the last shred of hope that people had against evil. It also represented a class of people above everyone else and an economy that existed only in royalty. Minas Tirith is vastly different from the land around it. It is in the middle of a desolate land. The castle represents a class of privileged few while the desolate land represents everyone else. 

Chapter 20: 
When the cold, harsh winter has given its last breath,
When the sky above shows life instead of death,
When the claws, reaching to the frozen sky becomes decorated with
leaves,
When the animals-long in hiding- scurry from trees,
We know winter has ended.

When the frost on grass is replaced with sweet dew,
When the fields become dotted with flowers, reminding me of you,
When the lonely silence becomes filled with melodies, 
When you feel warm air, erasing bad memories
We know winter has ended.

When the hard, bare ground becomes painted with green, 
When the frost-bitten air becomes fresh and clean,
When the coats and boots are all stored away,
When the playgrounds become occupied again with child's play,
We know winter has ended.

When you hear the pleasant sound of children's laughter,
When the air is filled with joy- long sought after,
When the world is filled with sunlight, brighter and longer,
When the song of Mother Nature becomes stronger and stranger,
Spring has begun.

Source: http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/change-of-seasons-spring#ixzz3C25R6ToG
Family Friend Poems 

There are two seasons present in this poem. Spring and winter are both used and used quite differently. By referencing winter, the author is able to set a tone of prospect. In each paragraph of the poem, things are shifting from winter to spring. Everything goes from sad to happy, death to life, etc. At the end of the poem, spring is used to signal the end of the poem but it also signifies the end of winter. Spring represents the beginning of the end for winter and is a sign of rebirth and renewal. 

Chapter 26: 

This is an excerpt from the poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. The poem itself is quite long. 

Water, water, every where,

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, every where,

Nor any drop to drink.

According to the lines above, there is a ship stranded in a vast and uncharted

sea. It is ironic that there is water  all around yet none of it is drinkable.

There's no water to drink.

About, about, in reel and rout

The death-fires danced at night;

The water, like a witch's oils,

Burnt green, and blue and white. 

The irony is found in the last two lines. It says that water burns blue, green,
and white. It is ironic because water can't burn at all. It is in fact the
complete opposite of fire and puts them out. 

Chapter 27: 

I followed the directions and I did okay in my explanations. My thoughts were

pointed towards the youths' understanding of their own opinions. The mother

made a bad mistake by showing her child what not to do. She showed her how to be

a rich slob. Perhaps if the child hadn't seen that, she could develop her own

opinion and have her own views. She could appreciate other people more had she

done that. I included the ignorance of the upper class and their apathetic views

of anything other than themselves in my essay. The essay that followed gave me

a greater appreciation of bits and pieces I might have missed in first read.

Having read it a second time, I have a deeper understanding and a more meaningful

sense of the nuances and themes.