In this informal Socratic interview, educator Michael Strong chats with six‑year‑old Alana about her recent birthday, her reading of Homer's The Odyssey, and her developing ideas about Greek gods, heroism, war, sacrifice, and identity. Alana explains that turning six feels different because she is taller and older, and she recounts her father's encouragement to reread the epic. She describes the gods as powerful beings who generally want to help humans, noting Poseidon as somewhat mean, Athena as kind, and Zeus as fair. When asked about sacrifice, she equates it with killing for the gods and expresses horror. Alana judges Odysseus as a good person who fights for the Greeks, and she reflects on the horror of war. She shares her favorite adventures—the Cyclops episode and Odysseus’s disguise upon returning home—explaining why she finds the problem‑solving and trickery appealing. The conversation shifts to the concept of disguise versus costume, with Alana distinguishing a disguise as a purposeful concealment of identity, while a costume is a playful outfit. The dialogue ends with Michael congratulating Alana on her birthday and planning a follow‑up.
Chapters
How are you?
Good, how are you?
I'm well. Did you do a tournament yesterday?
A tournament?
Yeah, or not? Okay, you do so many tournaments I never know when you're gonna do one. Um, how about your birthday? When is your birthday?
It's on the 17th, so it passed.
So does that mean you're 6 years old now?
Yes.
Wow, congratulations!
Thank you.
Does it feel different being 6?
It does feel different, actually, but I also like being 5 too.
How does it feel differently to be 6?
Because you're like a different age and you're taller and you've grown.
Okay. Marvelous, marvelous. And your dad says you're reading The Odyssey again?
Yes.
How's that going?
It's going good.
So I— because he showed it to me, I looked at it a little bit, and in the beginning there's all this talk about the gods, Zeus and Athena and so forth. You remember that?
Yes.
What do you think about those gods? Um, are those gods Why are those gods messing with the human lives, our lives?
Well, we don't know. Maybe it's because they want them to have a different life, or maybe they just want them to be happy.
You think the gods in The Odyssey want the humans to be happy?
For my preference, I think.
Okay. Do you think the gods are Well, what are the gods? That's— I was going to say, are they nice people? But are they people or not? What are they?
Well, I think they're people but with powers, and they're gods. They can do amazing things that other people and people below can't. But I think they help them.
So you think they're kind of like special, special people with superpowers?
Not with superpowers, just with, um, kind. They're kind, like they want to help Odysseus.
Do you think any of them are mean gods?
Well, I would say the god of the sea would be a little mean.
Poseidon?
Yeah, Poseidon will be a little mean.
Why do you think he's mean?
Well, first Athena tries to help Odysseus, but then Poseidon came in and said he blinded my son. But he— but Zeus said, god of all gods, that he is— but don't forget about his big sacrifices that he made for them.
So do you think— so Athena Athena does seem to be pretty, pretty good to Odysseus. Does that seem fair to say?
Yeah.
What do you think? Why do you think Athena is nice to Odysseus?
Wait, Athena or—
or I say Athena. Yeah, but why do you think Athena is, uh, why do you think Athena is nice to Odysseus or supports him or How would you say, what is the relationship?
If you think between them, because she's pleased with all the things that they— that he's done for her and the gods, so maybe that's why she tries to help him.
Okay, um, so we're, we're not sure why Poseidon is mean. Um, do you think Zeus is fair? Between Athena and Poseidon?
Yes, I think Zeus is fair because even though Odysseus blinded Podestas' son, um, but Zeus still tries to help him because of all the sacrifices and all the helping that he, that he's done.
What is a sacrifice exactly?
A sacrifice is like killing someone just for the gods or something, or I don't know.
That sounds like a horrible thing to do.
Yeah, it's a horrible thing. I never want to be sacrificed.
Um, okay, uh, so is Odysseus a good person? Do you like Odysseus?
I do, I, I do.
What do you like about him?
That he also fights by the Greeks, not by the Trojans. But I also like the Trojans too, but they did a bad thing though.
So what do you make of this war stuff where people are killing each other? Doesn't that seem kind of horrible?
Yeah, it is horrible, but you don't know who's gonna win.
But Okay.
And now you finally know who won.
And how about this voyage that Odysseus is going on? What do you make of that long voyage?
So he had all these adventures and problems that he had to solve by himself and with his men.
Do you think that it's interesting to see him solving all these problems?
Yes, it's interesting for me.
What is your favorite adventure that he goes through?
I would say the Cyclops. I think he would— I think that's my favorite.
Why? Why is the Cyclops your favorite?
Because it— because, because I like how he solves the problem from the— from him eating his men.
Okay, and how exactly does he solve that problem?
By going under the belly of the sheep and waiting for him to open, and then I think he let the sheep out, and then he crawled back out.
So do you think that the Cyclops is a bad guy?
Well, for me, yes, but, but it's hard to tell.
Okay, and what's your second favorite adventure?
My second favorite adventure is when he gets back because I like how he disguises himself.
What makes you like that?
Because he, he also is disguised, but he's trying to help out. But when he gets there, the first one he is to meet with is Timotheus, his son. And he briefly said, do not tell your mother about this, because he wanted to keep it a secret. And then he And then he showed himself, then the teachers were down.
So it sounds like you like the kind of the secret and the disguise and sort of the tricky. Do you like the tricky part?
Yes, I like the tricky part.
Do you ever go in costumes? Have you ever tried to disguise yourself?
Not really.
On Halloween, do you dress up in costumes?
Yes, but the last Halloween I was someone, but I really looked like it.
What's the difference between a disguise and dressing up in a costume?
Well, a disguise is different because, because you're just Acting like you're someone else and, um, skin texture same but different, and you're hiding all your body parts and pretending they're not as, as good as who you want to be. Like, like Odysseus was disguised as a, as a beggar, but his muscles have shown out. So easily won on another beggar. So maybe that's why he won, or maybe just because he wants to see how the beggar, how the other beggar had lost.
Okay, well, it's interesting to think about maybe Alana being disguised someday. And because if you like—
I'll be a guy someday.
What?
Or maybe my brother being disguised.
There you go. Well, I think this sounds like you are really enjoying this book. I am. So I am going to congratulate you on being 6, and we'll check back in next week. How's that sound?
