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Odysseus The Journey
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The Journey
Introduction
Odysseus is the chief character of the novel Odyssey, and it records his homecoming journey since his departure from troy. Odysseus is seen to be present in the Iliad, but he has a different mission from that of the poem. The story talks about the challenges he encountered on land and sea. The story also gives an account of how he will avenge the honor of his family from the suitors, who are surrounding his house waiting for his wife to choose another man. Through out his journey he is assisted by Athena but to be disillusioned by Poseidon who says that “I will make his journey very difficult because he blinded my son”. Telemachus is the son of Odysseus, and he wants to stop the suitors from taking advantage of his father’s estate. He search’s for his father’s news so that they can proclaim their estate. Telemachus and Odysseus journey is similar to some extent because both of them face challenges in their trips.
Odysseus
Odysseus is portrayed as a leader with Homeric character. He is powerful, confident, and courageous, and he wants to achieve glory. Odysseus has a character trait that makes him different from the others since he is extremely intelligent, and this is evident by his calculations before an action. His intelligence and quick thinking helped him in difficult situations that he encountered. His intelligence saves him when he escapes from Cyclops cave, and when he hides the suitor’s slaughters “please play the wedding song for the guests”. Odysseus is remarkably eloquent in his speeches, and he manipulates and convinces the audience (Steinruck, Pp 23). His soft tongue makes many people in the audience favor and agrees with him. This is evident when he wins the trust of Nausicca by using a comforting approach when addressing them. Just like other Homeric heroes, Odysseus is striving to achieve glory from the society by the good deeds and he also wants to go home.
He is an adventures person, and this is portrayed by his luxurious life with calypso in an exotic land even though it lasts for a moment. He practices infidelity with Calypso for a short time and realizes he wants to go back home because calypso does not compare to his wife. He is concerned about his home, and this is evident because he constantly thinks about home while spending time with Phaeacians. Odysseus is torn between the quest of getting home and achieving glory. Most of his time of getting home is wasted by his search for glory. He is troubled when he looses men and time while sacking land. Odysseus is a patient man “I will wait for as long as it takes in these caves” while enjoying milk and cheese (Steinruck, Pp 35). His patience makes him trapped in the cave when the Cyclops returns.
Homeric characters are presented to be static since they are complex and realistic. These characters do not move from their mission and course of work as portrayed by characters in modern novels and stories. However, this rule is broken by Odysseus and Telemachus. Odysseus is consumed by his quest of achieving glory, and this makes him reveal his identity to the Cyclops, thus bringing Poseidon’s anger on him. He is willing to temper his pride with patience at the concluding part of the epic. Even when he is disguised as a pauper Odysseus does not react to the abuse, “I will wait until the traps I have set and loyal people will place me at a suitable position for striking back” (Steinruck, Pp 44).
Telemachus
Telemachus was a child when his father left for Troy. At the beginning of the novel, Telemachus is still growing up. He is encountered with many challenges because he does not know how to protect the land from the suitors. Athena tells Telemachus to fight for his father’s estate as she tells him “you are no longer a child” (Steinruck, Pp 54). He is facing this challenge because he recently became aware of the real intentions of the suitors. Telemachus is told by Athena that his father is still alive and he must make a journey to Pylos and Sparta to enquire about any news of his father. While he prepares to move make his journey to Pylos and Sparta, Athena visits masked as a mentor. She tells Telemachus “your journey will be successful” (Steinruck, 2008). Athena moves to town and assembles a crew to sail with Telemachus on his journey. He is courageous like his father because he takes the open sea with faith that God is on his side. When Telemachus and Athena arrive at Pylos they witness a religious ceremony where dozens of bulls are sacrificed. Telemachus is not good as his father in public speaking and this is evident as he fears to talk to city king. Athena encourages Telemachus by telling him “go and speak to King Nester”. Telemachus is then accompanied by Pisistratus the son of the king to Sparta and the two set out on land. Telemachus resembles his father as he is quickly identified by the queen of Sparta Helen “you are the son of Odysseus” (Steinruck, Pp 60). When Telemachus is told that his father is imprisoned in an island, he returns back to pylos to set sail for Ithaca. He faces the same challenge like his father because the suitors want to ambush him. Telemachus is courageous like his father as he moves alone around southern Greece to learn of his father’s fate. Telemachus is has the skill of impressing host and this is evident as he impresses the host in Ithaca.
Telemachus confronts the suitors and commands them to stop taking advantage of his father’s estate. He takes control of the estate even when Penelope and Eurycleia become angry of his actions. Telemachus is different from his father because he has different talents. He is portrayed as a person with a stout heart, intelligent mind and a little bit of a temper. However, he does not have the skills of speaking fluently and softly as Odysseus. He is a careless man because he leaves the weapons store open and this allows the suitors to take arms. Even if, Odysseus makes mistakes on his course during the epic, he can not afford to make a careless mistake like that of Telemachus. Telemachus is different from his father because he has not inherited his pride. He has not developed perfectly as his father, and this is evident while he tries to string the bow. He nearly does it but not quite and this shows the he cannot match his father’s skills, but he is on his way.
