Storybook: Planning First Story Update

First Story Focus: Demeter 

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(Painting of Demeter by Howard David Johnson)

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Possibly start with an introductory paragraph to her characteristics? 

• Do I keep it in her narrative?
• if so, does that pull away from the story itself?
• If not, then I am bringing in a third person point of view, which is the opposite of my purpose in this storybook…? 
• Then go into the story from her perspective, utilizing the general plot but skewing them to her biased thoughts 

Alternative start: author’s note at the top describing Demeter? 

• Would take out any possible overwriting…?
• Might lack flow of just starting the story?
• May seem odd and readers might want the description to be part of the story instead?
• If so, it might be a way to better preserve the narrative as a stand alone piece? 

General plot of the myth:

• Cupid shoots Hades with an arrow thus Persephone catches his eye
• Persephone is collecting flowers when sees Hades
• Hades summons chariot 
• Cyane (Greek name?) rises from the deep lake and cries for Persephone not to be taken but to be asked
• Hades is pissed, stabs the lake and creates a road to the underworld taking Persephone with him 
• Demeter starts searching land and sea and olympus for her daughter
• Stumbles upon Cyane who while she can no longer speak she shows evidence of her daughters rape
• in distress, Demeter is torn thus condemns all the land thinking it unworthy unless she has her daughter
• Arethusa, a nymph, while traveling sees persephone and tells demeter that even though she was sad Persephone is living like a queen. also reminds her that this is not the lands faults so don’t punish it
• Even more distraught, Demeter runs to Zeus proclaiming that he must save Persephone from hades’ clutches
• Zeus clarifies that this is actually love Hades has for persephone, not simply a crime
• Eventually Zeus agrees to bring Persephone back to olympus but only if she has not eaten anything from the underworld as ruled by the Fates (Miorai?)
• Persephone is found to have eaten 7 pomegranate seeds while wandering the garden 
• Jealous, least important nymph, Ascalaphus, who was the only person who saw turns her in 
• Therefore persephone now spends many months with her mother in olympus and many months with her husband in the underworld she is happy. But the seasons still ebb and flow depending on when Demeter is with her mother or husband. 

Conclusion?

• If author’s note is at the beginning then conclude with just the story itself?
• Maybe end with the quote in the introduction being better explained? 
• If no author’s note at beginning, explain choices in authors note to close out the update. 

. . . 

This story was based on the Ovid's Metamorphoses II, translated by Tony Kline (2000). 

Other sources include: 

Sources on Demeter/Ceres:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demeter

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceres_(mythology)

http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Demeter.html

Sources on Persephone/Prosperpina:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persephone

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proserpina

http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Persephone.html

Sources on Hades/Pluto:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hades

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto_(mythology)

http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Haides.html