Hot Takes on the Classics

• Episode 7: Epic of Gilgamesh: Superhuman Friendship

  DescriptionIn this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Tim McIntosh and Emily Maeda journey into the world’s oldest surviving epic, The Epic of Gilgamesh. They explore how the story dramatizes philia, or friendship, through the bond between Gilgamesh and Enkidu—a friendship that transforms a tyrant into a true man. From their first clash to their adventures slaying monsters, and finally to Enkidu’s death, the hosts unpack the role of friendship as a civilizing force, a mirror of ourselves, and a source of both joy and grief.Episode OutlineIntroduction: Why start friendship with the world’s oldest epic?Background on The Epic of Gilgamesh and its Mesopotamian contextGilgamesh the tyrant and the gods’ creation of Enkidu as his counterbalanceThe forging of friendship: wrestling, recognition, and solidarityAdventures together: the Cedar Forest and the slaying of HumbabaThe grief of Enkidu’s death and Gilgamesh’s confrontation with mortalityThe search for immortality and the wisdom gained in failureComparison to Achilles and Patroclus in Homer’s IliadThe theme of fame vs. wisdom: what endures in human memory?Closing reflections and preview of next episodeKey Topics & TakeawaysFriendship as Humanizing Power: Gilgamesh’s tyranny is undone by friendship—his bond with Enkidu turns him from a destroyer into a true king.The Shared Quest: Their adventures dramatize the power of philia: shared labor, shared danger, and shared joy as the basis of community.Grief and Mortality: Enkidu’s death shatters Gilgamesh, revealing how friendship not only ennobles but also exposes us to profound loss.The Search for Immortality: The epic wrestles with what lasts: glory, monuments, or wisdom. In the end, Gilgamesh learns that human meaning lies in love and the endurance of community.Ancient Echoes in Later Literature: The friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu prefigures later literary friendships like Achilles and Patroclus, David and Jonathan, and Sam and Frodo.Questions & DiscussionHow does the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu transform the meaning of kingship?Consider how Gilgamesh changes after meeting Enkidu. Discuss what this says about friendship’s power to humanize authority.What does Enkidu’s death teach us about love and mortality?Reflect on how grief reveals both the cost and the depth of true friendship. Consider if love exists without vulnerability to loss.Why do ancient epics so often pair heroes with companions?Explore parallels with Achilles and Patroclus or David and Jonathan. Define what makes companionship central to heroism.What endures: fame, monuments, or wisdom?Discuss whether the pursuit of lasting glory or the acceptance of human limits offers a truer path to meaning.Is friendship a luxury or a necessity?Engage Tim’s hot take. Consider if a person can truly become human without philia.Suggested ReadingThe Epic of Gilgamesh by Andrew GeorgeThe Iliad by Homer translated by Emily Wilson: Achilles and Patroclus The Bible: 1 Samuel (David and Jonathan’s friendship)The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis

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• Episode 6: East of Eden, John Steinbeck: The American Epic

  DescriptionIn this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh dive into John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, exploring how the novel wrestles with the tension between familial affection (storge), honesty, and moral responsibility. The hosts examine Steinbeck’s portrayal of family bonds marked by both tenderness and devastation, paying special attention to the complex relationships between parents, children, and siblings. Together, the hosts probe Steinbeck’s vision of love, inheritance, and choice.Episode OutlineIntroduction and Steinbeck’s place in American literatureThe role of affection (storge) in East of EdenFamily as both a haven and a crucible of painSibling rivalries: echoes of Cain and AbelThe Trask family and inherited patterns of sinCathy/Kate as a force of destruction and anti-storgeThe concept of timshel (“thou mayest”) as a message of human freedom and responsibilityHow affection, truth, and cruelty intertwine in Steinbeck’s moral visionClosing reflections on the legacy of East of EdenKey Topics & TakeawaysStorge in Steinbeck’s World: Steinbeck presents affection as essential to family life, but always precarious—capable of nurturing or corroding depending on whether it is tethered to truth.The Cain and Abel Pattern: The story mirrors the biblical narrative of Cain and Abel, showing how rivalry and jealousy warp affection within families.The Dark Counterpart: Cathy/Kate: Through Cathy/Kate, Steinbeck shows what happens when familial love is replaced with manipulation and malice, corrupting natural affection into something destructive.Timshel and Moral Agency: The novel insists that despite inherited patterns, humans retain freedom—“thou mayest”—to choose goodness over cruelty.Questions & DiscussionHow does Steinbeck’s use of the Cain and Abel story shape our understanding of family rivalry in East of Eden?Reflect on how biblical archetypes deepen our reading of sibling conflict. Consider if these stories resonate with modern family struggles.What role does Cathy/Kate play as a foil to natural affection?Consider how her rejection of storge sharpens the novel’s exploration of love’s absence. Decide if she is purely a villain, or something more complex.What does Steinbeck mean by timshel—“thou mayest”?Discuss how this theme of choice reshapes our view of fate, family inheritance, and moral responsibility.Can affection stand alone without truth? Can truth stand alone without affection?Explore Tim’s hot take. Discuss examples in the novel—or in life—where sentimentality or cruelty distort what should have been true love.Suggested ReadingEast of Eden by John Steinbeck The Bible: Genesis 4 (Cain and Abel)The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis   

