The Hero Residing Within Oblivious to events outside of his little town, Homer Macauley encounters emotions, naked and raw, as he learns more in his adventure as a telegraph messenger during a time of war. As a messenger of money, love, and death, Homer is reborn as he quickly matures to deal with the problems he encounters during his journey. Now in the perspective of Joseph Campbell, the one who behind the Hero’s Journey, a hero is someone who undergoes a significant change and is reborn into something greater than their previous selves. This makes Homer a prime example of his idea on the hero’s journey because of how he was forced to change from a young and ignorant teen into a character of great understanding and maturity because of the …show more content…
This all happens during the second great war and his ignorance, because of Homer’s young age and innocence, makes him none the wiser of what is really happening outside of his little world... his, safe haven. This would be his, “ Ordinary World”, the first stage of the hero’s journey and the starting ground. This is where his story begins and where we learn crucial details about our hero, his true nature, capabilities and outlook on life. Later on this plays a huge part, for we are able to empathize with his plight and so we become emotionally invested into the characters which is always a good thing... to the author at least and so at this stage we get to familiarize ourselves with the hero so that we may be able to form a bond later …show more content…
Homer had just been given a letter to deliver and so he did, later finding much to his surprise, that it was a letter of death. Personal doubt and second thoughts flooded his head as he was overcome with anguish and a strong feeling of sickness, so much so that later on he would have a nightmare that would require the aid of his mother so that he would be able to calm his nerves. During this stage the hero suffers somehow, because he must either accept or decline the call to adventure and whether the latter is picked or the other, there will be consequences and that would be the sickness he felt the night he delivered the letter and the intense fear the day of his nightmare. This again is a way for us to make a bond with the character as he is troubled with hardship and may long home the comfort of home as the perilous road of what lies ahead might not be what the hero would
The film itself, teaches the viewers about concepts such as courage, determination, and hard work. To overcome adversities, I, similarly to Homer have used courage, determination, and hard work which I have talked about in the paragraphs above. Homer is forced to make decisions that are very tough in order to succeed, such as, contradicting with his father’s wishes. Adversities can be overcome in all sorts of ways which can be seen through Homer’s experiences, along with mine. At the end of the day, overcoming adversities may cause challenges in itself, but is worth all the pain in the
Watching a film, one can easily recognize plot, theme, characterization, etc., but not many realize what basic principle lies behind nearly every story conceived: the hero’s journey. This concept allows for a comprehensive, logical flow throughout a movie. Once the hero’s journey is thoroughly understood, anyone can pick out the elements in nearly every piece. The hero’s journey follows a simple outline. First the hero in question must have a disadvantaged childhood. Next the hero will find a mentor who wisely lays out his/her prophecy. Third the hero will go on a journey, either literal or figurative, to find him/herself. On this journey the hero will be discouraged and nearly quit his/her quest. Finally, the hero will fulfill the prophecy and find his/herself, realizing his/her full potential. This rubric may be easy to spot in epic action films, but if upon close inspection is found in a wide array of genres, some of which are fully surprising.
Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: 1996 Lucas, D. W., ed. Aristotle: Poetics. Oxford: Oxford U-Clarendon P, 1968.
At beginning, we see Homer interested in one of the popular girls in his school, but she is out of his range. Just like his relationship with his father, he doesn’t get the affection he is so longing for, and because of this he fails to see the quiet but beautiful girl who is lovely inside and out, and who clearly likes him. Once Homer figures out where he belongs, and understands he doesn’t need to play hard for love, he opens up. In conclusion, he needed to get a sense of self and a personal identity. Which led him to remain truthful to himself. By repairing the relationship with his father, he was able to forge a more familiar relationship with others in his
Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. R. Fitzgerald. Bedford Anthology of World Literature Book. Ed. Davis, Paul et al. Vol. 1. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2004. 487-579. Print.
Scott Richardson is attempting, at a first glance, to, in a strange and not altogether believable way, proclaim that Homer is obviously misleading and misinforming his audience, and in this way greatly resembles his own character Odysseus. It seems that he is attempting to convince us, by way of literary arguments, that Homer has irreparably broken the trust between reader and writer, that he has raised multiple false expectations and that he has greatly mislead us on multiple instances. On a second glance, Richardson is endeavoring, still not altogether quite believably, to show that Homer has written in a way that gives the reader
Much of the criticism of Homer's Iliad is focused on the events of the story: the significance of the images, symbols, the role of the Greek Gods, the characters of the story. It seems that many of the critics have forgotten the very important role of Homer as the narrator of the events. His narration undermines the story. He is the medium through which the story is told. Perhaps the ambiguity of not knowing exactly who Homer is, and the fact that it was an oral story long before it was written in the form it is today, is the cause of oversight of the narrative qualities of Homer's Iliad by many critics.
