Proving Through Promise
Allies are the most important aspect to overcoming hardships, besides a will to do so. Trust and loyalty are best traits of a good friends, the most supportive and thoughtful can be achieved through promise, and easily lost through it too. Sally does not keep her word and Odysseus finds only a few people who remained loyal to him in his homecoming. Those who betray him are given what they deserve. And Esperanza is left alone at the fair. Their bad experiences in friendship played a major role in the development of the characters in the
Odyssey and The House on Mango Street
In the Odyssey, the goddess, Calypso lets Odysseus return home after his many requests for her to do so, but Odysseus restrains himself from accepting
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his freedom until Calypso swears she will not become a heavier burden to the sorrowful survivor: ‘“You’re not going to catch me setting foot on any raft/ Unless you agree to swear a solemn oath/ That you’re not planning some new trouble for me.”’ (Lombardo, 5.176-178). This way, Odysseus can now trust Calypso and knows that she couldn’t trick him on his long journey home. She agrees, “‘Blasphemous, that’s what you are- but nobody’s fool!/ How do you manage to say things like that?/ All right. I swear by the Earth and Heaven above/ And the subterranean water of Styx- the greatest/ Oath and the most awesome a god can swear- That I’m not planning more trouble for you, Odysseus”’ (Lombardo, 5.181-186). Sadly, Odysseus does not have much luck finding others who swear to be on his side. Only a few allies of Odysseus rise to action and support him when Odysseus was searching for recruits to assist him with his hunger for revenge on the suitors. Odysseus asks Eumaeus where his loyalties lie and the cattle herder responds: “‘Father Zeus, if only this would come true!/ Let him come back. Let some god guide him./ Then you would see what these hands could do.’/ And Eumaeus prayed likewise to all the gods/ That Odysseus would return.” (Lombardo 21.208-212). His hopeful response implied his anticipation for the godlike survivor’s homecoming, and eagerness to help Odysseus in any way he can. Those who plead for Odysseus’ pardon during his rage for revenge however received no mercy: ‘“How many times must you have prayed in the halls/ That my sweet homecoming would never come,/ And that you would be the one my wife would go off with/ And bare children to! You’re a dead man.”’ (Lombardo 22.344-347). Odysseus portrays no mercy dealing with the townsfolk, maids, and especially the suitors who betrayed him, making them all pay for their lack of integrity in his absence with the help of those he trusted, acquired through their loyalty. As much as one can believe that allies will always be there to support one another, friends are as easily lost breaking their word. Sally is a beautiful girl who faces many hardships at home, but regardless of her background and constant episodes of abandoning Esperanza, Esperanza thinks very highly of Sally as a friend in House on Mango Street. She admires Sally’s strength, beauty, and shares the same goal in life: To leave Mango Street and begin a life of their own choosing. This is why they share this friendship for a long time in Esperanza’s childhood. It wasn’t until Esperanza had been raped while waiting for Sally that she realized that what they shared wasn’t the healthiest of relationships: “Sally, you lied. It wasn’t what you said at all. What he did. Where he touched me. I didn’t want it, Sally. The way they said it, the way it’s supposed to be, all the storybooks and movies, why did you lie to me?” (Cisneros 99). Sally abandons Esperanza, who patiently waits while Sally is off with some boy, which results in Esperanza’s tragic event. A little earlier in Esperanza’s story, Sally leaves her to talk with Tito and his friends. Their “game” of stealing Sally’s car keys and not giving them back unless Sally kisses the boys made Esperanza very uncomfortable and she left to tell Tito’s mother to save her friend, but received a carefree response. Esperanza explains her reasoning to the reader in hope that one might understand her sorrow: “I took three big sticks and a brick and figured this was enough. But when I got there Sally said go home. Those boys said leave us alone. I felt stupid with my brick. They all looked at me as if I was the one that was crazy and made me feel ashamed…I had to run away... (Cisneros 97)”. Devastated with the betrayal of her dear friend even after she tried to save Sally, Esperanza left the Monkey Garden in a crying fit. This event exposes Sally’s behavior of abandoning her which leads to Esperanza’s rape. In contrast to that negative note, Esperanza makes many friends on Mango Street such as Lucy, Rachel, and Cathy. She especially has had many positive experiences with Rachel and Lucy strutting in high heels and riding bikes. The two sisters were even there for Esperanza when Cathy left: “When I get back, Cathy is gone like I knew she would be, but I don’t care. I have two new friends and a bike too” (Cisneros, 15). Though this friendship doesn’t have any prominent promises throughout the book, the experiences so vital to her childhood are worth taking note of. Breaking promises is never a great idea. This situation and Odysseus’ ultimately become the root of separation and Odysseus’ thirst to revenge. Both supporting allies and losing of friends appear in House on Mango Street and Odyssey.
