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INT. A COLLEGE EXAMINATION ROOM – DAY

Toozie’s honors thesis defense.

Toozie sits at a desk faces Professors Lee, MAZZINI, and ROSENBLUM at a table. Bound copies of Toozie’s honors thesis are on her desk and the professors’ table. All of Toozie and the three professors are quite formally dressed.

Arrayed behind Toozie are various friends and curious lookers-on. They include Chad, Miranda, and Sherman as well as other students. They are rather less formally dressed.

PROFESSOR LEE

Well, Miss Chen, we have certainly come a long way together.

(smiles)

Now clearly for a thesis of this quality there’s little doubt but that you will be taking away highest honors, but obviously it would scarcely be fair if my colleagues and I didn’t get at least one last volley at you before you go on to greater things.

There is a round of light laughter from the audience.

PROFESSOR LEE

I believe that Professor Mazzini has the first question here.

PROFESSOR MAZZINI

Thank you, Professor Lee. Miss Chen, I was wondering if you could expand a bit on your claim in Chapter Three that there are direct parallels between the trope of human sacrifice in classical civilization and that in twentieth-century America.

TOOZIE

Certainly, Professor Mazzini. I think it is important to note that when we speak of “the Greeks” especially we are talking about the civilization of fourth and fifth century Athens. This is a civilization that was sophisticated, wealthy, urban, culturally and intellectually advanced. Much like ours. And much like ours, it did not make an explicit practice of human sacrifice. But they were clearly very interested in human sacrifice as a cultural trope.

PROFESSOR MAZZINI

Iphigenia, for instance.

TOOZIE

Iphigenia is probably the best known example. Another well-known one was the youths and maidens of Athens sent as sacrifices to the Minotaur. Other sacrifices, such as the sacrifice of the daughters of Leos are less well-known but very much on point and of significance to the Athenians: Demosthenes, for example, prominently mentions the sacrifice of the daughters of Leos in his Funeral Oration.

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