JoeComstock

Mrs.Martell
English9
3/12/17
WhatisaHeroicJourney?

TheOdysseyisanamazingpoemthatwaswrittenbyHomer.Itisapoemthatisbased
onamannamedOdysseusthatgoesonaheroicjourneythatlaststwentyyears.Onthis
journeyhegoesthroughaseriesofobstaclesthatmostpeoplewouldproclaimheroic.Heputs
hisneckonthelineforhiscrewmultipletimes.Althoughthereweresomelivestobelost,he
triedhisbest.Thepoemisabigtestoftemptationandstrength,toseewhowillcomeoutalive.
IntheOdysseyallthesetestsandtrialsareagoodexampleofaheroicjourney.
TherearemanyreasonswhytheOdysseyisaheroicjourney.ForexampleOdysseus
beingtheheroheactedonthisagainstthesirensbydoingsomethingthatissmart.Hesaid,"I
carriedthewaxalonglineandlaiditthickonthereears"(Holt,919).Thisisanactofheresy
becausehesavedhiscrewslifefromthesirens.Thesirensweregoingtoluretheminandeat
themforlunch.Odysseusbeingthemanheissavedthemfromcertaindeath.Anotherfirst
classexampleisthetimehehittheCyclopeseyeandblindedhim.Odysseussaid"Idrewit
fromthecoalsandmyfourfellowsgavemeahand,luggingitnearthecyclopsasmorethan
naturalforcenervesthemstraightforwardthesprinted,liftedit,andrammeditdeepinhiscrater
eye"(Holt,914).Odysseusonceagainsaveshiscrewslives.TheCyclopeswasgoingtoeat
thembutOdysseuscouldnotkillhimbecausetheyneededsomebodytomovethegiantstone
outoftheway.
TherearemanydifferentdiscussionsthatgowiththeOdysseyexplainingwhyitisahero's
journey.Inonespecificarticlecalledthemacombarticleatonementwasbroughtupinthe.
Atonementmeanswehavebeentransformedintoonewithournewselves.Agreatexampleof
thisiswhenOdysseus"Exhausted,nearlydrowned,hemakeshiswaytoCalypso'sisland,
wherehebecomesherprisoner"(Holt,922).HebasicallybecomesanewpersonWhenhewent
toCalypso'sislandhewaskindoftransformedwhenhewasthere.Hehadthesamemorals,
buthecouldnotjustleave.Hewasbasicallyherslave.Thesecondlinkthatispresentedforyou
isthereturn.Thisiswhenwefacethefinalstageofourjourney:ourreturntoeverydaylife.Inthe
storyOdysseusprovedwith"Asweetnewstringuponapeg,soeffortlesslyOdysseusinone
motionstrungthebow"(Holt,898).ThismeansthatwastheendassoonashedidthisPenelope
knewwhohewas.Hewasnowonthepathtoregaininghisoldlive.
Somepeoplecouldtrytogoagainstthis,butinrealitytheoddsareonthehero'sside.
There'sissomuchmoreinformationtobackitup.There'sreasonswhypeoplewouldthinkthat
though.LikewhenOdysseushadtoletsomemengeteatenbythecyclops.Hedidn'treallyhave
achoicethough.Ifhewouldnotofplannedsomething,andjustbargedinhewouldofdied.
Thereisjustsomuchmoreevidencethatit'struesuchas"Idrovethem,allthreewailing,tothe
ships,tiedthemdownundertheirrowingbenches,andcalledtherest"(Holt,898).Thisisahero's
examplefromthetextthrougheasilyprovingthathesavedtheirlives.theywouldofstayedthere
therestofthereliveshypnotized.AnothergoodexampleiswhenOdysseusdroppedeverything
justtosavehismenthatCirceattacked.Inthetextitsays,"Odysseusleavestheshipand
rushestocirce'shall"(Holt,913).
Theodysseyisagoodexampleofahero'sjourney.Odysseusfacedmanyhardships
throughouttheodysseythatjustprovedmoreandmorethehewasahero.TheOdysseyissurly
proventobeaaheroicjourney.Thewritingprovesittrue.Hewentthroughaseriesoftestsand
challengestoleaduptothefinalanswer.Odysseusjustwantedtogethometohisfamily.He
wasnotplanningtobegonefortwentyyears.Unfortunatelythingsdonotgothewayhewantsit
too.Hekeptpushingthroughtogetwhatheneededinhislife.Thesearethereasonswhythe
odysseyisinfactaheroicjourney.

MacombintermediateschoolDistrict."TheHero'sAdventure."ELAHighschool.
Unit9.4Odyssey.ClintonTownship,2006.

Holt,ReinhartandWinston.Elementsofliterature.NewYork:HarcourtBraceand
company,1997.Print.