The Odyssey and Storytelling)
Directions
Whether they come to us as poems, like The Odyssey, or through plays, novels, or film, stories serve many purposes. In “The Story of Storytelling,” Ferris Jabr writes of how, in particular, ancient myths functioned. “Not only are ancient myths and folktales almost universally concerned with danger and death,” Jabr writes,” but they are also “blatantly
didactic (emphasis mine). If we remove their layers of symbolism and subtext—which have been interpreted and reinterpreted for millennia—and focus on their narrative skeletons, we find that they are studded with
practical and moral insights (emphasis mine).” According to Jabr, three of these didactic lessons, what can be considered “practical and moral insights,” are that “people are not always what they seem; the mind is as much a weapon as the body; sometimes humility is the best path to victory.”
Question: In a four- to five-page essay, how does
The Odyssey impart one of the three insights listed above? Use examples from across the poem. In other words, do not just pull from one or two books in an isolated part of the poem. You should be supporting your thesis about these insights with evidence from at least half of the poem.
In your concluding paragraph, draw connections between the insight you have selected from
The Odyssey and insights gained from
Sinners and/or
O Brother, Where Art Thou? Consider how the insight found in an ancient myth like
The Odyssey can compare with modern stories such as these two films. This concluding paragraph is an opportunity to think boldly, try out your ideas, and present them as a way to wrap up the paper.
Guidelines
Do not use outside sources. Only use the materials provided in our class. The paper must be submitted through the Turnitin tool, which is enabled here. I will be looking closely at AI usage. The paper is to consist of your words, thoughts, and analysis not those of others.
Your essay must have in-text citations based on your preferred style (MLA, APA, Chicago). See this resource for details and examples of in-text citations:
Links to an external site.
Do not provide a title page or works cited page at the end of your essay. When I speak of MLA, APA, and Chicago styles, I am referring primarily to the use of citations within the paper.
Do not use first person. Write only in the third person.
Work diligently to stay in the active voice rather than devolving into excessive use of passive voice. To stay in the active voice as much as possible, use strong action verbs and make sparing use of forms of “to be” (was, were).
Use italics for titles of works such as The Odyssey, Sinners, and O Brother, Where Art Thou?
