Amy Poehler Analysis

President Calvin Coolidge once said, “Heroism is not only the man, but the occasion.” Amy Poehler is an actress, writer and comedian commonly recognized for her work on Saturday Night Live and Parks and Recreation. She is the ambassador for the Worldwide Orphans Foundation and has a YouTube channel where she posts brief videos giving young girls advice. Poehler also considers herself to be a humanitarian and a feminist. Odysseus was a Greek king and the protagonist in Homer’s The Odyssey. Odysseus’ treacherous journey home after ten years of war is documented in said epic. Even though Poehler and Odysseus were born thousands of years apart and live in monumentally different times, each of them contribute to society in a different way. While

they could not be any more different, they do both share one thing: their heroism. When compared to Amy Poehler, Odysseus would indeed be considered a modern hero because of his strength, perseverance, and compassion.
The most important trait of a hero is arguably their strength because it demonstrates their power. Poehler’s strength is showcased in an account of her dedication to Saturday Night Live. About five days before she gave birth, she was performing on live television because she did not want to let down the public or put pressure on the crew of SNL to find a new sketch. Seth Meyers, a friend and co-star of Poehler recalls:
“Maybe you forgot exactly how pregnant Amy was when she stood up from behind the desk; you probably remember that Amy was good, but you likely forgot exactly how good. It is a performance without artifice. She’s not play-rapping. She’s rapping. I still get goose bumps when I think of Amy screaming, “I’m an animal and I’m bigger than you!” And the whole time she was doing it, for every single second of it, there was a little person sloshing (that’s the correct medical term, yes? Sloshing?) around in her belly” (Poehler 39).
Odysseus also demonstrates strength in more ways than one. Aside from being incredibly patient and clever, he is also physically strong. Odysseus participates in Penelope’s archery contest: “My lords, contenders for the queen, permit me: a passion in me moves me to speak out” (Homer 399). His performance boasts perfection:
“But the man skilled in all ways of contending, satisfied by the great bow’s look and heft, like a musician, like a harper, when with quiet hand upon his instrument he draws between his thumb and forefinger a sweet new string upon a peg: so effortlessly. Odysseus in one motion strung the bow” (Homer 404).
The strength these two people carry is not common.

Poehler’s decision to perform five days before giving birth was not only dangerous, but painful, according to her autobiography Yes Please. Her strength to push through the agonizing Saturday Night Live sketch successfully and appropriately masked the fact she was in such great pain. A hero is someone to look up to and she is just that -- hardworking and selfless. In contrast, Odysseus’ strength in the archery contest is effortless. Perhaps he would be considered even more of a modern hero because of his ability to perfectly shoot the arrow through the axes with such great ease. His physical strength must not have been easy to attain, either. He had to be dedicated to become so strong, which is physically draining and absolutely exhausting. Both Poehler and Odysseus put themselves in physical pain to benefit others. His strength is just one aspect of his heroism.
Another vital characteristic of a hero is perseverance. Poehler was hired at Saturday Night Live in August of 2001 -- just a mere month before the September eleventh terrorist

attacks:
“It was a tough time to join the show. It felt like America might not ever smile, never mind laugh, again. I hoped that the entire idea of comedy would not be canceled just as I was starting this dream job. I like to refer to the transition period of any new job as “finding out where the bathrooms are.” Not only did I have to find the bathrooms, but I had to attempt to do comedy in a city that was battered and still on fire, while avoiding being killed by the anthrax that had been sent to the floors below us” (Poehler 86).
Odysseus also demonstrates perseverance on his journey. Though there were many times the average person would’ve given up and Odysseus follows through, one in particular stands out. When Poseidon sends Odysseus the flood in an attempt to slow him down, Odysseus is not phased: “Two nights, two days, in the solid deep-sea swell he drifted, many times awaiting death, until with shining ringlets in the East the dawn confirmed a third day, breaking clear over a high and windless sea; and mounting a rolling wave he caught a glimpse of land” (Homer 92). In the same respects that Poehler did not quit her job because the United States did not want to laugh, Odysseus does not abandon his mission because Poseidon sent a terrible storm. A massive part of heroism is being able to adapt to situations and brainstorm solutions easily. If either of them would’ve given up, Poehler would not have a career and Odysseus would not be alive or have been able to complete his journey home from the Trojan War. Perseverance is critical to a hero because nobody succeeds in everything the first time. Odysseus spends ten years at sea. He finds himself in fights, starving, tired, sick, and at times, with an overwhelming desire to give up. A true hero succeeds, but fails first. Benjamin Franklin once said, “I didn’t fail the test. I just found a thousand ways to do it wrong.” Everyone fails, but the choice to persevere is one a hero would make.
One last quality a hero must have is compassion. This is apparent when Seth Meyers tells a vivid account of the night Poehler went into labor:
“Instead of focusing on any of her fear, her excitement, or the anticipation that comes along with giving birth for the first time, she sent me words of encouragement. And when I went out to do ‘Update’ without her, I was glad she had. I was nervous and lonely, but I remembered that “you’re gonna do great!” and felt better” (Poehler 46).
Odysseus’ kindness is also apparent when he sacrifices himself. The crew is invited to Kirke’s for food and drink, but Odysseus knows something Eurylokhos doesn’t: Kirke is going to turn them into pigs. Odysseus tells Eurylokhos to “stay in the black hull’s shelter. Let me go, as I see nothing for it but to go” (Homer 173). Clearly, both Poehler and Odysseus are putting others before themselves. Odysseus puts himself in danger, and Poehler was about to give birth, but encourages Meyers instead of focusing on herself. They both went out of their way to ensure the safety of their coworkers or crewmen. The importance of being a kind person is vital to heroism; it shows that one is able and chooses to be responsible for more than one person. It also demonstrates that they are representative of a group of people and that is exactly what a hero is.
While Odysseus portrays the three characteristics of heroism, some disagree that Odysseus was a hero because he killed people.

Today, soldiers are also seen as heroes even though they have done the same as Odysseus. However, while that is a valid point, Odysseus did it to seek revenge and it was the ultimate ending to his journey. In fact, many cannot see The Odyssey ending any other way than Odysseus’ grand victory. The positive aspects of him greatly outweigh the one negative, especially because he only killed the suitors to protect his family. Though heroism is subjective, Odysseus is a very clear candidate for it. He is clearly comparable to a modern hero and would be considered one

today.