Book 9: In The One Eyed Giant’s Cave

1. Book 9: In The One Eyed Giant’s Cave Matt T. F Stevens 10/12/6

2. Plot Summary • Odysseus and his crew lands on the island of the Cyclops’ after escaping the Lotus Eaters island. • When they first arrived, they hunted the good rams on the island, ate, drank wine, and rested • They heard the Cyclops’ and saw their smoke from fire and became curious.

3. Plot Summary • The next day, Odysseus took his ship and investigated, the rest of his comrades stayed on the shore • They found a Cyclops’ cavern that had many good rams and enormous pine trees outside.

4. Plot summary • Odysseus feels he’ll come up against a monster when he and his crew make themselves at home in Cyclops’ cave. • Cyclops comes in and closed the cave’s entrance for the night, milks his rams, lights a fire, then sees Odysseus and his crew. • After Odysseus explains himself, Cyclops takes two of Odysseus’ men and eats them, then fell asleep.

5. Plot Summary • In the morning, Cyclops ate two more men then went to work among his rams. • Odysseus and his crew make a huge wooden steak as a weapon to stab Cyclops in the eye. • After Cyclops gets back, Odysseus gets Cyclops drunk.

6. Plot Summary • Cyclops asks what Odysseus’ name is and Odysseus say his name is nobody. • Cyclops passes out drunk. • Then Odysseus and his crew takes out the steak, heats it up under some embers, then stabs Cyclops’ eye long and hard. • Cyclops goes into a blind rage (literally) and yells out in pain.

7. Plot Summary • Odysseus and his crew escapes by grabbing on the undersides of rams as they run out of the cave at dawn. • Odysseus and crew reaches the ship and sails away to safety.

8. Plot Summary • As he sails away, Odysseus yells back at the blind, tortured Cyclops and yells out his real name, that it wasn’t “Nobody” who blinded him and taunts Cyclops. • Cyclops then throws a huge boulder at Odysseus’ ship and almost hits it. • Cyclops then prays to his father, Poseidon, to curse Odysseus so he looses all crew and comes home a stranger and that he comes home to a world of hurt.

9. Cyclops • Huge ruthless monsters. • Lawless brutes who shepherd their flocks. • Cannibals • One eyed beasts.

10. Odysseus • Headstrong • Brags when he wins big. • Gets his crew in trouble when his head gets too big • A true warrior. • Smart and cunning. • Overall a good leader, he cares about his men.

11. Greek Society • From this story I learned the Greeks highly valued their friends lives because Odysseus and his crew frequently broke down on the spot when one of their comrades got killed. • This book also indicates the ancient Greeks might of believed in huge one eyed brutes.

12. Modern Society • A time when people were trapped by an overwhelming force and had to fight their way out was during the battle of Tarawa, a tiny stratigically located island in the Gilberts, on November 20-23 1943 during WWII. • About 2,000 Marines hit the beach under heavy fire and were pinned down immediately. • Japanese fire was preventing any ship to bring in reinforcements to the cut off, bloodied Marines.

13. Modern Society • The Marines had to fight their way out. • In a few hours, over 500 were killed and well over 1000 were wounded. • Pinned down and cut off on the beach with only a low three foot high seawall for cover, the Marines started fighting with the fierce intensity of a cornered dog. • After hours of fierce fighting, the Marines broke free and established a beachhead.

14. Modern Society • The battle lasted three more bloody days until all 2,600 Japanese on the island were dead with the exception of 17 prisoners. • 990 Marines were killed, and 2,311 were wounded, half the casualties were taken in the first few hours. • If it weren’t for the Marines fighting their way out of their situation, they would’ve been crushed by the Japanese in a night time banzi charge and the operation would’ve been a failure.

15. Modern Society • Surely we don’t believe in giant one-eyed monsters like the Greeks did. • We still mourn the loss of loved ones.