Similar to Thea's recent post and from what we discussed in class, I also agree that Odysseus's fatal flaw, or his "kryptonite," is his pride. He tries to push the Gods help to make him seem more heroic, however Homer brings him down to earth, showing he is merely a man trying to find his way home.
Throughout the poem, we see the Gods foreshadow the fate of Odysseus and his men, instructing him exactly what to do to overcome the numerous obstacles he faces on his journey home. Without the help of the Gods instructing him exactly what to do, there is no way of knowing if he would have survived or made it home. In fact if Athena hadn't sent Hermes to Calypso's Island in the first place, he would probably still be there crying in the corner instead of taking initiative of his own life. So can Odysseus really be considered a hero for merely following someone else's orders through out his whole journey?
Not only do the Gods instruct him exactly what he needs to do, but he uses this information to defy the Gods for his own benefit. For example when Circe warns Odysseus and his men about the Sirens, Odysseus insists on having his crew tie him up so he can hear the song of the Sirens while his men have beeswax in their ears to block out the song. Ultimately by testing the Gods orders to try and survive where no humans had before, Odysseus is driven crazy with desire to from the Sirens song and nearly breaks free.
Another example of Odysseus's pride getting in the way is after he defeats the Cyclopes and yells out his name to taunt him. While escaping the Cyclopes shows how clever Odysseus can be, yelling out his real name to the Cyclopes after he already escaped confirms that he must take credit for everything he does. And in this case taking credit for his clever escape did more harm than good, angering Poseidon and making his journey home even more difficult.
While Odysseus can act very prideful and heroic, we also see him crying numerous times throughout the poem. Despite his efforts to seem like a God, Homer shows us he is only human and ultimately misses his home.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Being a coward vs. Being smart
In the short story "Tenth of December," we see a middle aged man named Eber and a young boy named Robin save each others lives. But who is really the true hero of the story?
Eber enters the story with the intention of killing himself because he has a terminal illness. He believed it was the best thing to do so he wouldn't be a big trouble for his family to take care of him. While he believed he was being heroic, I honestly think its sad that he would rather die then let his family take care of him. Because his kids are all grown, he feels like he is no longer needed and would be more trouble than helpful to live. I think his intentions were selfish because of all the pain he would cause his family by taking his own life, and that he needed to trust his family would be there for him whether he be healthy or sick.
Eber enters the story with the intention of killing himself because he has a terminal illness. He believed it was the best thing to do so he wouldn't be a big trouble for his family to take care of him. While he believed he was being heroic, I honestly think its sad that he would rather die then let his family take care of him. Because his kids are all grown, he feels like he is no longer needed and would be more trouble than helpful to live. I think his intentions were selfish because of all the pain he would cause his family by taking his own life, and that he needed to trust his family would be there for him whether he be healthy or sick.
While Eber can be seen has a hero for saving Robin from drowning in the lake, ultimately Robin saved Eber from himself. By getting through that threshold hold point of deciding whether or not to go in the lake and save the boy, he regains some of the fire to live he had before he became sick. Saving Robin showed him that he can still be useful in this world despite his illness.
Similar to Eber, Robin also has to get over that threshold point after Eber goes and saves him in the lake and he is running home. At first, all he can think about is running home to his mom, but then he remembers the man that saved him before and has to decide whether to try and run back and save him, or run to his house and seek help. In most hero stories, Robin would be considered a coward for not immediately putting Eber's needs before his own and run back and try to save him. However looking at this from a more realistic perspective, what Robin did was actually smarter because he knew he might not have the strength to get them both to safety.
Being a more realistic everyday hero is more about being smart and doing what you think would be the most beneficial to help the situation, even if that means you aren't doing the saving yourself.
Similar to Eber, Robin also has to get over that threshold point after Eber goes and saves him in the lake and he is running home. At first, all he can think about is running home to his mom, but then he remembers the man that saved him before and has to decide whether to try and run back and save him, or run to his house and seek help. In most hero stories, Robin would be considered a coward for not immediately putting Eber's needs before his own and run back and try to save him. However looking at this from a more realistic perspective, what Robin did was actually smarter because he knew he might not have the strength to get them both to safety.
Being a more realistic everyday hero is more about being smart and doing what you think would be the most beneficial to help the situation, even if that means you aren't doing the saving yourself.
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