Essay # 3

 

l. Character Names: Helen, Odysseus, and Agamemnon

 

ll. U.S. Congressional  Politicians: U.S. Senator – Daniel K. Inouye, U.S. House Representative – Bob Filner, and U.S. House Representative – John Boozman

 

lll. A. Researched details on Literary Characters

            a. Helen is the wife of Menelaus and queen of Sparta. Helen was full of beauty, which often caused her conceit and many problems for Menelaus. Helen’s abduction from Sparta by the Trojans was the spark of the Trojan War. Helen is often criticized for giving in and performing adultery with her Trojan captors which caused many Greek men their lives. Helen would most likely agree with the bill of condemning the punishment of execution by stoning because she committed adultery and if the bill will not be passed, the crime will cause her her life.

            b. Odysseus is a king of Ithaca that fought amongst the Greeks at Troy. Odysseus is the husband of Queen Penelope and the father of Prince Telemachus. Although Odysseus is a strong and courageous warrior, he struggles to return to his kingdom in Ithaca. Odysseus journeyed for many years and had to overcome numerous obstacles along the way. On Odysseus’ journey, he found himself and his crew shipwrecked on an island, which was Circe’s Island. On this island is where Odysseus betrayed his lover Penelope for Circe. Odysseus fell in love with Circe and became her lover for a year and produced two children together. Odysseus enjoyed living in luxury with Circe that he jeopardized his love he left at Ithaca, which he shared with Penelope. Odysseus would agree to pass the bill of condemning punishment of execution by stoning because he committed adultery and would not want to be executed in a harsh manner such as stoning.

            c. Agamemnon is the former king of Mycenae and commander of the Achaen forces at Troy. Odysseus becomes acquainted with Agamemnon’s spirit in Hades. Agamemnon was murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra and her lover, Aegisthus when he returned from the war. Clytemnestra murdered Agamemnon because she was part of an affair with Aegisthus while Agamemnon was fighting at Troy. Clytemnestra believed Agamemnon would not return home from the Trojan War so she committed adultery with Aegisthus. Agamemnon would probably oppose the bill because be paid for his wife’s crime of adultery with his life, and therefore would want to seek revenge by taking the life of Clytemnestra as well, by stoning her to death.

      B. Researched details on Congressional Politicians

            a. Senator Daniel K. Inouye was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on September 7, 1924. Senator Inouye grew up living a military life because he was constantly fighting or aiding fighters in the military until today. In the fall of 1944, Senator Inouye fought in Italy and was hurt severely, costing him his right arm. Senator Inouye supports this bill because he knows what it is like to be brutally attacked and does not believe stoning is a humanly punishment to put upon another living soul. Senator Inouye is married to Margaret Shinobu Awamura. Senator Inouye believes that a marriage can last a lifetime if both people keep their promises and remain trustworthy to one another. Senator Inouye believes adultery shall not be committed because it is a person’s decision to select that person you want to share the rest of your life with and it is a person’s responsibility to remain loyal to that person they have selected.

            b. John Boozman represents the Third District Arkansas in Congress. Boozman is 51 years old and is married to Cathy Marley. They have three daughters together. John Boozman travels around the world to places where cruel punishments (such as stoning someone to death) are enforced to people because of crimes committed (such as adultery). John Boozman would support the bill because he is currently involved with traveling around the world to stop cruel deadly punishments. John would also support this bill because he would not want to get the punishment himself if he or anyone he knows were to commit adultery. He would accept punishment because he committed a crime but nothing unbelievably cruel fro something that can be resolved by talking to one another or a reminder of a person’s commitment to her partner.

            c. Bob Filner was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 4, 1942. Filner has experience as local official, educator, community leader, and neighborhood activist. A major issue he is actively supporting today is in regards to the protection of civil rights. Bob Filner respects the rights of others and does the best he is able to do to help protect their rights. Filner supports this bill because he believes it is a violation of a human’s civil rights to be stoned to death and not have the opportunity to argue and/or defend themselves. Bob Filner is happily married to Jane Merrill and has two children. Bob believes a punishment is a proper course of action, but he believes it should not be as harsh as sudden death caused by suffering. Filner believes there should be various punishments for a certain level of adultery committed.

lV. Annotated Bibliography

     A. Barnes and Noble Learning Network. (1999-2003) Sparknotes LCC. Retrieved on                                            June 13, 2003, from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/odyssey/ characters.html

        

            - Website gives a list of all the characters that appeared in The Odyssey and briefly explained what part they played in the story and who they were in general. Website was useful to select the three best characters that committed         adultery and how they can metaphorically serve as a proper course of action or             any course of action relating to the topic of the bill and what they would vote for regarding the bill.

