Good afternoon New Trier board members. As a New Trier graduate of 2026 and the head of editorial in the New York Times, I’ve come today to urge you to continue teaching The Odyssey. Often referred to as one of the all time greatest works of fiction, Homer’s The Odyssey is over 2800 years old and still read today. As an ancient poem, not even originally written in English, some question what is so special about this. As a staple in many highschool English classes, including New Trier, The Odyssey has sold over 20 million copies since 1961. While many of you clearly disagree, I argue that The Odyssey needs to continue being part of the curriculum. Although the poem was written thousands of years ago, Odysseus and other characters have human …show more content…
Although it has been around for so long, one thing has tied it together; how human it is. Students need to read The Odyssey in order to understand that people have the same feelings and desires as those thousands of years ago. In a time revolving around technology with never ending workloads, it’s key to understand that humans still have the same core characteristics as they did in a much simpler time when face-to-face relationships were higher valued. One example is the strong mother-child bond that many high schoolers can relate to. On page 191, Odysseus is able to talk to his mother in ghost form after she has passed away. She died while he was away at war; this is the first time he’s able to speak with ther. Odysseus’ mom explains to him how she died, saying, “…only my loneliness for you, Odysseus, for your kind heart and counsel, gentle Odysseus, took my own life away.” While the specific wording used is different then modern day, the message is still clear. Loneliness is something felt by all which was especially magnified during isolation in covid. The admiration she feels towards her son is not something that would be uncommon today, as I’m sure many of you have a meaningful connection with your children. It’s important for students to understand these experiences and the powerful relationships that they have. While times have greatly changed, the shared feelings and experiences we have now compared …show more content…
This is sometimes done through humor and wit, but ends up proving a bigger picture. The most obvious example of this is Odysseus when he fights off Polyphemus on page 156. When asked what his name is, Odysseus replies, “My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, everybody calls me Nohbdy.” While this is witty and tricks Polyphemus, Odysseus gets too full of himself and reveals who he is, which ends up making his life awful. As someone who is quite full of himself, Odysseus shows a great example that people both then and now are all flawed. Throughout the entire story, it becomes clear that Odysseus is laced with arrogance. It’s not uncommon for people to be overly full of themselves. The modern day parallel can be seen in political campaigns or people running for a position of power. This scene is captivating while demonstrating key lessons even from stories long ago. Furthermore, The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood is based off of The Odyssey and told from Penelope’s perspective. While The Odyssey leads you to believe that Penelope was unaware of Odysseus’ true form when disguised as a beggar, The Penelopiad offers additional insight. Page 106 is an example of this. After returning from his adventure and war, Penelope sees Odysseus for the first time. He’s still disguised as a beggar although she can see through his deception. She explains, “I didn’t let on I
“At those words, a black cloud of grief came shrouding over Laertes. Both hands clawing the ground for dirt and grime, he poured it over his grizzled head, sobbing, in spasms. Odysseus’ heart shuddered, and a sudden twinge went shooting up through his nostrils, watching his dear father struggle.” Odysseus is reaching for a feeling of emotional satisfaction so he can feel as if he was so important to be missed, this is shown through his big ego which is leading him to make poor choices, resulting in bad
Homer’s The Odyssey is an epic poem about the journey of the persevering warrior Odysseus. Soon after the birth of his son, Telemachus, Odysseus was sent off to a ten year war. Coming home from war, he encountered many battles, Gods, and monsters that took him off course. During his absence, his wife Penelope was overwhelmed with anxious suitors begging to take her hand in marriage due to Odysseus being gone for twenty years.
Prior to this moment, Odysseus’ wellbeing is made a
The epic poem The Odyssey by Homer deals with themes and ideas that connect with the real, modern world, despite it being a fictional tale written a long time ago. Some of these ideas include the concept of hubris as well as loyalty, both of which the main character, Odysseus, possesses. Although Odysseus can be arrogant and can lead his men into danger, he is a good leader because he uses his intelligence to get his men out of tough situations, and he is loyal and motivational towards them. While Odysseus’ curiosity can get him and his men into tough situations, his intelligence can get them out.
The Odyssey is one of the most famous epic poems of all time. Written by the Greek poet Homer. Odysseus demonstrates his wit and intelligence on many occasions. From his clever escape from the Cyclops to his great thinking when visiting the Laistrygonians. Odysseus is a master strategist who always manages to stay one step ahead of his enemies.
