Sara Garcia Mr. Rosenast AP Literature 15 December 2014 Is it? Or is it not? When The Odyssey was first written by Homer in ancient Greece, it opened up a new form of storytelling that has been constantly imitated throughout time. Its format consists of a journey in which a hero meets many obstacles and hardships that must be overcome in order to achieve their overall goal. From the story of Hercules to the 1930’s As I Lay Dying the format has survived and undergone changes. William Faulkner’s novel consists of a dysfunctional family on a journey motivated largely by self-interest, where in the end their familial ties are all but disintegrated. Establishing As I Lay Dying as the archetypal form of an odyssey, Little Miss Sunshine is not a modern …show more content…
The archetypal format follows the family on a journey, driven somewhat by self-interest, where they encounter obstacles that they must overcome. And in the end of As I Lay Dying the overall goal of burying Addie is resolved, but out of all of the ulterior motives, only one character is allowed satisfaction. Anse in the end gets his teeth, at the expense of Dewey Dell and he finds a new wife and mother for his family, the new Mrs. Bundren. In the end of As I Lay Dying after they have buried Addie, after Anse has finally gotten what he wanted; the family is simply left with confusion. Darl has been committed to an insane asylum, Cash is in a troubling situation with his leg, Jewel has lost his horse, Dewey Dell does not have her abortion, and Vardaman has still not found his mother. The family has been pulled apart throughout the story; their confusion and separation can clearly be seen in the end. Darl has been separated from his family, showing how the family is disintegrating; this journey did not bring them together, it pulled them apart. The confusion is evident in the character of Vardaman. Throughout the whole novel, he has been trying to find his mother. “My mother is a fish,” was his first conclusion. “Jewels mother is a horse,” therefore his mother is a horse, was his second conclusion (Faulkner). He is trying to transfer his mother’s soul so that he can find her and then again in the end Anse presents him with a new host. Who is Vardaman’s mother in the end? The dead corpse, a fish, a horse, or a stranger? His confusion is just the peak of the iceberg, the rest of the family being infested by the same feeling. The truth is never revealed to them, not by anybody else, and definitely not by each other. In the end all they are left thinking is, what just
Le Morte d’Arthur and many other stories have many wonderful archetypes in them. The definition of an archetype is a typical character action or situation that seems to represent universal patterns of human nature. This means that things represent things that naturally happen and will still happen. Archetypes play into Le Morte d'Arthur by showing how the character act and react with other characters and objects. In Thomas Malory´s Le Morte d´Arthur he illustrates the three types of archetypes they include character, situational, and symbolic.
Archetypes are a common theme in many ancient mythologies across the world, and have become a common characteristic in modern day pop culture. A popular archetype is the Trickster, which has a strong influence in the popular T.V. show Supernatural. The trickster archetype in Supernatural is similar to the tricksters Loki in the Prose Edda and Prometheus in Roman culture because they share similar powers, they experiences a battle of wits with the gods, and the outcomes of the trickster’s deeds lead to their punishment. The trickster in Supernatural is also very similar to the god trickster Loki in the Prose Edda because of their relationship between the other gods.
“God’s will be done, now I can get teeth,” Anse says after Addie’s death. To some people, it may seem weird that someone wants new teeth, and to others, it might make them wonder if he’s sad about his wife’s death. Anse Bundren, a middle-aged man, has a reputation of being a lazy and selfish person. But how does that play a role in As I Lay Dying? How has Anse’s relationship with his family, his wife, and himself affect the outcome of the story? Another thing about Anse is his view of Addie’s death. How has Anse Bundren become dead in the story, but is really still alive?
In both Homer’s The Odyssey and the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? the audience is given an opportunity to experience a spectacular adventure, filled with not only the sense of journey, but also the senses of peril and excitement. A tale about a Greek hero being compared to a film set in Middle America starring three jail-escapees seems rather far-fetched. However, upon closer inspection, both actually share a lot in common. The Odyssey stars Odysseus, a man famous for his heroics in the Trojan War. O Brother, Where Art Thou? shows a bit of a contrast by starring Ulysses, a former convict who escaped and began looking for “A Treasure”. So by default, one would assume that that these two stories would be completely different. However, it ends up being quite the opposite. The two stories are so remarkably alike that it is almost staggering. However, it may not just be simple similarities that make the two so alike. The main reasons why the two characters are so alike are not so much the actions that they take, as oppose to the overall human emotional aspect of the two pieces of work. For example, we see that both Odysseus and Ulysses are invested in their lives with their families, and as such, they never have a moment where they stop thinking about the lives they used to live. Both characters are extremely alike in terms of thoughts, skills, and experiences. They are both profound tacticians, as well as being rather strong and good looking men. So in the end, both of these men have plenty in common on the emotional and psychological levels.
