ANTAEUS
BY BORDEN DEAL
SUMMARY
The first person narrator of this story is an unnamed young city boy who hangs out with a
group of friends. When T.J. moves into his building from the rural South, the narrator
invites him to join the gang. T.J. wants to plant a field in his new home. He and the other
boys agree to plant grass in their secret place-an unused flat roof of a neighborhood
factory. They haul earth up to the roof and plant stolen seeds. One day, as they look at the
sprouting grass, the factory owner discovers them and orders “all that junk” removed. After
protesting, the boys follow T.J.’s lead and destroy their garden themselves. T.J. leaves the
city; he is found two weeks later, heading home to Alabama. None of the boys ever returns
to the roof.
VOCABULARY
1. resolute - firm and purposeful; determined
2. domain - territory
3. contemplate - consider; look at or think about carefully
4. shrewd - clever
5. inert - inactive
6. dilating - becoming wider
7. desecrating - showed disrespect for
8. esoteric - specialized; beyond most people’s understanding or knowledge
9. sterile - barren; lacking interest or vitality
10. descended - went down
COMPREHENSION
The boys like T.J.’s ideas
The boys decide to grow their garden on the roof of the building because they consider the
roof their own space
Hauling dirt up to the top of the building is a difficult task. The boys do not give up because
T.J. wants to complete the project.
T.J. is angry at the owner of the building because T.J. feels the garden belongs to the gang.
T.J. gives in to the other boys about raising grass in the roof garden because he just wants
to grow something.
READING SKILLS AND STRATEGIES: IDENTIFYING PURPOSE
The main purpose of “Antaeus” is to describe the emotional power of a person’s homeland.
“What do you mean, putting this on the roof of my building?” is a quote that does not
support the main purpose of “Antaeus”.
ALLUSION
The title of the story indicates that as long as T.J. can work with the soil he will be happy
and strong.
T.J., a modern - day Antaeus, draws his strength and his happiness from the soil.
WRITTEN RESPONSE
The owner is like Hercules because as an adult, and as an owner of the tallest building in
the neighborhood, he’s much more powerful than any of the children. Like Hercules, his
order to shovel off the roof essentially removes T.J. from the only thing he could ever
consider “home” - the earth.
T.J. is like Antaeus because his strength is tied to the earth. Once the earth is taken away
from him, he has no strength left and returns home.
The owner and T.J. are like Hercules and Antaeus because their argument is like the battle
between the two mythical charaters.
The boys are like Antaeus because they also gain strength from the earth. They become
stronger people and understand the world better after they work with the earth.
Like Antaeus, the boys lose their strength once the earth is taken away from them. They
never return to the rooftop after their garden is taken away.