Troy By Adele Geras Essay

People are motivated by many things but love and friendship can completely change a person’s way of living. In the novel, Troy, by Adele Geras a war has begun between two civilizations. The Greeks have waged war upon the Trojans because of their prince of Troy, Paris. A young married woman named Helen decided she would rather be with Paris of Troy then with her own husband, Menelaus of Sparta. Menelaus was distraught and wanted revenge which began The Trojan War. When love and friendship is involved they cause people to make uncharacteristic or rash decisions.

At the beginning of the novel, Xanthe falls for a young man that came to the blood room. She seeks his attention but doesn’t understand what will change of her because of this.

Xanthe let Alaster’s hand fall to the pallet. She looked at the tiles on the floor, so that she would not have to meet his mother’s pale and hostile stare. Why, she thought, am I so weak? I should tell her. I should say something. A hand holding your is a comfort when you are in pain. I’m helping your son, and if you truly loved him, you would want him to be soothed, made better. I’m a person, too. I’m not nothing to be pushed

aside by you, or anyone. Xanthe sighed. (Geras 17)
This quote proves that she seeks his attention but doesn’t understand how it will change her because in the beginning she changes for Alaster’s mother.

She is holding his hand but lets it go because Alaster’s mother makes her. This makes me realize that Xanthe is scared of disobeying Alaster’s mother. “She prayed that no one else would be brought to them today and that Charitomene would not find her some other task to do. I wish, she thought. I wish I could sit here and look at him forever. She took his hand in her hand and held it tight.” (Geras 20)This quote proves that she seeks his attention but doesn’t know how it will change her because she wishes that no one will bother her when she is with him. This shows how she is changing her schedule or a part of her life and how she lives because of her love for

him.
Xanthe realizes that she can not live her normal life without Alaster because of how much she loves him.
Alaster’s bed was empty. She went over to it and bent down to touch the bedclothes, saying to herself: You’re mad, Xanthe. You could see from the door that he isn’t here. What are you doing feeling about among the covers, as though he had flattened himself to nothing? She sighed. Where could he be? His mother, Xanthe thought, the frightful Phrontis, has probably come and gathered him to her bosom, and forced him to go home with her, and I don't even know where his house is. Polyxena knows, though, and I’ll ask her. Xanthe turned to leave. (Geras 144)
The quote proves that Xanthe can not live her normal life without Alaster because of how she uproots her life for him, and how she stops everything that she is doing or what she should be doing in order to be by his side.
Xanthe shook her head. Alaster’s disappeared. I don’t know where he could have gone. Marpessa said she took him to a friend’s house on the day Hector died, but she can’t remember anything about where he is, or what the friend’s name is, and I’m afraid I’ve left it too late. We are still mourning in Andromache’s house , and Astyanax knows there’s something wrong, and he doesn’t exactly know what it is, but it makes him naughty, and fretful at night, and I’m so tired… (Geras 160)
This quote proves that Xanthe can not live her normal life without being with Alaster because she is constantly trying to find a way to get to him. This quote also shows that Xanthe is supposed to be with Lady Andromache because of the tough times that they are having there, based on what Xanthe says.
Xanthe changes the way she typically acts because of her love for Alaster.