Exploring the Significance of Allusions to The Odyssey
The ripples of calm, still water turn into mountains of engraved waves. The darkness and isolation at sea changes into powerful water crashing down onto the ship. Odysseus and his men are tossed like ragdolls side to side, holding onto what is at reach. With each breath gasping for air, feeling as if minutes have gone by without oxygen. Odysseus, the leader of his shipmates, is pulled underneath in seconds and struggles to get air. Just as it seems there is no hope, he resurfaces. Looking around frantically, finds himself alone, his ship torn to pieces, and no sight of his shipmates. The storm is over. The damage has already been done but Odysseus must return home for his wife and his son. One could say he experiences an epic odyssey returning home. When one makes reference to the allusion odyssey he/she means to undergo a long, never ending, journey. T
he allusion of odyssey can be used in many interesting ways today. The explanation behind the phrase odyssey is based on Odysseus’s ten-year journey home from Troy after winning the Trojan War. “He has astonishing adventures and learns a great deal about himself and the world; he even descends to the underworld to talk to the dead. Thus, an Odyssey is any long, complicated journey, often a quest for a goal, and may be a spiritual or psychological journey as well as an actual voyage.
However, Odysseus encounters countless obstacles during his long journey home. “Poseidon sends rough seas that send Odysseus and his men on a long and perilous journey in which Odysseus uses his cunning Lynch 2 tactics, and leadership skills”. Odysseus encounters many unfortunate events being thatg “. . . he lost his ships, his crew, and the riches he had gained at Troy”. There are many ways to illustrate the meaning of the allusion of odyssey. Odyssey could be used as an allusion if one were to refer to Jesus’ crucifixion and his struggle carrying the cross. One could state that Jesus experienced an unimaginable painful odyssey being crucified, for everyone to watch and laugh. After being tortured by the Romans, Jesus must have felt as if his suffering would never end; the only thing he could do was to have faith in God so he can rise again to give humans everlasting life. Another example which explains this allusion is a person with depression and in a difficult, dark period in their life. For this person, the odyssey may be that they feel as if things are never going to get better and this odyssey will go on forever and will never return to being happy.
Many movie producers allude to The Odyssey to help create and inspire their film. For example, the movie Spongebob Squarepants The Movie, portrays the theme of The Odyssey because Spongebob and Patrick beat all the odds against them because they are determined to “. . . get the crown, save the town and Mr. Krabs”. Although Spongebob is not smart or clever like Odysseus, he is determined to complete his quest and, although there are powerful forces out to stop him, he prevails through every difficult situation just as Odysseus is determined to return home to his wife and kingdom even though he could just give up”.
Furthermore, The Odyssey is also used in many books today. One being, Percy Jackson and his journey. “The first Percy Jackson book are similar to The Odyssey following Percy's journey to retain the lightning that has been stolen. They both have to take help from the gods to Lynch 3 achieve their respective goals and they both also face many obstacles on the journey…”. Like The Odyssey, Percy Jackson must conquer a quest in order to retain something. Odyssey quite simply means going on a perpetual voyage- a journey that seems never ending through many obstacles thus, beating all the odds. Many references to the allusion odyssey can be used today and is, in fact, all around us. Like Jesus, many people face hardships during their odysseys where it seems impossible to have hope. The journey may have implications on the way, but it is of no importance that the odyssey will be easy.
