Jack Hanau How Can Our Understanding of the Odyssey and Own Family’s History Inspire Us to Write a Modern-Day Myth? Family Myth Assignment Step 1: look at the List Below and Show It to Your Parents. Explain That You Will Develop a Family Tale into a Myt

Jack Hanau

How can our understanding of The Odyssey and own family’s history inspire us to write a modern-day myth?

Family Myth Assignment

Step 1: Look at the list below and show it to your parents. Explain that you will develop a family tale into a myth after interviewing a family member. The story can be about someone several generations in your family’s past or about just a generation before.

Suggested topics

A significant journey/quest (with a challenge or problem to overcome, such as immigrating to the U.S. or surviving the Great Depression)

A family hero (physical or spiritual heroism)

A love story (how Mom and Dad met)

A major challenge or tragedy (something “major” that happened in life or a difficulty through you/your family persevered and came out stronger)

A brush with greatness (You’ll never guess who my father met on the Subway)

Step 2: Based on your interview, write an account of your family story. In your account, detail the various challenges and struggles your family member(s) encountered on his/her quest. You may wish to embellish some aspects of the story, but in all likelihood, this type of embellishment will probably be redundant.

In addition, make sure to include what lessons (both implicit and explicit) can be drawn from your story? For example, if your father used to walk 10 miles to school every day (uphill both ways), what did he learn?

Requirements: Based on facts, but you may include imaginary characters and events.

Must have an allusion to The Odyssey or an Archetype

* Use a piece of text from The Odyssey/Homeric simile

Use effective dialogue

Use “show, don’t tell” sensory details / figurative language

Be prepared to share with the class / presentations

Final Project:

The cover page of the final product will include a picture of the family member who is the focal point of the story and answer the questions:

What did you learn about your family that you did not already know?

What lessons (both implicit and explicit) can be drawn from your story?

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