Reading Notes: Homer's Odyssey, Part B

Homer's Odyssey is one of my most favorite stories from Greek mythology, however, in every iteration that I've heard of this story it was always an abridged version. Most of these abridged versions have always shown the story from a third person perspective. That is why I enjoyed Kline's translation. We are given a first-person view of Odysseus' thoughts and sights. I feel that I can apply that to my storybook, since it is a fairly simple technique to incorporate into my writings. A first person perspective allows us to see the character pass all the attributes that others know him for. Odysseus was a renowned leader and warrior, feared and respected by many of the time. Watching how he reacts to and handles many of the monsters and situations he and his men are pitted against, this fame was earned. However, our interpretation is solely based on the situations' outcomes. Just off the top of my head, I remember reading his interaction with the cyclops. Before rereading the story, I knew that Odysseus confidently chided at the cyclops AFTER escaping from the cave. However, in the story, we see how Odysseus is actually frozen in terror as he and his ram crept pass the blinded monster. Naturally, we only focus what the outcome was, not what happened during the situation. 

 From a first person perspective, we get to see the human side of Odysseus. We are exposed to his terror while dealing with these otherworldly situations. As aforementioned, Odysseus was known for being a leader and warrior, but a severely underrated attribute of his was his ability to mask his fear. I believe that using a first-person writing style will undoubtedly add a deeper layer to your protagonist. Another great example of where the first person perspective really deepened Odysseus' character was his encounter with Charybdis. In this story, we see just how haunted and disturbed by the lost of his men to this terrible creature. Although I don't seek to make my story as dark as this, I hope to make my character as exposed as Odysseus was in this situation.

(Charybdis, in all his terror:

Mr. P's Mythopedia)

Bibliography: Homer's Odyssey, translated by Tony Kline. UN-Textbook.