Okonkwo Determined In The Odyssey

744 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: About determination

A true hero is determined. They always know what to do and when to do it. They are often focused and understand the circumstances they are under; being determined often makes a hero better. In the books: Things fall Apart, Freedom Rider, and They Odyssey, Okonkwo, Thomas, and Odysseus are all determined because they all focus on what’s important to them. Okonkwo, from Things Fall Apart, was determined not to be like his father. He focused on what was important to him. In his life he wanted to be known as a strong man. He used his father as an inspiration to be a better person. “[Okonkwo] was a man of action, a man of war. Unlike his father, he could stand the look of blood” (Achebe 10). Okonkwo was determined to become a man of action, he took his father's example and used it as a guideline to remind himself that he wants to be strong. Okonkwo had a rough childhood and wanted to grow away from it. By using his father's example, and staying determined, he was able to focus in …show more content…

Odysseys has been away from home for almost 20 years and is having trouble making his way back. For example, when Odysseus gets homesick he states, “I long for home, long for the sight of home. If any god has marked me out again for shipwreck, my tough heart can undergo it. What hardship have I not longed since I endured the sea, in battle! Let the trial come” (Homer 1210). This quote shows that Odysseus has a goal to get back home. He focused on getting home because he is sick of being away from it for so long. He has been loyal to his wife the whole time and is determined to reunite with her. Odysseus has gone through a lot throughout his life, he has seen most of his men get killed, eaten by a cyclops, and struck by lightning, by now he is the only one left and wants nothing more than to get back to his homeland. Odysseus is a hero because he has a goal to get home and is determined to

Show More
Related

  • Comparing Home In Enrique's Journey And The Odyssey

    817 Words  | 2 Pages

    He eventually went back home after twenty years of leaving. However, he had many adventures in between in his journey. At one point he was trapped- willingly- in an island with Calypso. They were together for nearly seven years. During the last few years, Odysseus had a change of heart and decided that he wanted to leave. When Calypso was ordered to let him go, he confessed, “Yet it is true, each day I long for home, long for the sight of home.” ( Homer, 893). This quotes shows that Odysseus doesn’t just want to leave the Calypso’s island, yet he want to go home. WHen he said “home”, he was talking about his wife, Penelope, and his son Telemachus. Odysseus shows the definition of nostos. He is away from home and he is looking forward to going back. He wants to go back to the comfort of his wife and child. He misses them and believes he will feel safe back at his home. His focus on his family and home give him courage to take the risky actions of traveling through the sea while the God, Poseidon hates

    Read More

  • The Stubborness of Okonkwo

    389 Words  | 1 Pages

    From birth Okonkwo had wanted his son, Nwoye, to be a great warrior like him. His son instead rebelled and wanted to be nothing like Okonkwo. Okonkwo would not change so that his son would idolize him, as he had wanted since his son's birth. He chose not to acknowledge his son's existence instead. This would weigh heavily on anyone's conscience, yet Okonkwo does not let his relationship with his son affect him in the least bit.

    Read More

  • The Hero’s Journey in Homer's The Odyssey

    1885 Words  | 4 Pages

    The hero is the man who fights for what he loves. A hero is someone who rises above circumstance to take back what is his or hers. A hero is a man who was favored by the gods. All of these qualities and more can be found in both Odysseus and Telemachus. Odysseus and Telemachus both showed many manifestations of a hero throughout the Odyssey. It was a journey of change and growth for both men. Out of this journey they returned with much wisdom and personal gain. Odysseus and Telemachus have truly walked the path of the hero’s journey.

    Read More

  • Is Odysseus A Hero? in the Poem The Odyssey by Homer

    662 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are numerous heroes throughout “The Odyssey,” but none of them are as significant as Odysseus. “The Odyssey” is a narrative poem written by Homer (around 800 and 600 BCE) to show the numerous adventures and experiences Odysseus goes through. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus a prominent Greek epic hero is on a quest to return back to his home in Ithaca; to his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. Just like real life, not all heroes are picture-perfect; they all have imperfections. In this case, Odysseus is sometimes insolent, and discourteous; but he is still considered an epic hero because of the many heroic qualities he endures. Odysseus proves himself to be an outstanding hero in various ways such as showing loyalty, intelligence, bravery, strength, and courage which are all some of the most momentous qualities found in a hero. If a true hero can prove they are a true hero, makes them a true hero.

