Free Essays: Loyalty in Homer's Odyssey and Steinbeck's Pearl comparison compare contrast essays

554 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Ancient greek womens roles in stories

Loyalty in Homer's Odyssey and Steinbeck's Pearl Loyalty to another person or to a cause may be an admirable trait, but it can lead to either positive or negative consequences. In Homer's epic The Odyssey and John Steinbeck's novel The Pearl there are characters that show great examples of this trait. Penelope in The Odyssey and Juana in The Pearl are the most obvious, although there are many. Penelope stayed loyal to Odysseus while he was on his twenty-year journey and Juana stayed by her husband through his time of distress. Penelope stayed loyal to Odysseus while he was on his twenty-year journey. To ward off suitors that were beckoning for her hand, she made them a promise that as soon as she finished weaving a gift for her father, she would take one of their hands in marriage. Nightly, unbeknownst to the suitors, she would unravel her work, so that she could remain faithful to Odysseus. Also, Penelope promised her hand to the suitor who could meet a test. Penelope's test was to string Odysseus' bow and then shoot an arrow through the eye of twelve ax handles. Penelope knew that only Odysseus could accomplish this task. By doing this, she avoided having to marry one of the suitors. Staying loyal to Odysseus brought about positive consequences to Penelope. She was reunited with her beloved husband Odysseus. Kino's wife Juana stayed by her husband through his time of distress. Although it was her belief that the pearl was an omen of evil, she loyally stayed at her husband's side. Juana remained loyal to Kino even after he had savagely beaten her. She knew that she had brought it upon herself and it was her place to accept the beating. Also, Juana vowed not to leave her husband's side when he decided to flee from the town after murdering one of the townspeople. She made the treacherous journey with her husband across a desert trying to outrun the men that pursued them. Negative consequences were the outcome of Juana's loyalty to Kino. Her loyalty caused her to lose all that was common and dear to her, including her only child. Loyalty to another person or to a cause may be an admirable trait, but it can lead to either positive or negative consequences. Penelope stayed loyal to Odysseus while he was on his twenty-year journey and Juana stayed by her husband through his time of distress. Penelope refused to remarry while Odysseus was on his long absence, and Juana never left Kino's side. Loyalty is a trait found in most humans, and if used in moderation can have very positive consequences.

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes

    640 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Look out for the people who look out for you. Loyalty is everything.” In the book, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher, Ms. Lemry is loyal. Ms.Lemry is a teacher and a swim coach for a school. She is a teacher who stays loyal to her students. She is loyal because she cares for her students who are in her class. Ms. Lemry stands by Sarah at all times and is there for her. Sarah is a girl who got abused by her dad when she was younger. Sarah’s father when she was younger out her face on the stove. Sarah was always scared of her father and she still is because she is afraid of her dad coming back and killing her. Sarah was about to go on the train and Lemry was there to inform her to not get on the train. Her class is called CAT known

    Read More

  • The Scorpion Plot

    1175 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...hes her in the face and kicks her. He is disgusted with her. He then turns and leaves. Kino makes his way up the beach as a group of men assault him. Kino struggles to get away and while doing so he stabs one of the men and kills him. Juana finally gets on her feet and begins to make her way home. She sees Kino lying on the group hurt with another man dead next to him. She hauls the dead man into the brush and tends to Kino. She says they must run away immediately because of what a terrible crime Kino committed. Kino refuses at first, but then agrees. Juana runs back to the house grabs Coyotito, while Kino goes to the beach once again to prepare his boat, but realizes that the group of men made a hole in it. He becomes full of rage and kicks at the water. He then tells Juana what happened and they decide to hide at Juan Tomas’s house for a while.

    Read More

  • Ivanhoe Quotes

    764 Words  | 2 Pages

    Loyalty — in layman's terms — is allegiance and respect for another individual; unwavering faith. It is a very important characteristic to have pertaining to relationships with other people. In the book Ivanhoe, there are many instances of this.

    Read More

  • Harvey Wallbanger Popcorn

    1064 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...y salty snack tends to increase thirst that leads to increased beer consumption, the wise pub owner has always made salty snack foods available. The total savoury snack-food industry in Britain was £1.1 billion for 1997 and grew to over £1.7 billion by 1999.

    Read More

  • Kino And Juana

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    Juana believes that men are half crazy and half god, she also believes that she needs a man in her life. She is reasonable, and intelligent but knows when to back down to avoid arguments because she likes peace between her family. Kino believes that he is the man of the house and the one in charge, this may be why he is surprised when Juana orders him to go get the doctor. Also Juana avoids conflict, for example in chapter 6 when Kino is explaining to her not to touch certain trees, even though she already knows, she doesn’t say it. They are both courageous but Kino seems to be more reckless, such as how he beats her. They

    Read More

  • Loyalty in "King Lear"

    1084 Words  | 3 Pages

    Loyalty is being faithful to commitments and obligations. On the other hand there are many ways to display loyalty. One can be loyal to a person, political party, country, religion, or cause. The list is seemingly endless. William Shakespeare’s play King Lear exhibits many forms of loyalty, but one that shines particularly is loyalty to ones selfish needs. However there is a limit to loyalty which most over look. The characters Cordelia, the emotional King Lear, and the vile Edmund all manifest their loyalty to their own self, and all meet their demise. The limit to loyalty is death.