Death is a very important theme, because delivering death messages is what made Homer mature. For example, Homer told his mother 'All of a sudden I feel different—not like I ever felt before.'; (Pg. 33) Delivering telegram message changed everything for Homer because he was no longer a child. Furthermore, delivering death telegrams made Homer sick. At the age of fourteen, when Homer had to deliver death messages, this made him realize that one day he is going to die himself. At the end when Homer realizes his brother's death, Homer said, 'What's a man supposed to do? I don't know who to hate. I don't know what to do.'; (Pg. 186) This showed being a teenager moreover a man, did not solve the problem about death.
In The Odyssey written by Homer and translated by Richard Lattimore, several themes are made evident, conceived by the nature of the time period, and customs of the Greek people. These molded and shaped the actual flow of events and outcomes of the poem. Beliefs of this characteristic were represented by the sheer reverence towards the gods and the humanities the Greek society exhibited, and are both deeply rooted within the story.
The Odyssey is filled with emotion and adventure. Homer’s ability to show and give the reader a visual of each and every scene gives the story its unbelievable significance. To all the people who read his work there is something to be captured within every sentence, each one different in its own, unique way. Through tales of courage and defeat, friendship and love this book tells of all the values within the life of a single, solitary man, and his journey to attain what is true and dear to him. And this journey is known to all of us as The Odyssey. The Odyssey is a test of human devotion and trust through the gods, the mortals, and the obstacles through which they venture. No matter where they go or what they do, humans are tested for certain characteristics everyday of their lives, whether they realize it or not; and The Odyssey is just one of those many miraculous tests.
The Hero’s Journey is an ancient archetype that we find throughout our modern life and also, in the world of literature.Whether metaphorical or real, the journey that a character goes on shows not only the incredible transformation of the hero but it also gives them their life meaning. It is the ultimate human experience and it reflects on every aspect of life. Take Logan, also known as Wolverine, from the X-Men movie as an example. His adventure starts with “The Call,” which is the first step of the Hero’s Journey. This step happens due to the realization of imbalance and injustice that the character has in their life. Logan steps into the first stage of the pattern but is hesitant to start his adventure because he does not know what and
Assignment details: Analyze the components of the hero’s journey. Basically, support the argument that Jaws follows the epic hero cycle. Name specific examples from the movie and connect them to the hero’s journey. However, this is not a plot summary. You are not retelling the story, but selecting examples to support the analysis.
The readers see Homer grow up, see how he becomes acquainted with the people in his life that influence him and his beliefs. By watching Homer grow up, the audience becomes connected to him. An attachment develops between the reader and character, allowing the reader to truly get a sense of Homer’s mindset and why Homer decides to return to St. Cloud’s at the end of the novel and carry out Dr. Larch’s legacy, even if it is not what he believes in. He says in the novel that “I think [abortion] is wrong, but I also think it should be everyone’s personal choice” Irving (431). He also states that “[an embryo] is a baby to me” (Irving 174). The audience learns of these details and Homer’s reasoning to believe that a fetus has a soul. He came to the realization that he does not believe in abortion at a young age, but the readers see him progress throughout the years and see why he does decide to return to St. Cloud’s to carry out his mentor’s
...den tone, and despite all the fame and greatness Hektor has acquired, all is lost in Troy, as a result of his death. Homer must be portraying an anti-war attitude here, otherwise he would surely end the play with the triumph of Achilleus, or the victory of the Argives over Troy. If he had positive or even neutral thoughts about war, he would end with and upbeat triumph, but he does not. The final book makes the Iliad out to be a tragedy, which is exactly what Homer thought war was, an unnecessary tragedy. The point that Homer wants to get across with his final book is that all the action and all the fighting that went on for all those years is not something to be proud of, for it ruined multitudes of lives. The extreme agony and woe only help to show that Homer believes that the positives of war could never encompass all the sorrow and negative consequences of war.
The fact that Homer never clears the hazy and supple relationships between these three unique beings can be seen as a way of pointing out the basic mysteriousness of life and its happenings. Homer surely did not have all the answers about how the universe works, and his masterpiece does not attempt to suggest that he does. It is clear that all men are fated to die, but the willingness of these men, such as Achilles, to do so for something bigger than themselves is what makes The Iliad appeal to the basic humanity and sense of heroics in all readers.