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• Episode 5: Sorry, Professor – Jo’s Heart Belonged to Laurie All Along

  DescriptionIn this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily and Tim dive into Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, a quintessential American novel exploring the power of familial affection, or storge. Through the domestic world of the March sisters, the novel celebrates love that is rooted in everyday acts of care, sacrifice, and support. Tim and Emily discuss the enduring impact of the book—especially its deep appeal for young women—and the formation of character through simple joys, sibling tensions, and motherly wisdom. Along the way, they debate adaptations, Austen echoes, and whether Louisa May Alcott made the right romantic choices for Jo. Emily’s Hot Take: Joe should’ve married Laurie. No matter how much we try to appreciate Professor Bhaer, Laurie was the one. Period.Episode OutlineOpening ReflectionsLiterary Value and Canon StatusPortrait of a FamilyCharacter SpotlightsHistorical and Cultural ContextMovie AdaptationsKey Topics & TakeawaysLittle Women offers an idealized but powerful vision of affection (storge) within a family.Joe March serves as a formative figure for generations of readers, particularly girls.The March family embodies the American ideal of virtue over wealth, simple joys over splendor.Literature with female protagonists often receives less exposure among boys—why?Canon-worthiness isn’t only about literary perfection but also about emotional and cultural resonance.Movie adaptations shape popular memory of books—sometimes more than the books themselves.Questions & DiscussionDoes Little Women belong in the Western canon? Why or why not? Consider the book's artistic merits alongside its cultural impact. Define a classic in your view.Why do young readers form such strong attachments to characters like Jo March? Identify a fictional character who shaped your own identity or dreams. Name the qualities that made them powerful to you.What do we gain—and lose—by reading books with protagonists who differ from us in gender, time, or culture? Consider how engaging with characters unlike ourselves can deepen empathy and expand our perspective.Was Louisa May Alcott right to have Jo marry Professor Bhaer instead of Laurie? Share your take. How does Little Women shape our understanding of affection (storge)? Explore what this novel teaches about family, sacrifice, and the ordinary beauty of home life.Suggested ReadingLittle Women by Louisa May Alcott  Little Men by Louisa May AlcottAnne of Green Gables by L. M. MontgomeryEmily of New Moon by L. M. MontgomeryPride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The Great Gatsby by F. Scott FitzgeraldBrave New World by Aldous HuxleyThe Great Divorce by C. S. LewisScrewtape Letters by C. S. LewisLittle Britches by Ralph MoodyThe Odyssey by Homer translated by Emily WilsonJane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 

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• Episode 4: Beyond Sentimentality – The Odyssey’s Vision of Wholeness in a Disenchanted World

