Pandora's Box: a book club kit

Where it comes from. Hesiod, a farmer and poet in Greece, told this about 2,700 years ago. In his telling it was a jar, and Hope stayed inside.

In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). Zeus gives Pandora, the first woman, a sealed jar and tells her never to open it. Curious, she lifts the lid a crack and a swarm of troubles such as Sickness, Sorrow and Worry flies out into the world. Only Hope is left inside the jar, a comfort for everyone since.

Reading plan, by the story's parts. Meeting 1: Part One, “The Stolen Fire” and Part Two, “All the Gifts”, pages 1–7 (about 5 minutes aloud); Meeting 2: Part Three, “The Lid” and Part Four, “Hope”, pages 8–12 (about 3 minutes aloud). Each stop's own questions, which never give away what comes next: Pandora's Box by chapter.

Questions to talk about

1. What is Pandora's box?
   The story's answer: In the Greek myth it is a sealed jar that Zeus gave to Pandora. When she opens it, troubles escape into the world, and only Hope stays inside.
2. Was it a box or a jar?
   The story's answer: A jar. In the original Greek story by Hesiod, Pandora opens a large jar. The word became “box” in later translations.
3. What does Pandora mean?
   The story's answer: Pandora means “all the gifts” in Greek. In the story every god gave her a gift, such as weaving, charm and curiosity.
4. What was left in Pandora's jar?
   The story's answer: Hope. After all the troubles flew out, Hope stayed behind in the bottom of the jar, so there is always some hope left.
5. What does this myth explain, or try to explain?
   Listen for: Many myths explain how something came to be: a season, an animal, a name.
6. Was the main character right or wrong? Was the ending fair?
   Listen for: Myths are often hard on people; let the group disagree.

Did you know?

• Hesiod, a farmer and poet in Greece, told it about 2,700 years ago. In his telling it was a jar, and Hope stayed inside.
• The name Pandora means “all the gifts” in Greek.
• The “box” came later, from a mistranslation of the Greek word for jar.

Activity: Make a new myth

Each reader explains something they see every day (why cats purr, why puddles dry up) with a short made-up myth of their own, told round the circle in three sentences.