Stories like The Odyssey remind readers that even the toughest people have weak spots. It is easy to be blinded by the strength and valor these heroes display and forget that everyone has pitfalls. It can prove refreshing to be reminded that even the most thick-skinned people are just humans too. Seeing a hero make questionable decisions or act on their emotions can be reassuring, especially to be reminded that hero is not a synonym for perfect. This effect is why these stories have been popular for
In As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner comments on how death affects individuals differently and how sanity is not defined by a mental state but rather by a community of people. Varying viewpoints in narratives, allow the reader to gain insight into the character's thoughts. However, he uses perspectives outside of the Bundren family in order for the reader to create some sort of truth.
In his 1984 novel Jitterbug Perfume, Tom Robbins presents a narrative that rivals the often fantastical tales told in myth. Using classical mythology as a foundation, and, in particular, providing a loose adaptation of The Odyssey by Homer, Robbins updates and modifies characters and concepts in an effort to reinforce the importance of the journey of life and the discovery of self. Like the ancient myth-makers, Robbins commands the reader’s attention with outrageous situations and events while at the same time providing characters that the reader can relate to and learn from.
“As I Lay Dying, read as the dramatic confrontation of words and actions, presents Faulkner’s allegory of the limits of talent” (Jacobi). William Faulkner uses many different themes that make this novel a great book. Faulkner shows his talent by uses different scenarios, which makes the book not only comedic but informational on the human mind. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner is a great book that illustrates great themes and examples. Faulkner illustrates different character and theme dynamics throughout the entire novel, which makes the book a humorous yet emotional roller coaster. Faulkner illustrates the sense of identity, alienation, and the results of physical and mental death to show what he thinks of the human mind.
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.
During the course of history, the world has seen many fine works of literature like Homer’s epic, Odyssey. This book is a standard against which to compare all literary novels. The symbolism permeates the pages drawing the reader into the intriguing plot that includes twists within the central theme. Also, the author intelligently uses imagery and diction painting dramatic images in the reader's mind - building upon major the themes.
Horrendous pain and suffering worthy of masochists is something that any sane person would shy away from. Yet, authors from all eras of time find those experiences pleasing to put down on paper. The Odyssey of Homer, as translated by Allen Mandelbaum, alongside William Golding’s Lord of the Flies are two such works of literature where the author writes about the agonies of their main characters, Odysseus and Ralph, respectively. Odysseus of The Odyssey of Homer and Ralph of Lord of the Flies are two characters who endured the backlash of divine powers and the pain of betrayal, yet they persevered onwards in their journeys towards success, teaching readers it is possible to push on past all of life’s challenges.
The Ancient Greeks sought to define how humans should view their lives and how to create an existence dedicated to the basis of the “ideal” nature. This existence would be lived so as to create an “honorable” death upon their life’s end. Within their plays, both dramas and comedies, they sought to show the most extreme characteristics of human nature, those of the wise and worthy of Greek kleos along with the weak and greedy of mind, and how they were each entitled to a death but of varying significance. The Odyssey, their greatest surviving drama, stands as the epitome of defining both the flawed and ideal human and how each individual should approach death and its rewards and cautions through their journeys. Death is shown to be the consequence
In conclusion, the “Odyssey” is one of the greatest literary works ever known and this literary analysis should help the reader to understand the important components of the novel such as theme, characters, relationships, symbols, motifs, literary devices, and tone.
The theme we created for Death and the Miser is “It’s important to do the right thing even if others think it is wrong.” Our theme relates to our story because the Miser steals money from the church which is bad, but gives it back to the poor which is good. My two genre connections were “Pocahontas” the movie by Disney DreamWorks and “The Leap” the story by Louise Erdrich.
Lawall, Sarah N. “The Odyssey.” The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. 8th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006. 206-495. Print.