What are Likely the Main Themes in The Odyssey?

The first and last lines of the poem, "speak memory" and "tell the tale once more in our time" seem to suggest that this story will last for generations, and that it is hidden in the memories of every soul who reads the text (this statement certainly seems true, as it is one of the most acclaimed stories ever, even after two millenia). At the very beginning, Homer (presumably) lets you know that this is a tale of "the cunning hero, the wanderer, blown off course time and again after he plundered Troy's sacred heights" suggesting a very unforgettable, epic feel.

However, the text of the poem also seems to suggest a theme of overcoming adversity. From the very beginning, we are introduced to several suitors, men who are vying for Odysseus' wife Penelope's hand in marriage. Throughout the text, these suitors persistently attempt to steer Odysseus away from his goal, including even attempting to ambush and kill his son, Telemachus. But that's not enough for ol' Ody. Not to mention facing dangerous creatures, he also got on Poseidon's bad side, so now he has to face the very ugly, very personal wrath of Poseidon, ("that's right, thrash around in misery on the open sea until you come to human society again. I hope that not even then will you escape from evil"). However, Odysseus is loved by many, including the goddess Athena, who are vying for his safe return.

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Hieronymus Bosch, Saint Christopher, and the Renaissance

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Frederick Douglass, as mentioned at the very beginning of Chapter I, was separated from his mother at a very young age. In fact, really the only thing he remembers of her is the fact that she talked to him at nights when he was a very young boy - but when he woke up in the morning, she was gone. Unfortunately, such an event was not uncommon with slaves. Because slaves were treated as property rather than people, slave families were often separated to prevent a human bond between them, which would likely interfere with the ordering of harsh, strenuous work and even harsher punishments. Additionally, Douglass mentions the fact that slaves were to know as little of themselves as possible, in order to preserve them as property, born not to think or feel but to work. In the masters' eyes, this would have likely had slaves see the world as one to work on, and so that is exactly what they would do. Of course, slaves eventually did rebel against their masters and go to every length to de...

Adventures at Post Oak High

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