    Read More

  • Process Management: Location Strategy Of The Frito-Lay Location Strategy

    832 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Frito-Lay location strategy for its factories is in North America, where they own 36 production plants. Frito-Lay plants need not be in tourist places but rather in remote areas where space is not an issue. By operating in remote areas, they gain from costs.

    Read More

  • The Concept of Loyalty

    864 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stated by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “a feeling of strong support for someone or something “, Loyalty is a feeling universal to everyone. Whether it is loyalty to a relationship, or friendship, self loyalty, or loyalty to a team we all experience the “quality or state of being loyal” (Merriam-Webster).

    Read More

  • The Effects of Advertising on Profits

    1120 Words  | 3 Pages

    A Monopoly is a market structure characterised by one firm and many buyers, a lack of substitute products and barriers to entry (Pass et al. 2000). An oligopoly is a market structure characterised by few firms and many buyers, homogenous or differentiated products and also difficult market entry (Pass et al. 2000) an example of an oligopoly would be the fast food industry where there is a few firms such as McDonalds, Burger King and KFC that all compete for a greater market share.

    Read More

  • Self-Absergation: The Motivator Of Self Abnegation

    1095 Words  | 3 Pages

    An individual's internal values have the capacity to persuade them into doing what they otherwise wouldn’t be inclined to do. These sacrifices are made in the name of the "Greater Good", when a person's ideals lead them to visualize only what they want to protect, rather than themselves. Often humans are perceived as a selfish species, but as other species do, we also have protective instincts, and when those instincts kick in, we have the capacity to be remarkably self-abnegating. Self-abnegation is a quality that all of us obtain for something, but that something depends entirely on our person's values. Our values are the motivator for sacrificing ourselves. This selfless quality reveals itself when the circumstances

    Read More

  • Research Paper On Pepsi

    2038 Words  | 5 Pages

    Strength’s: PepsiCo strength is branding. One of PepsiCo’s top brands is of course Pepsi, one of the most recognized brands of the world. In 2016, it ranked 24th amongst top 100 global brands. Pepsi generates more than $15,000 million of annual sales. Recognized brand include, Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Gatorade Mountain Dew, Thirst Quencher, Lay’s Potato Chips, Lipton Teas (PepsiCo/Unilever Partnership), Tropicana Beverages, Fritos Corn, Tostitos Tortilla Chips, Doritos Tortilla Chips, Aquafina Bottled Water, Cheetos Cheese Flavored Snacks, Quaker Foods and Snacks, Ruffles Potato Chips, Mirinda, Tostitos Tortilla Chips, and Sierra

    Read More

  • Bingo Chips Strategy

    1020 Words  | 3 Pages

    The organized snacks category is subdivided into the Traditional segment (Bhujia,Chana etc) dominated by Haldiram. The second category is the Western segment(potato chips,cheese balls,puffs etc) and the Finger snacks segment which is an adaptation of traditional snacks to the western format. The latter two categories are dominated by the Frito Lay group. ITC has launched an aggressive marketing campaign to gain entry into and capture a sizeable market share in the extremely competitive world of snack foods.

    Read More

  • Personal Essay On Loyalty

    1170 Words  | 3 Pages

    Loyalty, it’s a bitch, it can be good or it can be bad. Sometimes you can be very loyal, but still be betrayed. Loyalty is a noble quality people look for in a partner or friend. The word loyalty means being faithful to one’s oath, commitments, or obligations. Loyalty is one of the most stressed aspects in a relationship, whether it is friendship or an actual relationship, it still causes a great deal of heated debates. Some people feel that loyalty is not that important, however, I feel as though loyalty is one of the most important qualities you can have. It is not easy to deal with someone that isn’t loyal. Some of my personal experience I’ve had with loyalty would have to start in elementary school when I struggled to fit in. As I started my middle school years, I had struggled with people being loyal because my

    Read More

  • French Culture In American Culture

    368 Words  | 1 Pages

    The common language is French and it is very common for the French to shake hands often although brisk and light. Stand rather close to one another is not uncommon as it is in American culture. They have a stronger sense of personal space, therefore after getting to know one another touching is more acceptable and a sign of affection. Known more for their body language, specifically shrugs and pouts the French tend to be careful and watching for nonverbal cues. "French people pay full attention only if the speaker is charismatic, imaginative, clearly logical and represents authority" ("National Cultural Profiles...", 2007). How they are perceived and their social status is important to the French's individualism. Family plays an important role in instilling these cultural variables. The French tend to visit their parents and grandparents as often as possible even into adulthood. "Ideologies of kinship, in which certain family forms are privileged over others, represent a critique of the kinship patterns of the working classes and immigrants" (France,

    Read More

  • Reflection About Loyalty

    1621 Words  | 4 Pages

    The world surrounding us is continuously in motion, but it is important to have some degree of consistency both in yourself and in those around you. I believe that loyalty is the act of remaining constantly honest and true to friends, family, and yourself. It is a key characteristic in creating meaningful relationships that are both long lasting and valuable. In my opinion, one of the worst feelings is being betrayed. This is something I have experienced throughout my youth. Young girls tend to tell secrets in times of rage and jealousy. As a result, I have lost too many friends in acts of telling secrets and dishonesty. The course materials I have read both reinforced and challenged my belief in loyalty. The Shakespearian play King

    Read More

More about Free Essays: Loyalty in Homer's Odyssey and Steinbeck's Pearl comparison compare contrast essays

Open Document