Odysseus is a charming man.
Every hero is strong, smart, capable, and accomplished in his particular area. Odysseus is already a hero when we meet him, having fought in the Trojan war in the Iliad, and endured his suffering already. The thing that sets him apart from other war heroes (aside from being alive still) is that he is dang charming. He's a very talented storyteller, as we see when Alcinous and Arete beg him to continue talking while he relates his backstory to them. He's "tall and handsome" and Arete comments, "And what a mind!" (12, 338). Alcinous also comments "[Some people] fashion lies out of thin air. But when I look at you, I know you are not in that category," which is interesting because we know that Odysseus is actually quite prone to lying, as he does to his slave and later his wife Penelope, as well as to the cyclops (12, 365-6). Everybody likes Odysseus, even though to us he doesn't seem all that likeable. He sacrifices others for the good of him...
Good post! I found it extremely relatable given that I admittedly read ahead...but those were also my reactions after finishing the book. I love Ma so much and thought she was amazing. I also thought the use of having Jack narrate was extremely creative and made the book more pg than it otherwise would have been.
ReplyDeleteI was also amazed with Ma as I read Room. Though she's "gone" some days, she's spent every other second the past 5 years with Jack. Ma is extremely patient and does a good job raising Jack, even given her suboptimal situation. Even after their escape, Ma spends most of her time caring for Jack. She's able to hide her pain and stress so well from Jack, which I think is extremely heroic.
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