The Odyssey is a 3,000-year-old epic poem organized into 24 books by the Greek poet Homer. This poem entails the long journey home of Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, after the Trojan War. During Odysseus’ absence, his son Telemachus and his wife Penelope are greatly affected since Odyssey is presumed dead. Throughout Books 1 and 2 of The Odyssey, Telemachus helplessly watches suitors plague his mother and home as Poseidon, the God of the Sea, delays Odysseus’s journey home because he angered him by blinding his son Polyphemus. While Odysseus remains absent, suitors devour his goods and urge Penelope to remarry.
The Odyssey is a classic epic that tells the story of an ancient Greek hero named Odysseus and his journey back to his homeland of Ithaca. After fighting in the Trojan War he returns home. This epic poem has been passed down through generations in ways of storytelling, acting, and written text. It has become an essential part of Western literature. The Odyssey is a profound narrative that explores a diverse set of themes, including the consequences of human actions, the importance of loyalty, and the value of hospitality.
The Odyssey, which features the legendary hero Odysseus, is one of the most well-known and significant pieces of literature in the Western canon. The epic poem, written by the ancient Greek poet Homer, describes Odysseus' ten-year journey home from the Trojan War, during which he endures many hardships that put his grit, wit and moral fiber to the test. Odysseus faces many challenges on his journey to his homeland Ithaca and his wife Penelope, including the wrath of the gods, the seductions of women, the perils of the sea, and the threats of his foes. These obstacles each called for him to exhibit certain virtues and abilities. For instance, he must use his intelligence to outwit the giant and escape his grasp, so his fight with the Cyclops
As one of the most prominent epic poems in Greek literature, the Odyssey incorporates many values upheld during the Bronze Age and allows us to understand what the community was like during that time. Readers can gain more insight into the cultural practices and daily life to help expand their knowledge of the Homeric age. Themes such as Xenia and masculinity were highlighted throughout the poem, but the most prevalent theme was the importance of the father and son relationship. The epic emphasizes the negative impacts of a son not having a father figure for guidance and shows how Telemachus needed Odysseus. The Odyssey displays the importance of a father figure for a son’s development as Telemachus’ lack of guidance and connection to his
Odyssey Argumentative Essay Odysseus is an arrogant egotistical warrior who hardly ever takes the blame for his own actions. Since he does not take responsibility it shows his weaknesses that could be used against him if this were a war. Odysseus’s weaknesses are shown equally in the literature and the movie. In some ways the literature showed it better or explained it better than the movie did. But in some ways the movie outlined his weaknesses than the movie because it is more visual than when you are reading the story.
The Odyssey by Homer is an exemplary story that teaches life lessons to those going on a journey for themselves. It illustrates how the challenges and obstacles one may face can help someone become a better leader. The Odyssey highlights one man, Odysseus, a man filled with excessive pride, experiencing the wrath of the god Poseidon. He expects to arrive at his home, Ithaca, safely to reunite with his wife, Penelope, but unfortunately faces many temptations and setbacks. Due to the challenges he faces, it prevents him from arriving home as early as he thought he would.
This quote supports the reason because it shows that Odysseus is struggling with being away from his home for a long period of time, and wants to get back to his wife. This means that he misses his wife Penelope, and he wants to get back to her, which also shows that his loyalty is stays constant with her.. The second reason to prove this is that Odysseus does not like Calypso, which will show that he will remain loyal to Penelope. Odysseus becomes very sad, “But as for great Odysseus-- Hermes could not find him within the cave. Off he sat on a headland, weeping there as always, wrenching his heart with sobs and groans and anguish, gazing out over the barren sea through blinding tears.
The Odyssey by Homer revolves around the character, Odysseus, and his ten-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. As the epic’s idol, he displays the combination of a clever, handsome, and courageous man popular among the mortals as well as the gods. Essentially, he embodies the ideals of the ancient Greek culture, being adorned with many favored characteristics of the era. However, an intriguing aspect of Odysseus lies in his personality. As the protagonist, he does not manifest the entirety of a stereotypical hero because Odysseus has a fatal flaw—his arrogance.
“The Odyssey.” The Norton Anthology of World Literature, Norton, 2001, pp. 225–530. Lawall, Sarah N., and Maynard Mack. “The Aeneid.”
Their father-son relationship is the most important of all throughout the Odysseus and this is proven time and again throughout the entire body of work. Their relationship is not only important to the story itself but to the themes as well. Family is the fundamental principle that not only they have but that the entire family has. Penelope is especially worried for her son as he is not at home and the suitors have planned to kill him on the sea before he can reach home. Xenia has also been passed down to Telemachus even though Odysseus wasn’t there.