Newspapers / North Carolina Central University … / April 29, 1955, edition 1 / Page 3
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FRroAY, APRIL 29, 1955 THE CAMPUS ECHO PAGE THREB Robert Graves* Nausica Narrates 'True Account' Of Odysseus' Return and the'J^'i Homer’s Daughter, a powerful powerful story of adventure, romance, and intrigue written by Robert Graves, is based on a classic tale fronn the Odyssey, told entirely from a woman’s angle. We have had other novels similarly adapted from the clas sics and history, including Mr. Graves’ very remarkable Her cules, My Shipmate and although possibly not of comparable liter ary merit, Frank Yerby’s excel lent historical novels. But I do not know of any other in which the past, mythical or real, is so cleverly and fascinatingly brought to life. In Homer’s Daughter the ac tion of the storyip — the frame-^^ work — is cen-s'f tered aroimd thefi^ story of Slcaa Suitors”; Prin-^V; cess Nausiacca herself tells us the story. And therein lies the phenomenal sue- GITTENS cess of Homer’s Daughter; for by letting Princess Nausicaa tell the story of Odysseus in her own words, Mr. Graves gives us a vivid, entertaining account of the events that took place in the far away kingdom of Elyman. TRAVELING MINSTRELS In classical times the Sons of Homer was a guild of traveling minstrels who claimed descend- ancy from the poet and went from city to city throughout Greece, Asia Minor, Sicily, Italy, and North Africa performing from their repertory of heroic sagas. They were a somewhat privileged group, and it was as an honorary (or self-named, so to speak) Daughter of Homer that Nausicaa undertook to write the Odyssey. Nausicca relates many of the events that occur in the Odyssey, beginning at Book VI when she encounters Odysseus on the Phaeacian shore after his turb ulent struggle in the sea. The only difference is that her “Odysseus” is in reality Aethon, son of Castor, and Phaeacia is actually the kingdom of Elyman in Sicily. We must remember that Nausicaa lived through these events and is merely re lating to us what actually hap pened — a sort of “you were there.” ROYAL ENTERTAINMENT At times we find ourselves the royal guests of Princess Nau sicaa, dining sumptuously on • steaming joints of mutton, pork, and beef, sipping zealously on draughts of rich wine, as De- modocus, the Palace minstrel, entertains us with stories such as the familiar “Paris and the Golden Apple” affair. Or while lounging about the Palace, we overhear Gorgo the goose-herd enthralling a group of wide-eyed youngsters with an old-fashion By CHARLES L. GITTENS ed story about her ancestor Sicanus and his experiences in the cave of a one-eyed giant. Nausicca tells us that in her final version of the Odyssey, she changed the names of her living characters, giving them pseu donyms. Although the adventures of Odysseus are well known to many of us, I wUl give some thing of an idea as to how Mr. Graves launches the story. At the beginning of the account Laodamas, Nausicaa’s brother, leaves the kingdom in search of an amber necklace to satifsy the desires of his tempermental, shrewish wife. When Leodamas does not retiurn after an extend ed absence, Nausicaa’s father, the King (Alcinous), goes in search of the missing son. Her uncle, left as Regent of the land during the King’s absence, is murdered in a plot to overthrow the throne. And Nausicaa finds herself in an extremely touchy situation, for she is left with only her two younger brothers, her mother, and her sister-in- law to save the kingdom from destruction. MUST CHOOSE HUSBAND And “here’s the rub.” Before leaving the land, the King had proclaimed that whoever paid a satisfactory bridge price would be accepted as Prince Nausicaa’s suitor. No sooner does he set sail than a hundred and twenty eligible wooers encamp them selves in the Palace banquet court and declare that they in tend to stay until one of them is chosen by Nausicaa to be her husband. 'The story of their ob noxiousness and treachery—each is interested in the throne rather than the Princess — is well- known and follows Homer’s ac count rather closely. (In Homer, of course, Odysseus returns to find Penelope besieged by the wooers.) SHIP-WRECKED SAVIOR It is in her hour of greatest need that a stalwart, handsome young man, who later proves to be Nausicaa’s delivered, is mir aculously washed ashore in a storm. With the help of the ship wrecked stranger. Princess Nau sicaa plans and wages a most disastrous campaign against the unwelcomed wooers. What follows is an exciting — and quite as gory — as anything you have ever read. Here is where the intrigue and romance of the opular historical novel is at its height. Anyone who has read Homer’s Illaid and/or Odyssey, who has the slightest liking for Greek or Roman mythology (and we all do), or who just plain enjoys down-right good reading cannot afford to miss Homer’s Daugh ter. This book is definitely the answer to the readers’ invoca tion to the Muses. Bowser Hailed As 'First Rate Guy' By IONA CRAWFORD 'The music assembly in the Administration Building was full of animated seniors excit edly talking about commence ment plans. Standing over by a window was a serious looking student talking quietly to the secretary of the senior class. After a few minutes, he walked over to the platform, assumed the stage and called the meet ing to order. This seemingly un assuming and quiet young man is Purcell R. Bowser, president of the senior class. Those who know Purcell know him as a guy who is not as quiet nor unassimiing nor seri ous as a stranger might think he is. And every one on campus knows that he is friendly and has the qualities of good lead ership. Purcell emerged as a leader at Calvin S. Brown High School in Winton, North Carolina. When he graduated in June 1950, He had been president of the sophomore and senior classes, vice-president of the junior class, a member of the Crown and Scepter Club, and the New Farmers of America. Also active in sports, he is still remembered in Winton as a star football and basketball player. Purcell, whose home is in Co field, is a biology major and chemistry