In Sandra Cisneros’s story, Esperanza is the supporting ally. This coming from the advice the Three Sisters gave Esperanza: ‘“When you leave you must remember to come back for others. A circle, understand? You will always be Esperanza. You will always be Mango Street. You can’t erase what you know. You can’t forget who you are.”’ (Cisneros, 105). The one with “marble hands” (Cisneros, 105) told her. Esperanza tries to support her family and friends, then comes back to Mango Street after she fulfills her lifelong goal. No matter how much she wanted to escape Mango Street once and for all, she is Mango Street. And this will forever remain a part of her. In Homer’s Odyssey, the lost hero makes his crew swear a great oath that they agree to take, then dive into Circe’s gratuitous food, but will eventually start to question this important promise and break it, “‘If we find any cattle or sheep on this island. No man will kill a single cow or sheep/ In his recklessness, but will be content/ To eat the food immortal Circe gave us.’/ They swore they would do just as I said…” (Lombardo 12.305-311). Little did they know that Odysseus was doing this for their own good. In this hero’s classic tale, he loses more and more of his crew’s trust along their trip. This was not a result of breaking promise, but resulted from leadership issues which foreshadowed the act of his crew abandoning their word, ““‘If he becomes angry/ Over his cattle and gets the other gods’ consent/ To destroy our ship, well, I would rather/ Gulp down saltwater and die once and for all/ Than waste away slowly on a desert island’”” (12.357-361). With this betrayal comes an even more doomed fate for both captain and crew. Since Odysseus breaks the crew’s hopes for a promising leader, it’s only fair if the crew doubts the leader’s orders. A position in leadership mistreated can have the same effects of a broken promise, in
this case being the promise of responsibility of the crew, thinking ahead, and communicating plans with others. Odysseus’ allies share the glory of homecoming and help serve revenge, both goals Odysseus seeks throughout the book, while receiving welcoming arms from an old friend. Because they remained loyal, Eumaeus and Philoetius will live life in peace most certainly at the sides of the king and prince of Ithaca. Meanwhile, Esperanza and Sally have never truly shared the bond of trust, but Rachel and Lucy were always good friends. Losing and finding new friends are prominent climaxes and low points in Odysseus’ and Esperanza’s character arcs all from the root of promise.
Once Odysseus has served enough time in a place against his will, he would be determined to leave that place. Odysseus’ journey towards home was now going to be able to be finished. For seven years Calypso held him prisoner on the island of Ogygia and he was determined to leave and see to the rest of his journey. Calypso agrees to let him go and she gives Odysseus some advice and guidance saying, "Only I will not aid [you] on [your] way, for I have no ships fitted with oars, nor crews to bear [you] over the broad oceanridges; but I will freely give [you] counsel and not hide how [you] may come unharmed to [your] own native land"(47). Calypso recognizes Odysseus’ greatness. Calypso says she will give some advice, but Odysseus will have to prove his greatness by making his own ship and understand how he will make it home.
Throughout literature characters have relied upon entities greater then themselves to furnish them with aid as they meet the many challenges they must face. The Odyssey is a tale of Odysseus’ epic journey and the many obstacles that bar his return home. But Odysseus is not alone in this struggle and receives aid from many gods, especially the clear-eyed goddess Athena. There are times when Odysseus beseeches the gods for aid, but other times he is too foolhardy to receive aid from even the immortal gods. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus’ journey revolves around the cyclical phases of his dependence, independence and his return to reliance upon the gods’ aid.
After the incident with the bag of winds it is reasonable for Odysseus to have trust issues, but when it is a matter of life and death, Odysseus is witless. After being punished by Zeus because some of his crew ate Helios’ cattle Odysseus drifts in the ocean until he lands on Calypso’s island. 7 years pass and Odysseus can finally leave after he crafts a ship, after he leaves and sails for a bit, Poseidon sees it as a time to get revenge for his son Polyphemus. Poseidon completely wrecks Odysseus’ ship when he is close to the land of the Phaeacians. A goddess named Ino sees this and offers Odysseus help.
‘The Odyssey’ by Homer, ‘The Aeneid’ by Virgil and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee were written in different eras, were produced for different audiences and contain heroes which displayed different beliefs. Though produced in different time periods, the narratives share some striking similarities and resemblances. They focus on male heroes, typically who are (in some way) more inclined compared to the ‘average mortal’. Atticus is very intelligent, Aeneas is a great leader and Odysseus is remarkably courageous; all three narratives deal with the trials, challenges and achievements of the hero.
