Comparing The Journey In The Alchemist, The Odyssey, And The Count Of Monte Cristo

The men in The Alchemist, The Odyssey, and The Count of Monte Cristo all went through extremely difficult, life changing journeys. They were all give many chances throughout their journies to choose the hero or anti-hero path. To become anti-heros they would have needed to give in to the temptations along their journeys. Anti-heros serve as a representation of greedy people that just want to be able to control anything they feel inclined to, without limit. On the flip side, heros are able to resist temptation and they show the positive side to themselves by being selfless and revolving their life and journey around personal sacrifice no matter how severe. The men in each of the three stories each had their downfalls like any person would and

When he was trapped on the island with Calypso he gave into temptation and slept with her. Being unfaithful to his wife who was at home and stayed faithful to him for over twenty years while he was gone, was a incredibly selfish move on his behalf and not a heroic act in the least. Odysseus was not only unfaithful to his wife, but expected she be faithful to him the twenty years her was gone. When he returned, part of the reason he waited to attack was to see if his wife had been faithful. He continued this behavior along his journey in many situations like when he blinded the cyclops and he was too full of himself to let the act go uncredited, so he told the cyclops his name and ended up being cursed for the rest of his journey. He not only told him his name, but even a little life synopsis, “Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes's son, whose home is on Ithaca” (Book 9). A hero would not be so arrogant and selfish just to get credit for something. After Helios follows Xenia and helps out Odysseus and his men, disobey his orders and eat all of his cattle. This not only was disloyal to Helios, but also Odysseus allowing his men to do this put them in danger because Helios called upon the gods and said, “O Father Zeus and gods in bliss forever, punish Odysseus and his men” (Book 12). He did manage to squeeze some heroic acts into his journey like saving his family and friends from the suitors, but his wrongdoings still trumped his good deeds. He not only gave into those temptations, but he also was an incredibly narcissistic man. In The Alchemist, Santiago lost his sheep and money and still managed to get over it and continue on his journey without any misdeeds. However Odysseus, was too conceited to see past the urges and do the right