minor. That he is a good academic student can be determined by the fact that he Warfield Closes Lyceum Series With Superb Concert Performance By A. V. ROTIDE On the evening of March 30, the celebrated William War field strode onto the stage of B. N. Duke Auditorium and sang Mozart’s Mentre ti lascio. Before he had finished singing this one song, everyone in the packed auditoriirai knew that he Was in for an evening of rare musical entertainment. It has been a long, long time since a baritone of Mr. War field’s quality has appeared on the NCC concert stage, or we believe, any other concert stage. He possesses a voice so vibrant ly rich that it gives one the de lightful feeling of being so full of music that one’s cup of pleasure is going to flow over. HIGHLY ACCLAIMED The first half of the concert was composed of the works of Mozart, Loewe, Mendelsson and Brahms. Warfield, with a few ej^ceptions, sang these songs in German. The song that met with the greatest ovation during this section of the pro gram was Purcell’s The Trum pet Tune from “Dioclesions.” The second half of the pro gram, with the exceptions of Ballantadel Mondo:Ecco il mondo, from “Mefistofele” by PURCELL R. BOWSER has been named to Who’s Who In American College’s and Uni versities and is a member of Beta Kappa Chi Scientific Hon orary Society. That he is active in extracurricular activities can be seen in his student govern ment affiliations. He is vice- president of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Last year he was president of the “frat,” and he is president of this year’s grad uating class. This is the type of student that any school would be proud of and it gives' the ECHO great pleasure to name Mr. Bowser as our Student of the Month. Minister Says— Christians Shouldn't Overdo It Boito and Aria—Vison Fugitive, from “Herodiade” by Massenet included folksongs and spiri tuals. It was in these areas that 'Mr. Warfield found his true medium. Singing with great ease and deep feeling he capti vated the audience to the point where they wished he would continue singing for hours more. The ovations accorded Mr. Warfield are not often heard in B. N. Duke. While he sang en cores, the delighted audience would burst into applause upon a song being announced or in the middle of a song. “PORGY” AND ENCORES Mr. Warfield, who was long the star of “Porgy and Bess,” did two of the numbers from this show as encores. They were “It Ain’t Necessarily So” and “I Got Plenty of Nothin!” The last encore number that the superb artist did was “Ole Man River,” the song that first brought him to the attention of the American public. And on this night, it doubtedly brought him greater applause than any other song. This was Warfield’s first ap pearance at NCC. In fact, it was his first appearance in Durham. By REV. PRESTON N. WILLIAMS College Minister James Thurber tells the fable of a bear who frequently went on sprees of drunkenness and would come home at night in this condition, throw his weight around the house, break the furnitvire, frighten his children, and drive his wife to tears. Then one day he decided never to touch a drop again. Ever there after he would come home and demonstrate how fresh he still was at the end of the day and how vigorous his new manner of life had made him by doing gymnastic exercises in the liv ing room, throwing his arms akimbo, thus again breaking the furniture, frightening his chil dren, and driving his wife to tears. The moral of this tale is: It is better to faU flat on your face than to lean over backward too far. THE PRE-EMINENCE OF CHRIST Today it appears that the church is guilty of leaning over too far backward when it fails to proclaim the all-sufficiency of Christ in a society which has come to believe that any religion is all right just so it is a person al belief or opinion. If Chris tianity is to survive, it must seek to embrace the goal “That ^FARLUS^OSPICK BUT HE. STILL NEEDS VJILDROCT CREAM-OIUOM WHAT'S LEFT.? by AU CAPP I'LL SAVE II BUT-sOs.''-VOU , VOU, RUINED MVSALE.'? CHIEF." I NOW, HE DOESM’T -AND,WHEN IT GROWS BACK, BE SURE TO CONDITIOM IX THE NATURAL WAV, WITH Wl LDROOT CREAM -01U — AMERICA'S FAVORITE/:' KEEPS HAIR NEAT, BUT NEVER-uGh.'^-GREA^.'? RELIEVES DRVNESS.T GET WiLDROpr- NAME MISS PIMPLE- TON.'T 6KOOMS TNI HAil KfltCVtS DITNnS PrtMOVES LOOSI OiNDtUrV ONUV CREAM-OIU GROOMS- AND CONDITIONS HAIR — THE NATURAL WAV//'- in all things, He, Christ, might have the preeminence.” To deny this goal is either to sayJZ;iari^. tianity is one among many re ligion and they are all equally true, or it is to say Christ is pre eminent but only in matters of religion and not in the whole of: life. Both of these solutions are distasteful to the Christian. The’ first because it denies that Chris tianity possesses the truth; the second because it says that the truth possessed is limited and confined to only one aspect of life. MUST HAVE ONE MASTER If Christ is to be first in our life, we cannot have two or more masters. It becomes impos sible for us to adopt or do any thing purely upon the basis that everybody, society, or the cul tured person is doing thus and so. This is the way we ought to react as Christians. Nonetheless, we Christians too seldom act in such a manner, instead, wa abandon the habits of conduct, the attitudes of mind and heart which we learned in Christ, and adopt other ways of action and thought, not because we hav« found the former to be false Christian practices, but rather because society is against the Christian pattern of living and sanctions the other. A CHRISTIAN’S DUTY 'The true Christian never blandly casts aside has faith in order to embrace the latest fad, nor does he permit his faith tO' generate into a utilitarian de device for the securing of some imagined idol; but he constantly uses his Christian faith as a God given standard by which he can test the truth and falsity of ev ery aspect of society. Christ pre-eminent means that the Christian stands not in the midst of society but partly out side of it, pointing out its fail ures and working to alter its (Turn to Page Ten)
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