Professor Chaucer's Office Hours, Monday

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

Professor Chaucer is in his office, reading a book on American geography. (Yes, geography. And he thinks it's interesting, too.)

Comments

[sensethevisions]

After class, Phoebe knocked on Geoff's door. "Gotta minute?"

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

"Of course, Phoebe. Come on in."

Geoff looks up from his book, seeming a little more cheerful -- or at least, not as depressed -- as he did last week.

[sensethevisions]

"How are you doing?"

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

"I'm...doing all right. Better." He sets the book on his desk. "It's still hard, but I'm managing. How about you? How are you doing?"

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe smiles faintly. "Things are not as bad as they were. I wanted to thank you for the poem you suggested to Cole."

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

Shaking his head, Geoff laughs. "I think I'm going to have to have a talk with him. He's not suppose to let on that he got the poetry from another source. He really does need my help."

He gives Phoebe a teasing grin. "I'm glad you liked it. It seemed to fit what he was looking for pretty well."

[sensethevisions]

"Geoff, no one in this town does Calligraphy like you." She hugs him. "It means a lot that you helped him."

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

"You're welcome, Phoebe," he says, returning the hug and looking pleased at her compliment. "So did it work? Or are you holding out for more poetry?"

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe laughs. "I want more poetry, I am a romantic after all."

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

Laughing again, Geoff says, "I'm going to be teaching him to write his own sonnets, aren't I? It's good to see you laughing, though, Phoebe. Things are working out better?"

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe bites her lip. "We're talkinmg again... Geoff? Can I ask a favor?"

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

"Of course you can, Phoebe. What can I help you with?"

[sensethevisions]

"I need advice on a gift for Cole."

Geoff's Office, Post-Phoebe

[kikidelivers.livejournal.com]

Sometime after Phoebe, Kiki, her books tucked under her arm, taps on the door.

"Professor Chaucer? How are you this week?"

Her gaze flicks over the desk and shelves as she checks to see if the Oreos lasted this long.

Re: Geoff's Office, Post-Phoebe

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

Geoff had a bad week last week, and the Oreos disappeared a long time ago. They seem to have done some good, though, because he looks a little better equipped to face the day.

"Better, Kiki, thanks. Come in and sit down. Are we having our independent study meeting today?"


[ooc: Did you get your letter?]

Re: Geoff's Office, Post-Phoebe

[kikidelivers.livejournal.com]

Kiki pulls up a chair facing his desk and lays her books on her lap. "Certainly, although I think I'm still pretty behind in the reading. I'll see what I can scrape together for today!"


[OMG LETTER! I was out all weekend, so I'm trying to catch up on everything I missed. *runs to read!*]

Re: Geoff's Office, Post-Phoebe

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

"If you'd rather put it off a couple more days, that's fine, Kiki. I don't want to push you if you're not feeling ready. Do you need extra time for the reading?"

Re: Geoff's Office, Post-Phoebe

[kikidelivers.livejournal.com]

After mulling it over a moment, Kiki decides, "Let's get started and see what I can cover, and then if I'm really unprepared on one of the books, I can go reread that for next week. Does that sound okay?"

Re: Geoff's Office, Post-Phoebe

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

"Sounds good," Geoff replies, grinning. "Why don't we start with Inferno. Tell me...what you thought about it. What you think Dante was trying to accomplish with it and your own reaction to the material."

Re: Geoff's Office, Post-Phoebe

[kikidelivers.livejournal.com]

Kiki nods, and tries to order her thoughts. "I don't really think that Dante was really trying to make a treatise on how people should behave or act. It's not a moral work, it's far too political for that - he almost goes out of his way to specifically mention the names of certain people he imagines to be in hell. But I don't think it's a vindictive work, or something he wrote to get revenge on anyone - unless, as since he's being led through hell, it's a metaphor for him being led through his own personal anger against these people so he can get past it and on with his life, or afterlife. That being said, he does outline equally specific tortures for those who sinned and refused redemption in their mortal forms, and each one is designed to fit the sin. Sort of like karmic retribution. From what I've been able to determine, the church can be a little vague on just what the tortures in hell involve, and this outlines it for the people, regardless of whether Dante was speaking metaphorically or not."

She takes a small breath. "And my reaction to it is... a little tough to descibe, I guess."

Re: Geoff's Office, Post-Phoebe

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

He cocks his head and studies Kiki's face. "If that's something you don't want to get into, it's fine, Kiki. Let's go on to the discussion we had in class. Choose one of the nine circles Dante describes and tell me why you think he chose to situate that particular sin in that particular place in the sequence, keeping in mind that the punishment gets worse the higher the number. For example, why are the slothful in the Fifth Circle, or thieves in the Eighth Circle?"

Re: Geoff's Office, Post-Phoebe

[kikidelivers.livejournal.com]

"I guess it just made a particularly strong impression on me. Not the punishments or the sins, but the idea of facing your own mortality - or what comes after," Kiki answers. "I thought it was strange that Dante considered hypocrites in the eighth circle worse than the tyrants and war-mongers in the seventh. I would have reversed the two, for a tyrant is a hypocrite on a much larger scale - ruling according to whim and being ruled by none. I guess I take a little offense that I would be put in the 8th level, just because I'm a witch, and I would be punished more severely than a murderer. I think Dante is trying to say that those in level eight are worse because they supposedly prey on another person's spiritual well-being or faith, rather than another person's health, livelihood, wealth, body and work, or that a soul damaged this way is worse than one who belonged to one who threw away life by committing suicide. I don't really agree."

Re: Geoff's Office, Post-Phoebe

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

Geoff grins, obviously pleased that Kiki's got such a good grasp on the material. This independent study plan seems to really be working out well for her.

"All right...one more thing from that class, then. We had a quiz."

He pulls out a piece of paper and writes down five questions:

1. Define "parodos".

2. What tactic do the women of Athens use in Lysistrata to convince the men to stop fighting?

3. What is the subject of Symposium?

4. What three plot patterns make up the structure of Symposium?

5. According to Dante's Inferno, what category of sinners are tormented in the First and Ninth circles of hell respectively?

Re: Geoff's Office, Post-Phoebe

[kikidelivers.livejournal.com]

Kiki bites her lip as she looks at the first question, and finally writes,

"1. An opening set of choral versus in an ancient Greek play. Also, the rear side of a trench in warfare, opposite the parapet."

She's such a show-off.

"2. Sexual frustration.

3. A series of dissertations on love made by orators during a dinner.

4. The arguments are cyclical, each one elaborating, rebutting, or presenting an alternate case to one that has come before.

5. The first circle of hell is reserved for the virtuous non-believers. According to Dante, a number of ancient Greek scientists, philosophers and writers are punished here for the egregious crime of daring to live 1500 years before Christ was born. The ninth circle of hell is the frozen lake of Cocytus where the betrayers and traitors are encased in ice for the coldness of their hearts."

Re: Geoff's Office, Post-Phoebe

[geoff-chaucer.livejournal.com]

"And that does it for Dante. Do you feel up to moving on to Julius Caesar, or do want a little more time for the reading?"