    Read More

  • Okonkwo A Sympathetic Character

    563 Words  | 2 Pages

    In these few chapters that we read, we have already learned a lot about Okonkwo, his life, and how he shows sympathy to some, but to others he is heartless. Okonkwo is other wise known as an unsympathetic person. Okonkwo is a clan leader of umuofia who holds many titles and is well known among his people. Okonkwo's daily life consists of tending to the three yam farms he has produced and to make numerous offerings to numerous gods and to help himself and his family. Okonkwo's personality is hard driven, since his father did not provide for him and his family Okonkwo had to start man hood early and this led him to be very successful in his adulthood, Okonkwo is an unsympathetic character who only shows sympathy rarely because he believes it's a sign of weakness Okonkwo's family relationships make him a sympathetic character because when his children show signs of manliness or do their jobs right he shows sympathy towards them. He is an unsympathetic character because whenever he get a little mad he has to take his anger out on something and that is usually vented by beating his wife's.

    Read More

  • Adversity In The Odyssey

    813 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Homer’s Odyssey Odysseus shows his yearning for adventure and that challenging himself brings him happiness through his actions not his thoughts. Even in the clutches of a raging cyclopes Odysseus’ accepts the challenge at hand and persevere through the loss of some of his men. “My name is Nohbdy,” he tells Polyphemus who is drunk from the liquor Odysseus had given him before. The giant “reeled and tumbled backward,”. He son fell asleep and the next stages of his plan fell into place. When the sharpened log was hot enough for his liking he and a few other men “bored that great eye socket,”(380). Instead of letting his men die while he cracked under the pressure Odysseus remained calm and allowed himself to think. Having achieved his goal of defeating the mighty cyclopes he rejoiced in his valiancy. Odysseus exuded happiness when most of his men got out alive. Odysseus’ habits of getting his men into seemingly inescapable predicaments continues on the island of Cersei. At the gate of the witch’s island his need for adventure takes the best of his judgement. Against the advice of Eurylochus Odysseus “rushes to save his men from the enchantress,” (387). Odysseus’ need for thrill and excitement draws him onto the island. He knows that he will suffer the same fate but makes a decision in the heat of the moment that could've made him unable to return home, but he wasn’t thinking of home, he purely wanted to get his men back. Throughout his journey Odysseus perfectly represents the bond between a man’s adventures and the challenges they bring to

    Read More

  • Destiny, Fate and Free Will in Homer's Odyssey - Self-Determination

    840 Words  | 2 Pages

    Zeus thinks that Odysseus is courageous and gallant. He therefore commands that, "Odysseus shall go forth upon his homeward way, not with gods' guidance nor with that of a mortal man; but by himself..." (45). This is ironic because later on, Odysseus receives help and is presented challenges from the gods. Without the interference of the gods, Odysseus would have sailed home ten years before.

    Read More

  • Odysseus's Heroic Attributes

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    The epic poem The Odyssey, written by Homer, centers around the main protagonist Odysseus and his long journey back home. Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, returns home after defeating the Trojans in a ten year war. On his way back, he angers Poseidon, god of the sea, by blinding his son, Polyphemus the Cyclops. Due to Odysseus’ actions, Poseidon refuses to let Odysseus reach home, and Odysseus and his crew are forced to go through a series of obstacles throughout the epic. Through this adversity, Odysseus must show his heroic attributions in order to survive. Homer portrays Odysseus as a hero by giving him characteristics such as: craftiness, loyalty, and bravery.

    Read More

  • The Man Behind the Mask in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

    847 Words  | 2 Pages

    Their beliefs are completely opposite each other because of Okonkwo's need to fulfill his own pressures and ideal image, which he burdens himself with. Certain characteristics he holds which his father does not is seriousness, determination, and brutality. Okonkwo cannot move on from his past, instead he forces his future to be effected by his past, which results in his emotional separation from others around him. Oknonkwo describes his father as "lazy, improvident and quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow.

