Matthew Ison

1B
Literary analysis
Odyssey
People go in a situation pretty much blind and come out more confident and
stronger. By facing our trials head on we gain inner strength. For example, there
could be something that you just think is awful and there is no point in it. But doing
it you will learn so much. Just like Odysseus did when he reluctantly went into the
Trojan War and came out a strong and better man, than what he was when he went
in. He had several situations that he didnt want to go into but when he did, he
came out happy and proud. For all people to go in a situation pretty much blind and
come out confident and stronger than before.
In the beginning people are weaker going in then coming out. In this one part of the
story Odysseus has to choose between the life of his own son, or his life in the
kingdom and not going to war. While Odysseus is trying to get out of going to the
Trojan War he is tested, see there is this guy that put Telemachus, which is
Odysseus son, in front of a plow that Odysseus was plowing a field with. He told
everyone that he was insane and could not attend the war. So the guy thought that
if Odysseus was crazy in would go over his son with the plow with no hesitation. But
instead he swerved his son and that is when everyone knew he was faking it. Oh
for shame, how the mortals put the blame on us gods, for they say evils come from
us, but it is they, rather, who by their own recklessness win sorrow beyond what is
given (Odysseus, book 1) He shouldnt feel sorry he needs to finish what he started
get over it and move on. He is becoming stronger just by taking it and going
forward and not struggling or feeling sorry for his self. This is the first of many more
obstacles he will overcome.
There are many trials in the odyssey that make Odysseus a stronger individual. For
instance, the battle of troy. In this part of the book the Trojan War has just ended.

Matthew Ison
1B
Literary analysis
Odyssey
And Odysseus has tricked the enemy into bringing the giant wooden horse into the
walls of troy. The enemy had no clue that Odysseuss soldiers were hidden inside
the wooden horse. While the Trojans slept, during the night Odysseus and his men
snuck and opened the city gates and destroyed the Trojan city, leaving to go back to
the kingdom. Just like Odysseus says And what he greatly thought, he nobly dared
(Odysseus, book 1) He knew he could take on the Trojans, so he took the chance
and succeeded. This is just what the story is talking about. People are weak in the
beginning, meaning that they dont know the outcome but go in anyways and come
out stronger and better than they were before.
During this whole 20 year long journey, Odysseus and his crew are trying to get
back to the kingdom but its not easy with all these places that are in the way for
him and his men. Odysseus and his crew land on Ismarus/Ismara on the coast of
Thrace, where they sack the city. They engage in battle with the Ciconians. While
the battle is going on there are some men lost, approximately six men per ship were
lost. For his sake Poseidon, shaker of the earth, although he does not kill
Odysseus, yet drives him back from the land of his fathers. But come, let all of us
who are here work out his homecoming and see to it that he returns. Poseidon shall
put away his anger; for all alone and against the will of the other immortal gods
united he can accomplish nothing. (Zeus, book 1) Odysseus gets a better outlook
when this war is finished and he can see he is growing stronger as the journey
progresses. The journey Odysseus is taking is very hard and there is a bunch of ups
and downs along the way. And its just going to get harder and more interesting as it
progresses.

Matthew Ison
1B
Literary analysis
Odyssey
People are faced with situations they are uncomfortable with every day, in the
odyssey Odysseus and his crew land on the land of the lotus eaters. A rather
lethargic place where the local inhabitants give some of them some fruit. In this
case the plant induced forgetfulness. I should not have sorrowed so over his dying
if he had gone down among his companions in the land of the Trojans, or in the
arms of his friends, after he had wound up the fighting. So all the Achaians would
have heaped a grave mound over him, and he would have won great fame for
himself and his son hereafter. But now ingloriously the storm winds have caught and
carried him away, out of sight, out of knowledge, and he left pain and lamentation
to me (Telemachus, book 1) They are on a mission to get back to the kingdom and
nothing is going to get in their way. According to the Goodreads website, the
odyssey is a good read and that it documents a mans journey through life. And that
anything is possible if you set your mind to it.
There is also people that run into situations not knowing anything about that
person, place, or thing. In this case Odysseus was in the open sea for nine days
were he lost his ship and men. He comes up on this island named Ogygia. This is
the island that Calypso lived on. She was a prisoner to this island because she
supported her father in the battles between the titans and the Olympians. She seen
Odysseus and fell madly in love with him. Calypso offered the power of eternal
youth to Odysseus, but he refused, he wanted to be back with Athena and the
kingdom. She ended up seducing Odysseus and made him her lover. They lived in
her stunning cave home for seven years, until Zeus sent the messenger of the gods
(Hermes) to persuade Calypso to give Odysseus up. Odysseus says A faultless body
and a blameless mind. (Odysseus, book 4) This one quote is saying that its not

