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\centerline{MONT 104Q -- Mathematical Journeys}
\centerline{First Writing Assignment}
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The first of the larger paper assignments this semester will be devoted to the {\it Odyssey}.  
It is also designed to establish a baseline for your current level of mastery of an
important form of writing sometimes called the {\it argumentative essay}.  Note: 
``argumentative'' here does {\it not} mean that you are trying to pick a fight 
through your writing(!)  It means that you are making a 
{\it a particular response to a question} -- a {\it thesis} -- and then presenting
appropriate evidence and reasoning to support your claim(s).  Your essay should show that you have 
done some careful reading, and some serious thinking, about the subject.  You may, of 
course, disagree with ideas presented in class if you want.  The point is for
you to develop your own thinking, and then clearly express it in writing.

Your essay should be 2-3 pages in length (double-spaced, single-sided).
Please submit as a MS Word .doc or .docx file to {\tt jlittle@holycross.edu} by 
5:00pm on Friday,
September 18.

The topic and question(s) you should address is this:  
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It is often the case that epic journeys in literature change the main character(s) in 
some way, teach them important lessons, or even turn them into radically different 
people than they were at the start.  But is any of that true of Odysseus?  Is 
he a different person at the end of this story than he was when he left for Troy?  Have 
the Trojan War and all the experiences he has on his long journey back to Ithaca changed 
him in any appreciable way?   Have some of them had that sort of effect, but not others?  
If that is true, which experiences have changed him and how?  If, on the other hand, you think 
Odysseus regains his home and wife but is completely unchanged by his journey, what is 
the point of the whole story?

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{\it Guidelines for this assignment}
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Follow these specifications:
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\item{1.} It is OK to discuss preliminary ideas for what you want to say with
your classmates if you want.  I will also be happy to talk over things and/or read
a preliminary draft to give feedback if you like.
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\item{2.} In the paper itself, develop, and then clearly state your {\it thesis} in 
your opening paragraph.  The thesis should be a good answer to the main question:
{\it  Is Odysseus a different person at the end of this story than
he was when he left for Troy?  Have the Trojan War and all the experiences 
he has on his long journey back to Ithaca changed him in any appreciable way?}
The thesis should be clearly stated and well focused.
The reader (me) should not need to guess what your point is.
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\item{3.}  In the following paragraphs, using
sound reasoning, present your evidence for making the claim in
your thesis.  Do not contradict what you said earlier.  Do not ignore
evidence that contradicts your ideas.  If, on further reflection, you 
find that you do not agree with what you said before, revise the thesis(!)
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\item{4.}  In this sort of writing, a ``move'' that is often very effective
is to temporarily entertain an opposing conclusion as a possibility, then
explain the evidence that leads you to reject that conclusion.  Try it!
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\item{5.}  Your evidence should consist of passages from the Lombardo
translation of the {\it Odyssey}, and interpretations of those passages 
that come from your own thinking about them.  
Your evidence should be as specific, detailed, correct, and as varied
as possible (focus on small passages and mention
the little things that support your point). 
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\item{6.}  {\it Do not consult any other sources beyond the Lombardo
translation of the {\it Odyssey} -- this means no other translations, other books, 
no web sites, etc.}  When you use direct quotations from Lombardo's translation, 
at the end place the book and line number(s) to identify the source.  Here's an 
example of what I'm looking for:
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\item{} Odysseus tends to judge others by how clever and self-reliant they are.  For 
instance, when he tells the Phaeacian Alcinous about his journey up to that 
point, he calls the Cyclopes ``lawless savages who leave everything up to the gods'' 
(Book 9, 105-106). 
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\item{7.}  The paper as a whole should be well-organized and ``flow'' 
from one point to the next.  Do not repeat pieces of evidence unless
there is a very good reason for doing so.  Do not get ahead of yourself.
Say one thing at a time.  If you decide you want to add something, 
do not just tack it on somewhere.  Instead, figure out where it fits in the overall
scheme of your argument and put it where it belongs.
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\item{8.}  Your sentences should be clear, readable, and
not overly wordy.  Aim for a reasonably formal but lively style. Careless
or colloquial ways of saying things that are acceptable in casual conversation
are not appropriate in this kind of writing.
Also, {\it please do not use a thesaurus to find impressive-sounding words} 
when simpler alternatives are available. 
An important lesson to learn for writing in college is that thesauri 
do not capture the {\it nuances in meanings} that underlie good writing.  
If you must use a thesaurus, also look up any words you select in a 
dictionary to make sure they mean exactly what you think they do!

\item{9.} Errors in mechanics and usage should not annoy the reader. 
(As a warning, I tend to be {\it easily annoyed by this sort of thing!})
Try as much as possible to avoid mistakes in 
grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word choice.
\bye