For seven years, Odysseus is held captive by the goddess Calypso. The young goddess “desired me and detained me in her hall. But in my heart, I never gave consent” (Homer 372). This quote suggests that although Calypso may have believed she was loved by Odysseus, he never really cared for her. If Odysseus would have stayed faithful to his wife, Calypso would have killed him. Thus, he is able to protect himself by lying to her. Another point in the epic where Odysseus' dishonesty impacts his success is with the suitors. After arriving at his homeland, Odysseus disguises himself to protect himself from being harmed: “Odysseus enters his home as a beggar, and the suitors mock and abuse him” (Homer 402). When Odysseus appears to be a beggar, the suitors think nothing of him. They disrespect him, his family, and his home. Had they know Odysseus was back, they would have treated him much differently. Because of the way they acted towards him, it can be suggested that they would be willing to do anything to take control of his kingdom. He is then able to find out more about them and their motives without getting
However, Calypso’s “love” is more like sexual desire. Calypso holds Odysseus on her island for sever year, and “in the night, true, [Odysseus] would sleep with her in the arching cave - he had no choice - unwilling lover alongside lover all too willing…” (Odyssey 5, 170-172). Calypso is a selfish goddess who wants to dominate Odysseus without considering Odysseus’s feeling. The fact that Calypso sleeps with Odysseus every night demonstrates that she treats Odysseus more like as sex captive than a real lover. Even though she claims, “ I welcomed him warmly, cherished him, even vowed the make the man immortal, ageless, all his days” (Odyssey 5,150-151), the hospitality that she shows here is just a tool to help her possess Odyssey. By making Odyssey ageless and immortal, Calypso can hold Odyssey and satisfy her possessive obsessions forever. Calypso’s sexual desire can be further proved in her angry speech. She says, “ Hard-hearted you are, you gods! You unrivaled lords of jealousy-scandalized when goddesses sleep with mortals, openly, even when one has made the man her husband” (Odyssey 5,130-133). Calypso is angry because female gods and male gods are treated unequally about the affairs with mortals. She asks Odysseus to become her husband because she wants to achieve sexual equality. However, at the end, Calypso releases Odyssey since she is afraid of the punishment from Zeus (Odyssey 5, 153). The fact that Calypso easily submits to Zeus’s
In The Odyssey, Athena has an extensive and caring relationship with Odysseus. At the beginning of the poem, Athena pleads with her father Zeus to allow her to help Odysseus so he can go home to his family, saying, "But my own heart is broken for Odysseus." Later in the poem she again implores her father for help regarding Odysseus. When he is on the island of Kalypso, Athena tells Zeus that Odysseus "cannot stir, cannot fare homeward, for no ship is left him, fitted with oars-no crewmen or companions." Athena also aids Odysseus as he is sailing away from the islands, checking "the course of all the winds but one, commanding them, `Be quiet and go to sleep'." As Odysseus departs she protects him because it is her desire that he will return home safely after a long absence from his family. At the end of his voyage from the island of Kalypso, Odysseus is again blessed by the guidance of Athena. As he reaches the land he spots a "leaf-bed" and Athena "showered sleep that his distress should end, and soon, soon." It should also be noted that Homer often c...
... Odysseus' experience with Calypso reflects his strength and diligence, though he cries all day everyday. It is quite ironic. Calypso seems to represent womanly jealousy. She knows he has a wife waiting in Ithaca for him, yet she continues to retain him for her own selfish happiness. She seems to be a little unsure if she is greater in beauty than Penelope when she assures Odysseus that she exceeds Penelope by far in that area. It seems that she knew what his reply would be and merely wanted to hear it from his mouth.
She is always spoken of respectfully and is remembered for her heroic deeds. She is not degraded like many of the other women Odysseus sees in the underworld. Everyone worships her and speaks about her achievements with great admiration; she is truly admired, but because she is a goddess. Athena has control over men that most women in The Odyssey do not. Women 's lives depend on what men think of them, on the other hand, men 's lives depend on Athena 's opinion of them. Athena is "Zeus ' virgin daughter" and no one has used her in that way. She is too important to be used as being an enjoyment for men; they depend on her for their own welfare. Another woman that plays a big role in this epic is Calypso. Calypso a nymph, a child of Zeus, and lives on an island in the middle of the ocean. One day Odysseus is sent to her by the god of the sea, Poseidon, because Poseidon was mad at Odysseus for blinding his son, the Cyclops. It is on this island that another woman is used as a sexual toy and is not thought of for her own achievements, but rather for her beauty, and the fact that she is the daughter of Zeus. Men in The Odyssey only value women who they can use for physical needs and wealth, such as the women in the underworld that Odysseus encounters, and Penelope. Homer shows us how men in The Odyssey consider women less important than men. The readers rarely hear of women throughout the book. When they do, they are shown
One important characteristic that Penelope and Odysseus share is their loyalty to each other. Odysseus failed to return home seven years after the Trojan war. Because he is assumed dead, 108 wealthy noblemen and princes invade his palace and refuse to leave until Penelope has married one of them. By marrying her, the suitors hope to gain control over Odysseus’s wealth and power. However, Penelope remains faithful to Odysseus. But, as a woman, she is powerless to remove the suitors from the palace. And without a man in the household, she is subject to her father’s decisions. However, despite his wish for her to remarry, Penelope clings to the hope of Odysseus’s return and remains faithful to him. She waits and gathers information by asking strangers who arrive in Ithaca about Odysseus. She goes through the stories of their encounter point by point, and asks about every detail while tears stream down her eyes. Although the suitors promise her a secure future, Penelope continues to wait for Odysseus. Without Odysseus, she does not believe that she will ever be happy again.
