Read this excerpt from the odyssey. "oh, nan, they are a bad lot; they intend ruin for all of us; but antinous appears a blacker-hearted hound than any. here is a poor man come, a wanderer, driven by want to beg his bread, and everyone in hall gave bits, to cram his bag—only antinous threw a stool, and banged his shoulder! " based on previous knowledge of greek values, what prediction can best be made about antinous’s future?

Based on our knowledge of Greek values, we can predict that Antinous's friends will turn on him and this will cause him to suffer.

Hospitality was an important value in ancient Greek society. In "The Odyssey," the importance of this hospitality was shown has Homer visited faraway places. They often offered food, shelter, and protection to travelers without question even if they didn't want to.

sthe miracle worker  ▾search

home  >   study guides  >   the miracle worker

the miracle worker themeswilliam gibson

themes and meanings

(comprehensive guide to drama)

print  print  document  pdf  list  cite  link  link

there are two central themes in  the miracle worker: that the human spirit can triumph over even the most daunting of disabilities and that a dedicated teacher can transform the lives of those with whom he or she comes into contact. these inspirational themes have long been personified in the widely known true-life relationship between helen keller and annie sullivan, but  the miracle worker  also dramatizes collateral issues that extend beyond the particular case. underlying helen’s process of learning basic principles of what annie terms “obedience” (decorum, etiquette, and hygiene), there are more universal lessons of self-governance—the inculcation of self-restraint instead of willfulness, the development of self-discipline instead of self-indulgence. only when these lessons have been mastered can helen begin to acquire language—which, annie says, “is to the mind more than light is to the eye.”

the bazaar because it represents the inaccessible land of freedom to the narrator. mangan’s sister because she represents domesticity and routine to the narrator. the marketplace because it represents the suburban lifestyle to the narrator. the church because it represents spiritual healing and renewal to the narrator.