Greek tragedy and heroes
Anyone who conforms to the ideals of his particular society is a hero. If I was a beautiful busty blond who loved puppies and saved people from imminent death, in today's society, I would generally be considered a hero. Huck, is a modern hero, and although he wasn't an ideal person in his particular environment, the reader finds him to be near his or her own moral ideal, so the reader recognizes Huck as a hero. Odysseus is a classical hero, for he conforms to the very different social standards of ancient Greece but, since modern society shares so many ideals with Greek culture, the modern reader can still appreciate him as a heroic figure.The classical hero and the modern hero are near opposite, but both are often identified as heroes in today's society, even though the stories themselves are quite similar. Since the cultures were so varied, the heroes were too. The entire epic of the Odyssey was based upon the need for Odysseus to gain hubris, the Greek social ideal, and Odysseus himself was brave, fought external conflicts, and restored order. Huck rejected community values for the greater moral good. The modern hero being an underdog of sorts, he needed to battle internal conflicts, face less monsters and more people.
The two heroes are riddled with the choices of what they want to do themselves, and what they are pressured into doing. Odysseus is constantly challenged by the gods, which are a superior force, and he must eventually obey or pay the price for it do he pays dearly and sacrifices his crew. Huck a similar problem with the great force of southern mob mentality, except that he, the modern hero, deals with his conflict by escaping and not by suffering. Arrayed about the doors of death."(204) Odysseus wanted to get home to the loving family he left behind, and Huck was trying to get as far away as possible from his drunken abusive father. Both were a physical journey though and always towards some goal. Huck's goal was to help Jim find his family, and to reach the territories. These goals were boths reward for ideal behavior too. If Huck were true to Jim would find his family. If Odysseus were true to the gods, he would regain his former life. It is not the hero that changes over time, but the ideal. When we read Odysseus killing women, and such, we may cringe, since it is so far from our ideal. But we must keep in mind that the title if hero is primarily in our minds. However, some ideals remain constant. Intellect and ingenuity was present in both Odysseus and Huckleberry, and it is still an ideal in our society today.
Some common words found in the essay are:
, Odysseus Huckleberry, Mary Jane, Classical Modern, modern hero, today's society, classical hero, odysseus classical hero, water vehicle, odysseus classical, crew huck, jim family, inner conflict,
Approximate Word count = 933
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
