Journal Week 6

9/21: This week in class we focused on studying the leadership developments Sophocles’ play Philoctetes. We focused understanding the five ways/scenarios people dehumanize others which includes: when we have power over them, when we have harmed them, when we have witnessed them being harmed, when we regard them as a member of an “out-group,” and when we regard them as physically disgusting. I enjoyed reading the play and although it was considered a tragedy, I thought the way Odysseus behaved when telling Neoptolemus about Philoctetes and how to approach him was comical and almost satirical/unserious. The play Philoctetes was written by the Greek tragedy playwright, Sophocles, in 409 B.C.E. In the play, as the Greeks were sailing towards Troy, they made a stop at the small island of Lemnos. Having been bitten by a snake, the Greek archer Philoctetes has an incurable wound on his foot. Believing there is little they can do for him, he is abandoned, with few supplies, on the small, isolated island. As the war progresses, the Greeks are told of a prophecy stating they need Philoctetes to win against the Trojans for he has in his possession the bow and arrows of Heracles. They send Odysseus and Neoptolemus, the son of the Greek hero Achilles, to persuade the wounded warrior to help them. Since the old archer despises Odysseus and the sons of Atreus, Menelaus and Agamemnon, for abandoning him, an elaborate scheme is concocted by Odysseus to deceive Philoctetes. Reluctantly, Neoptolemus goes along with it until his conscience tells him otherwise. In the end, Philoctetes is finally convinced to sail to Troy. The way that Odysseus dehumanizes Philoctetes in an almost comical way and the dialogue between Odysseus and Neoptolemus made me seriously question whether this play was a tragedy because it came off as a comedy to me in multiple instances.

9/22:

Assignment

Passage One-

Odysseus dehumanizes Neoptolemus by using the power he has over him, being his king, and constantly questions his certainty about the location of Philoctetes on the island.

Passage Two-

Odysseus dehumanizes Neoptolemus by speaking down to him and dehumanizes Philoctetes by viewing him as a member of an “out-group.”

Passage Three-

Neoptolemus dehumanizes Philoctetes by proposing to take him by force rather tan using persuasion. Witnessing him (Philoctetes) be harmed, he believes this will be an easier way to take the bow from him.

Passage Four-

Philoctetes dehumanizes himself by proclaiming to Neoptolemus that he is physically disgusting.

Passage Five-

Philoctetes dehumanizes himself because he views himself as an outsider compared to the Achaen fleet.

Passage Six-

Heracles dehumanizes Neoptolemus by giving him commands because he has experience as a hero viewing him an outsider compared to the rest of the Achaens.

9/23:

A group that has been dehumanized in this country is Black Americans, particularly descendants of slaves in the United States. They’re dehumanized, and have been since before the country’s founding, by the white supremacist majority and their enablers. They’re dehumanized because the white American majority has power over them in many ways, whether socioeconomically, in terms of capital, at governmental levels throughout the country both federally and in each state. They’re viewed as outsiders due to the fact that they were never supposed to survive slavery and the post-Civil War era. Our society dehumanizes Black Americans because it has harmed and witnessed them being harmed emotionally, physically, culturally, sexually, and spiritually. The opportunities I’ve had to help my group’s humanity become visible to others is by showing up to protests against state violence when I can, supporting only down-ballot elections until legislators and politicians support a black agenda, including but not limited to direct cash payments to the tune of at least $17T in reparations to American descendants of slavery, and by supporting local Black American owned businesses to help build economic wealth in my community.

Today in class we took the quiz on the play Philoctetes by Sophocles. I thought I did well on the quiz, but there were a few questions I didn’t know the answer to. We also had a group work activity on the ways we can help combat the dehumanization of individuals and groups by others.