The overarching theme of The Odyssey is the belief that man cannot escape the destiny which has been preordained for him by the gods. Destiny plays a vital role in the survival of Odysseus throughout his adventures. As Odysseus languishes on the island of Calypso, Hermes commands her to free Odysseus in order for the will of Zeus to be carried out, "This is the man whom Zeus now bids you send away, and quickly too, for it is not ordained that he shall perish far from friends; it is his lot to see his friends once more and reach his high roofed house and native land" (47). It is evident that Zeus does not want his predetermined plans for Odysseus to be altered by any being, mortal or god, and will not allow anything to stand in the way of the destiny he has set out for Odysseus.
The character of Penelope in Homer's Odyssey reflects the faithful wife who waits twenty years for the arrival of her husband. Only a strong woman could sustain the stress, anxiety and confusion resulting from the chaos of a palace with a missing king whose fate is unknown. Her responsibilities and commitments toward the man she loves are particularly difficult to keep, under the strain of the situation. Although she does not actively pursue an effort to find him, her participation in the success of Odysseus' homecoming can be seen in her efforts to defend and protect the heritage, reputation and the House of Odysseus in his absence. As Odysseus withstands his trial, Penelope withstands her trials against temptations to give in to the many anxious suitors, to give up on her faith and respect for her religion, her husband and even her self. Penelope's strength in keeping the highest standards in her function as a wife, woman and mother contributes to the success of Odysseus' homecoming by keeping the home and family for him to come back to.
After his near decade captivity and escape from Calypso, Odysseus faces many challenges in his attempt to return to Ithaca. Arguably, being held captive so long may have been a shameful period, although being a sex slave for a beautiful goddess wasn’t the worst thing imaginable. With the lack of help from and trust in the gods, Odysseus had heavy weight on his shoulders that would decide whether his fate would be shameful or honorable. A quote from Zeus emphasized this, “Odysseus shall come back by the convoy neither of the gods nor of mortal people, but he shall sail on a jointed raft and, suffering hardships, on the twentieth day make his landfall on fertile Scheria at the country of the Phaiakians who are near the gods in origin, and they will honor him in their hearts as a god, and send him back, by ship, to the beloved land of his fathers, bestowing bronze and hold in abundance upon him, and clothing, more than Odysseus could ever have taken away from Troy, even if he had escaped unharmed with his fair share of the plunder” (Odyssey 5, 30-40). The gods here place trust in the abilities of Odysseus, even though he would very much appreciate some help. Although Odysseus is mortal, he is comparable to immortal heroes due to his strength and leadership. A quality of his that is notable for a great leader was that he wouldn’t ask of his men something he wouldn’t do himself. At times though, he
middle of paper ... ... In Homer’s Odyssey, both Odysseus and his son Telemachus embark on long, difficult journeys; Odysseus trying to return from Troy to his home in Ithaca, escaping Calypso and the island of Ogygia, and Telemachus from Ithaca to Pylos and Sparta in search of his lost father. While The Odyssey tells of the courage both men demonstrate during their respective travels, their quests are the results of the intentions and desires of gods. Odysseus is trapped in exile on Ogygia by the will of Poseidon, whose anger Odysseus attracts when he blinds the Cyclops Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, and by the love of Calypso, who wishes to make Odysseus her husband.
Some of the major relationships in the story are the relationship between Odysseus and his men, because they view as a hero and are willing to do anything for him. Odysseus also has a very close bond with Telemachus, his son, and his loyalty to his father can be seen when he travels to Sparta to look for his father when he has been absent for so long and near the end when he helps his father defeat the suitors. An important negative relationship that Odysseus has is his relationship with the suitor Antinous. When Odysseus returns, Antinous and his men are trying to take over his house, ...