Matthew Ison
1B
Literary analysis
Odyssey
Calypsos fault for wanting Odysseus to stay there with her for eternity. She just
wants affection from Odysseus because she doesnt have anyone else. Odysseus
didnt understand what he was running into when he stumbled upon Calypsos
island. Or that she was going to keep him a prisoner for 7 years.
After Odysseus and his men escaped the land of lotus eaters, they managed to get
past the sirens without any losses on the ship. They had to be quick and stealthy for
this to work out, and they accomplished this task. Come this way, honored
Odysseus, great glory of the Achaians, and stay your ship, so that you can listen
here to our singing; for no one else has ever sailed past this place in his black ship
until he has listened to the honey-sweet voice that issues from our lips; then goes
on, well-pleased, knowing more than ever he did; for we know everything that the
Argives and Trojans did and suffered in wide Troy through the gods despite. Over all
the generous earth we know everything that happens. So they sang, in sweet
utterance, and the heart within me desired to listen, and I signaled my companions
to set me free, nodding with my brows, but they leaned on and rowed hard, and
Perimedes and Eurylochos, rising up, straightway fastened me with even more
lashings and squeezed me together. (Odysseus, book 12). In order for him and his
team to get through the sirens, and they did. This is a trial that was hard for
Odysseus and his crew to accomplish but with some strength they got through the
sirens.
People do stuff they dont want to do all the time, but at the end it pays off. Their
next stop: the land of the Cyclopes. Odysseus meets the cyclops, Polyphemus, who
ate two of Odysseus' men each day, until they were able to escape. I should not
have sorrowed so over his dying if he had gone down among his companions in the

Matthew Ison
1B
Literary analysis
Odyssey
land of the Trojans, or in the arms of his friends, after he had wound up the fighting.
So all the Achaians would have heaped a grave mound over him, and he would have
won great fame for himself and his son hereafter. But now ingloriously the storm
winds have caught and carried him away, out of sight, out of knowledge, and he left
pain and lamentation to me. Doing something good and knowing you did well are
all good feeling, and knowing the you did that one thing even if you knew you would
most likely fail will just make you stronger as a individual and leader. Just like
Odysseus figured out in this part of the book. And most of the time you dont even
fail at what you are trying to accomplish.
At the end of the book Odysseus returns back to the kingdom and reunites with his
wife and also the kingdom. But as soon as he gets there him and his son,
Telemachus, have to fight off the suitors that were trying to marry Athena and win
the kingdom while Odysseus was away, at the end Odysseus won and is still the
leader of the kingdom. Then the haughty suitors came in, and all of them
straightway took their places in order on chairs and along the benches, and their
heralds poured water over their hands for them to wash with, and the serving maids
brought them bread heaped up in the baskets, and the young men filled the mixing
bowls with wine for their drinking. They put their hands to the good things that lay
ready before them. But when they had put away their desire for eating and drinking,
the suitors found their attention turned to other matters, the song and the dance;
for these things come at the end of the feasting. (Telemachus, book 1) Even if you
are at your breaking point and you see the problems keep piling on, you need to
push through it because there is a light at the end of the tunnel. According to the

Matthew Ison
1B
Literary analysis
Odyssey
book drum website the odyssey is a very influential book for people that need a
jump start in the right direction.
Overall the story is a great example of a person who was weak and was going into a
situation blind. But with team work, determination, and some elbow grease you can
come out stronger than before. Homer is the author of the Odyssey, in this case he
is comparing Odysseuss journey home with real life situations. Odysseus took an
adventure through islands, through the ocean and went years without being home
in his kingdom. And in the end Homer just want to portray the idea of someone
trying something new and gaining experience from and becoming the person they
want to be.

Sources/ citations
Homer. "Odyssey." Odyssey. FARRAR, STRAUS AND GIROUX, 15 Feb. 2008. Web. 01
Apr. 2016.

Matthew Ison
1B
Literary analysis
Odyssey
CompassLearning Customer Login." CompassLearning Customer Login. Trans. Robert
Fitzgerald. FARRAR, STRAUS AND GIROUX, 15 Feb. 2008. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.
Cliffnotes.com
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