Midterm Blog Rough Draft

The Odyssey
          The Odyssey by Homer is a classic hero journey tale. It is laid out in a particular way that makes the theme easily identifiable. It also has different character archetypes and all of these pieces have transferred into our current popular culture. This story was important when it was written, but is still important today even though thousands of years have passed. There are many ways that this story is present in our popular culture and shapes the themes of today.  Why is the hero journey tale presented in The Odyssey still a major storytelling method and why it will continue to be?

            The hero journey tale is when the main character or hero goes through certain stages throughout the story. These stages are the call to action, refusal of the call, getting advice, and success.  These stages and plot make it easy to identify its main theme. Each stage plays an important part in helping the character develop and eventually succeed. They are usually trying to improve their reputation or help their community. In The Odyssey, the main character is going on a sea adventure to find his father and bring him home to rule the kingdom.  Family legacy was very important to them and he did not want his father's name disrespected.

            The different character archetypes also play a major role in helping the main character to succeed.  These archetypes also come into play at certain stages in the plot, and they all affect one another.  These characters resemble people that we can encounter in our everyday lives.  Some are good and helpful, and some try to steer you away from the right path to follow.  We want to be able to identify ourselves with the hero, and pick out the other people in our lives that resemble the different archetypes.  Some archetypes are Odysseus who is the trickster, Telemakhos who is the hero, Calypso who is the temptress, and Athena who is the supernatural help.  Telemakhos finally gets his call to action from Athena when she says, ”…here’s a course for you, if you agree: get a sound craft afloat with twenty oars and go abroad for news of your lost father –- (429).  This is when he realizes that he has to take matters into his own hands in order to rid his mother of her suitors and bring his father home.  Athena helps him to see his true potential. These archetypes are very important pieces in the different stages that the hero must go through to reach the end of his journey.  Without these characters, the story would not flow the same.

            This theme of a hero's journey is still present in some of our current popular culture. An example of this is the Disney movie The Lion King. In this movie, the main character, Simba, has to return home to save his kingdom. He is faced with all kinds of challenges and then receives a message from his father in the sky. Without experiencing these different stages and having the different interactions with the characters, Simba's decision or success could have drastically changed.

            This theme is still used today not just because it makes for a good story, but because they are stories we can relate to. Everyone likes to see the good guy win especially if they do not look like they are heading in that direction. Even though The Odyssey was written thousands of years ago, the types of struggles that the hero goes through make him relatable.  We want to be able to identify our lives with the way that the hero handles his hardships. The hero often stands out as a type of role model because of his distinct personality traits and even though they present themselves in an ordinary way, they are not. They rise above their own issues and self-doubt and that is one of the reasons they are so desirable.  Everyone wants to overcome all the things that life throws at them. People want to relate to that. We admire their ability to overcome all of this. We also want to be reassured in our own lives that everything we go through will be worth it in the end and these stories prove that to be true.