    Read More

  • The Fall of Man in Things Fall Apart and Frankenstein

    1349 Words  | 3 Pages

    Both characters have life goals before the fall. “In Things Fall Apart, Achebe makes it clear that Okonkwo’s single passion was ‘to become one of the lords of the clan’. According to Achebe, it was Okonkwo’s ‘life spring.’ Okonkwo wanted to be a hero,” claims Nnoromele (41). In becoming a great man and hero he must overcome the shame his father has left upon him. His father was lazy and had no titles. This helps motivate him on the road to heroism.

    Read More

  • Odysseus as an Epic Hero

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    Odysseus was an epic hero depicted in the Homer's The Odyssey. He responded to the call to travel to Troy to help Agamemnon get Helen. He encountered great confrontation along the way. He fought the Cicones, the Lotus Eaters, the Cyclops, Polyphemus, the Laestrygonians, the witch goddess Circe, the lonely Sirens, Scylla, Charybdis, the Sun, and Calypso. He and his men traveled great distances under severe circumstances. Odysseus answers a second call to return home to his family. He returns a more mature warrior and a wiser man. Because of this he is able to conquer the suitors and reclaim his palace and his family. As in all Greek literature, the epic hero Odysseus answers a call to action, suffers through great confrontation, and returns with a better understanding of life.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Nobility In The Odyssey

    255 Words  | 1 Pages

    Odysseus is a person of great nobility, an unmistakable trait which is essential to him being an epic hero throughout The Odyssey. Homer displays Odysseus’ noble characteristic in numerous forms, whether it be through his actions, defining qualities or high moral principles. For instance, after Calypso keeps Odysseus on the island of Ogygia for many years, he begins to believe as though he can never leave the island, unable to escape the clutches of the witch. When Calypso unexpectedly allows him to leave, Odysseus retorts, "And I should not care to embark on a raft without your goodwill: not unless you could bring yourself to swear a solemn oath that you will not work some secret mischief against me" (Homer 65). Odysseus feels as though he

    Read More

  • Odysseus Character Development Essay

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the book every time and after he conquers the new challenges Odysseus answers the question, which is repeated throughout, with a different answer. Each time he conquers a challenge on his journey home he learns a new lesson towards humility and answers with a new perspective. “‘I am no god,’ said the patient, good Odysseus. ‘Why do you take me for an immortal? But I am your father, on whose account you have endured so much sorrow and trouble and suffered persecution at men’s hand.’”(P 214 L 186-189) Although he is viewed by many people as very god-like Odysseus realizes that he is an ordinary man and is not a god. Odysseus’ desire to return home is another example that makes him an everyman. In this epic tale the word home had a double meaning for the hero. Home was where his family was and where he wanted to be. The physical element of being home and with his family was a huge deal for him. The other meaning of home was being safe and secure. His aspiration to return home and to return to his safety in sometimes shows that he is also a rather weak man. It is a human instinct to want to go home and stay safe instead of always being brave and

    Read More

  • Similarities Between The Odyssey And The Alchemist

    665 Words  | 2 Pages

    The main character of The Odyssey, Odysseus, had a journey that tested his loyalty and selflessness. Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus does not give up his loyalty to home. This is shown on page 1209, when Odysseus says, “My lady goddess,

    Read More

  • Character Analysis Of Okonkwo In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart

    692 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is an extremely complex character who experiences a variety of emotions which he has a difficult time controlling. He experiences a never ending battle of psychosomatic symptoms, starting with his obsession over the conflict of the past with his father, Unoka. Okonkwo portrays himself as a heroic, strong warrior, only to mask the feelings of intense anger, fear, and selfishness that provokes him, which inevitably leads him down the same path as his father. He feels a strong hatred towards his father because he believes that his father had no masculine qualities, he owed everyone money, and owned no titles. Achebe states:

    Read More

More about Okonkwo Determined In The Odyssey

Open Document