Friday, October 7, 2016

Why is the Odyssey about the journey more than the goal?

Homer's epic poem The Odyssey is a piece of literature the relevance of which continues through today despite the fact that it was written centuries ago. In part, this text's longevity is due to the fact that it centers not around its hero's success but around his journey and growth. 


As the plot unfolds, the reader is familiarized with Odysseus, the protagonist, a man fighting to return home after war. What makes Odysseus' journey so riveting is the number and diversity of challenges he faces on his journey: natural disasters, supernatural punishments, the role of leadership, relationships between characters, and his own shortcomings. Even when Odysseus physically attains his goal and returns to his homeland, he still has many hurdles to overcome. In this way, the epic is not truly about whether or not Odysseus is successful in the destination of his journey but is about the different challenges and changes that he encounters over the course of his quest. 

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