     

      B. U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. Retrieved on June 13,         2003 from http://www.boozman.house.gov/biography/

 

            - Website allows me to research numerous aspects of my representative’s life and background. This site also allows me to contact my Representative via e-         mail or via telephone. This was a very useful website to locate a biography because it is my Representatives’ official webpage.

     

     

 

 

C. United States Senate. Retrieved on June 13, 2003 from             http://Inouye.senate.gov/biography

 

            - Website allowed me to become acquainted with my Senator more. This website gave me options of various aspects in my senators’ life which really helped me understand where my senator came from and what kind of a person            he is in general. Website allowed me to get information on whether my Senator would support or disagree with the bill he is currently facing.

     

       D. Congressman Bob Filner.(n.d.) house.gov: Electronic references Retrieved on June 13, 2003 from http://www.house.gov/filner/biography/htm

 

            - Website allows you to select a specific House Representative and takes you        directly to their websites. Website was useful because it allows you to research on the life of your Representative which helps in the process of deciding whether or not they will support or oppose the bill they are currently facing.

           

      E. Thomas legislative information on the internet retrieved on June 13, 2003 from           http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query

 

            - Website was very useful because it allows you to do a search on any bill regarding any topic and it will give you the entire bill and will show you who supports it and if it has been passed or is in the process of being passed. Website very useful when in the need to research a specific bill that you have a topic about or the specific number of.

 

    

      F. Thomas legislative information on the internet retrieved on June 13, 2003 from           http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query10?r108:10:./temp/~r108id5mmR

                                                                                                                                  

            - Website useful because it gave me the option to read which house Representatives were supporting the bill and the bill number they looked at that they considered to either pass or oppose. Website was useful for essay because it saves you time from calling the Representative yourself by allowing you to view every sponsor of the bill (s) regarding the same topic.

 

V. Thesis and Outlined Argument

       A. Thesis

            a. A person who commits adultery should be punished for the crime, but the punishment must be reasonable to the degree of adultery committed, and shall never be to the point of death by stoning.

            b. Bill (S.CON.RES.26) states the condemning of punishment of execution by stoning as a gross violation of human rights, and other purposes. This bill should be passed because it is against a human’s civil and human rights to get beaten to death by stoning.

            c. All of my Congressional Politicians support the bill for the following reasons. Senator Daniel K. Inouye supports this bill because he states that being brutally abused is very painful and have many harmful consequences that will be suffered in the end, such as death or losing an important body part. U.S. House Representative John Boozman also supports the bill because  he travels to countries that still use the stoning as a form of execution and he does not like the sight of it and because he would not like to die if ever he were to commit adultery, although he knows he would eventually deserve some kind of punishment. U.S. House Representative Bob Filner supports this bill because he is a person that fights to protect the civil and human rights of humans and believes stoning a person to death is not humanly accepted as a punishment for a  crime such as adultery.

            d.There are three characters in The Odyssey that may serve as metaphorical examples in this situation. Helen and Odysseus serve as examples for the proper course of action (they agree with the bill) and Agamemnon serves as an example of the improper course of action to take (opposing the bill). Helen serves as an example for the proper course of action in this situation because she committed adultery and caused men their lives so she would vote yes on this bill even though she should be stoned because her crime caused many Greek men their lives. Odysseus serves as the same example as Helen because he also committed adultery with Circe while he was on his journey, and so he would vote yes to save his own life. Odysseus should get punished but not by being stoned to death. Agamemnon on the other hand, would oppose this bill because his wife’s crime of adultery caused him his life and therefore he would seek revenge and want to punish her by having her stoned by numerous people, probably including himself.

       B. Outlined Argument

            I. Introduction (Paragraph 1)

               a. Thesis (above)

            II. Body (Paragraph 2)

               a. bill and explanation of bill

               b. opinion of bill whether supporting or opposing.

            III. Body (Paragraph 3)

                a. give congressional politicians’ opinions of bill

                b. give examples and reasons

            IV. Body (Paragraph 4)

                a. tell what course of action characters metaphorically suggest

                b. give examples from text to prove that is the course of action they                                                   suggest.

            V. Conclusion

               a. summarize above by explaining bill, opinions of Congressional Politicians, what course                    of action the literary characters are suggesting and briefly state examples to prove                            everything stated are relevant facts.