Exploration of Values in Robinson Crusoe, The Odyssey, The Tempest and Gulliver’s Travels
In the novels and epics of Robinson Crusoe, The Odyssey, The Tempest and Gulliver’s Travels the reader encounters an adventurer who ends up on an island for many years and then returns back home. These four stories have another point in common: they are all unusually popular. There is something very appealing to the popular imagination about such narratives. In this essay I will explore the vision of life (or at least some aspects of it) which this novel holds out to us and which is significantly different from the others, no matter how apparently similar the narrative form might be.
Very simply put, these four stories have a similar general narrative structure which goes something like this: (a) a member of a sophisticated European society is accidentally cast adrift into the wilderness, where everything is unfamiliar and there are no apparent aids of normal society; (b) the hero must adjust to this strange environment, find some means of coping with the physical and the psychological dislocation; (c) the hero must find a way off the island, and (d) the hero must reintegrate himself into the society from which he unwillingly was alienated.
The casting adrift can happen in any number of ways. Typically it is the result of a shipwreck, a mutiny, or a misadventure of some kind. Adapting to the new environment may or may not involve adjusting to the people who live there. It almost always will require the hero to cope with a very different vision of nature, and he will be forced to confront the fact that in this place things run very differently from what he is used to. This, in turn, may produce al...
... middle of paper ...
...t what really matters and what does not.
Thus, adventures with isolatos are, or can easily become, an exploration of moral values forced into the awareness of the hero by an unusual circumstance. And this development brings with it inevitably a criticism or a confirmation of the social values (or some of them) of the society of which he is a representative, whose values he brings with him to the island, and to which he returns. Prospero’s rejection of the island and of the magic he so loves, like Odysseus’ rejection of Calypso for his own Penelope, is not just a manifestation of the hero’s moral nature; it is also a confirmation of certain values in the society to which they are returning. Gulliver’s rejection of European society upon his return at the end of the fourth voyage is, in large part, a very severe criticism of the moral laxity of Europe.
The human need to be relatable is unquenchable. We love to be able to see parts of ourselves in others, and to be able to feel like our idols are not untouchable. The Hero’s Journey format is one that can be found in almost any story, even in real life. Overall, it is the perfect recipe for keeping readers engrossed. Another place the journey has shown up is in Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and Odyssey by Homer. These two stories—one a biography, the other, an epic poem—are so effective in their storytelling, it is easy to see how authors today continue to use the same method to make stories that grab the readers’ attention. What makes them most alike, however, is the emotions and thoughts they have the power to provoke.
...n countries. This affected the games by shaping how people viewed the games and the peace they would bring. An information guide provided to members of the press uses a similar ideal (Doc #6) the Soviet Union had a bad reputation since they were communists and it was looked down upon. The Olympic organizing committee wanted the Soviet Union to appear as if they were peaceful and democratic as propaganda. Ali Kabir (Doc #10) a sports writer for the Internet edition of English-language Pakistani newspaper deals with the feeling of a newly created nation might have towards proving to the world that they are just as competent as the nation that they had gotten their independence from. A good additional document would be a poster for the Olympics. This would be helpful because it would promote the Olympics that were trying to create unity and peace throughout the nations.
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.
It was not until the Quiet Revolution where the voices of Quebecers were surfacing, as they demanded equality and the mobilization of their language rights (Haque 21). They were largely self-interested and this idea of selling multiculturalism was seen as an illusion, which painted Canada with a very uncomfortable picture of immigration (Bissoondath 23). The lack of policies that accompanied multiculturalis...
In conclusion, Canada’s Multiculturalism Policy characterizes several beneficial attributes in regards to the promotion of coexistence as part of the national acculturation development, and likewise, several complications and complexities such as the limitations of language as a defining element of a subset of culture. Nevertheless, the policy presents potential prospective for cultural unity and equality leading to an elemental definition of Canada’s national atmosphere.
A tale of duplicity and impetuosity, William Shakespeare’s play Othello brings to life a cast of complex characters. The leading character, Othello, whose undoing the piece recounts, proves to be the quintessential tragic hero by fulfilling all required elements necessary to be labeled as such. Aristotle defines a tragic hero as one of a noble stature who experiences misfortune and commits a culpable act as a result of his own free will; however, the misfortune is neither entirely deserved nor does it result in an absolute loss, as the hero experiences an awakening to the disagreeable facts while accepting defeat (Arp and Johnson). Othello, a vanguard of his day, is beguiled by a confidant and ensnared by the lies that ensue. This causes Othello great mental anguish. He is plagued with the question: Is his love unfaithful, or does she remain true? Eventually, unable to discern fact from fiction, Othello repudiates his bride and their recent marriage. Misplaced trust and a jealous heart soon cause Othello to lose his composure, his dignity, his most loyal counterpart, and ultimately his life.
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.
As society has progressed, composers have adapted and appropriated the archetypal quest so as to reflect the values of the time’s culture appropriately. This has been a necessary course of action, to ensure their writing conveys the quest and its respective elements in a manner that will be understood by the responder in the relevant time period. The texts ‘The Odyssey (Homer 8th Century BC), In the Shadow of No Towers (Art Spiegelman 2004) and The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde 1890) have appropriated the archetypal quest in their respective time periods to reflect the values of their context.
The Olympic games is a series of events that takes place every two and four years that originated in Greece to honor the Greek gods (Cartledge 1). The Olympics is an inspirational contest where many nations of the world come together and compete. This pertains to the athletic competitors who have trained for years to enter the Olympics. This includes swimmers, boxers, hockey players, runners, cyclists, ice-skating, figure skating, and many other sports (Cartledge 2). The Olympics have changed since ancient times because of technology, innovations, and a broader audience.
These timeless tales relate a message that readers throughout the ages can understand and relate to. While each of these tales is not exactly alike, they do share a common core of events. Some event and or character flaw necessitates a journey of some kind, whether it is an actual physical journey or a metaphorical one. The hardships and obstacles encountered on said journey lead to spiritual growth and build character. Rarely does a person find himself unchanged once the journey is over.
Watkinson, A. "Othello: The Ironic Interdependence of Othello and Iago." Novels for Students. 5 November 2004. http://www.enotes.com/othello/743/print
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.
Lawall, Sarah N. “The Odyssey.” The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. 8th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006. 206-495. Print.
Apple benefits from excellent brand recognition and a stellar reputation. Apple’s reputation attracts new customers and its performance retains existing customers, making its brand a valuable strength. Also, Apple profits from being a vertically integrated company, which allows it to control many elements in relation to its products, like the processor, hardware and software designs, operating system, and cloud services. It ensures that customers stay within their brand for all their technological
The Olympic Games are a spectacle that all enjoy all over the world. The Olympic Games are a series of sporting events that are played by people all over the world. These athletes come from all corners of the globe to one place that changes every two years to partake in an epic event. Billions of people sit at home to watch the glory that is the Olympic Games, and some are even lucky enough to go to see the games in person. It seems that the Games always had this majestic feeling dating back to some of the very first Olympic Games, which can be traced to as early as 776 B.C. The Historic Olympic Games took place every four years in Olympia. These Games, however, have some other major differences to the Games of today. Firstly,