  DescriptionIn this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh explore Homer’s Odyssey as a foundational story of familial love and longing. They examine Odysseus as the archetypal man of arete, whose journey is motivated by storge—a profound affection for home, wife, and son. From Penelope’s weaving to Telemachus’ awakening, the episode explores how the epic gives voice to the restorative power of love rooted in place and people. Emily offers a powerful hot take: that The Odyssey reclaims nostalgia not as a sentimental escape, but as a noble longing for wholeness—something sorely missing in the modern, disenchanted view of home.Episode OutlineThe Odyssey as the Blueprint for Western StorytellingOdysseus as the Hero of AreteNostalgia as a Restorative ForcePenelope’s Weaving as Faith and AffectionHospitality, Honor, and DisorderDivine and Mortal ConflictThe Wonder of the Ancient WorldviewThe Final Reckoning and the Hero’s ReturnEmily’s Hot TakeKey Topics & TakeawaysThe Odyssey as Foundational Myth: All Western narrative art borrows from the structure of The Odyssey, with its themes of exile, return, and restoration.Arete and Heroic Cunning: Odysseus is celebrated for his excellence and craftiness, which are essential to his survival and return.Nostalgia as Noble Longing: Unlike the modern form, Homeric nostalgia seeks reunion with the real—family, home, and rooted life.Storge in Action: Penelope’s patience, Telemachus’ growth, and Odysseus’ longing all demonstrate the beauty and cost of affectionate love.Reverence for the Unmapped World: The poem’s enchanted world makes space for mystery—gods, monsters, and fate—which modernity tends to dismiss.Questions & DiscussionHow does Odysseus’ longing for home reflect storge?Think about how affection motivates actions in your life. Is Odysseus’ cleverness a virtue or a vice?Ancient Greeks saw cunning (metis) as heroic, while modern readers may view it as deceit. Consider where the line is between strategy and dishonesty. What role does Penelope’s weaving play in the story?Consider the symbolic meaning of her craft and how it represents emotional labor, resistance, and devotion. How does hospitality function as a moral category in The Odyssey?Explore how welcoming or violating guests defines the moral order in the poem. What distinguishes ancient nostalgia from its modern form?Emily suggests modern nostalgia is escapist, while Homeric nostalgia is a drive toward reintegration. Consider which vision resonates more with your experience.How do the divine elements of The Odyssey influence its moral universe?Explain if the belief in the gods amplifies the stakes of Odysseus’ choices, or diminish his agency.Suggested ReadingThe Odyssey by Homer translated by Emily WilsonThe Iliad by Homer translated by:LattimoreFitzgeraldFaglesWilsonThe Four Loves by C. S. Lewis The Aeneid by Virgil The Western Canon by Harold Bloom Real Presences by George SteinerThe Bible, Genesis 32 (Jacob wrestling the angel)The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien King Lear by William Shakespeare

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• Episode 3: Antigone’s Stand: Love, Loyalty, and Loss

  DescriptionIn this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh tackle Sophocles’ Antigone as part of their series on love—specifically, storge or familial affection. They explore how Antigone’s fierce devotion to her brother puts her in direct conflict with the demands of civic duty, embodied by Creon. As the hosts unpack the moral complexity of Antigone’s choice, they reflect on the tragedy's theological and political stakes and the limits of personal agency in a world shaped by fate, tradition, and law. Emily delivers a provocative hot take: Antigone isn’t a feminist icon in the modern sense—but a powerful figure who fights for values that have historically been associated with women, such as honoring the dead and preserving kinship ties.Episode OutlineIntroduction to the episode and recap of the season’s theme: loveBackground on Antigone and its place in the Theban CycleDefining storge and how it differs from other loves in Lewis’s taxonomyAntigone’s motivation to bury her brother Polyneices as an act of familial devotionCreon’s competing love: duty to the state as a form of civic affectionTragedy and the limits of agency: how characters are bound by the consequences of their choicesDiscussion of Antigone as a feminist figure—affirmed and complicatedThe chorus’s role in shaping audience perspectiveFinal reflections on the tension between love and lawPreview of next episode on friendship (philia)Key Topics & TakeawaysStorge as Sacred Duty: Antigone’s decision to bury her brother exemplifies storge—familial love rooted in loyalty and obligation, even in defiance of civic authority.Love in Conflict with Law: Creon’s decree and Antigone’s defiance stage a tragic clash between two legitimate loves: civic order and family devotion.Tragedy and Human Limitation: Tragedy reveals how well-intentioned actions lead to disaster when individuals cannot escape the consequences of love and loyalty.Modern Readers vs. Ancient Audiences: Today’s audiences often read Antigone as a heroic rebel, but Sophocles portrays her and Creon as equally bound by conflicting obligations, complicating easy moral judgments.Antigone and Feminism: Though often held up as a feminist icon, Antigone is more accurately understood as someone fighting for what women value—family, ritual, and care—rather than political revolution.Questions & DiscussionWhat does Antigone’s devotion to her brother teach us about familial love?Reflect on whether love of family should take precedence over law or civic duty. Is Creon a villain, or is his position understandable?Explore the possibility that both Antigone and Creon are right—and that this mutual “rightness” is what creates the tragedy.How does Antigone redefine what strength and virtue look like?Consider whether Antigone’s strength lies in boldness or vulnerability. In what ways do modern readers misunderstand Antigone’s actions?Consider if we overemphasize Antigone as a symbol of personal freedom and underestimate her rootedness in cultural and religious obligations.How does the idea of tragic inevitability shape the story?Discuss whether any of the characters had the power to avoid the outcome, or if their virtues themselves led inevitably to destruction.Suggested ReadingAntigone by Sophocles The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis  The Iliad by Homer translated by:LattimoreFitzgeraldFaglesWilsonThe Odyssey by Homer translated by Emily Wilson  

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