Telemachus and Odysseus journey is similar to some extent because both of them face challenges in their trips. Telemachus wants to be ambushed by suitors while Odysseus is imprisoned in an island by calypso. Both of them are protected by the gods in their journey to reach their destination. Telemachus is different from his father since he does not have the skills of public speaking and convicting a crowd. Although he is courageous like his father, he is not intelligent as Odysseus because he makes serious mistakes. Odysseus has a character trait that makes him different from the others since he is extremely intelligent, and this is evident by his calculations before an action. Just like other Homeric heroes, Odysseus is striving to achieve glory from the society by the good deeds and he wants to go home. Odysseus is torn between the quest of getting home and achieving glory. Most of his time of getting home is wasted by his search for glory. Telemachus is courageous like his father as he moves alone around southern Greece to learn of his father’s fate.
Conclusion
Odysseus has been transformed because of the challenges he experienced throughout his journey. He has learnt not to trust everybody because some people do not have good interest of him in heart. He has learnt this because the people who betrayed his family are those who were close to his father. His journey has transformed in that he has become a patient man and he is focused on achieving his goal. He has learnt to listen to other people advice first before making a decision.
Works cited
Steinruck, Mogn. The Suitors in the Odyssey: The Clash between Homer and Archilochus. New York: Peter Lang. 2008
The British Empire in the 18th and 19th century conquered many countries including the United
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The British Empire in the 18th and 19th century conquered many countries including the United States of America, as it was their tradition the British mistreated the Native Americans just like they had killed, maimed and took land of the Natives of other countries they had conquered. In his book “a different Mirror”, Takaki brings out the suffering the American Natives underwent from their own perspective.
When the British started pouring into America, they did not take into concern of the people living there; they were only interested in taking the land away from the Natives. The British had low regards of the Natives way of life and regarded the Indians as savages, beasts, and other names such as cannibals, and uncivilized Heathens. The British did not like the Indians way of life, they said that the “they lived like herds of deer” (Takaki, pg 33).
The British that their culture was much superior to any other culture in the United States and their way of life much civilized that the Native Americans. They therefore classified the Indians as animals. As more British came to the United States the Natives slowly became the minority, the high numbers of the British meant that they needed more space to settle. In order to the space Indians were evicted from their land and whoever resisted was killed without a second thought. The perception that they were superior pushed the British to even kill Indians and ravage their land as they were animals that were not fit to live amongst them (Takaki, pg 34).
The need to get more land by the British and to push the Indians out resulted to the enacting of a bill known as the Indian Removal Act. The act was enacted on the 28th of May 1830 by Andrew Jackson (Takaki 33). The act directed that the Native Indians should trade the land they wee occupying for another land to the west of the Mississippi. The act was not however without conditions, the president promised “aid” for those people who wanted to move or to those who were moving. The Indians were also assured that the land they were trading would always belong to them regardless who were occupying it, the rule however an exception. The treaty stated that if “Indians become extinct, or abandon the same” then “…such lands shall revert to the United States”. The Indians were also offered protection from any harassment if they moved. After examining the treaty and the accompanying promises, five different tribes resolved to move to the land on the other side of Mississippi with the destination being Oklahoma also known as the Indian Territory (Takaki, pg 33).
Trail of Tears
Over 70,000 Natives embarked on the trek to Oklahoma, a journey that took almost ten years to reach Oklahoma. The trek was given the name Trail of Tears due to the big number of the Natives who died. What had looked as a good deal soon turned into tears as a big number of Natives died along the way due to exhaustion and starvation. One of the tribes that were moving known as the Cherokee lost approximately 3,000 members. The other tribes also lost thousands of their members, and for those who were lucky enough to get to Oklahoma a majority were not spared by diseases and died as a result (Takaki, pg 53).
Nez Perce Tribe
The Nez Perce Tribe was not willing to the designated lands, thus about 750 members of the tribe moved to Montana. They managed to settle in Montana but were not aware of an impending attack from Howard, having fought before to protect their land the Montana attack took them by surprise a significant number of people were killed. Sensing that the whole tribe might be wiped out the chief surrendered and eventually the tribe was forcefully moved to the one of the reservation. In the reservations the natives were not allowed to move freely as they used to, the living conditions were not favorable and a majority died of diseases and hunger (Takaki, pg 53).
African-Americans
The Indians were not the only persons that the British killed or mistreated the African Americans were also tortured by the British, made to work for long hours. Some African –Americans even died from being overworked by the British. The British regarded the African-Americans as uncivilized, and animals. The British were however afraid of the African – Americans, they could not tell what their emotions were the British could not tell when they were angry or happy. Even when mistreated to the extreme the African – Americans did not care, this resulted in the British calling them“Sambo” (Takaki, pg 106). The British however did not bar the African- Americans from living with them; this is because they needed their manpower unlike the Indians (Takaki, pg 50).
Conclusion
The British used intimidation so as to look superior to the other tribes; they knew it was only by instilling fear in the Natives by killing them, taking their land and destroying their crops that they could control them. They had no respect for the cultures of the other tribes and worked hard to destroy them, as they realized there were some cultures that brought the tribes together which could work to their disadvantage.
Work Cited
Takaki, Ronald T.. A different mirror: a history of multicultural America. New York: sage, 2010. Print.
Strike in the Government Sector
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Strike in the Government Sector
The main topic of question here is whether government employees such as the police, military and doctors should be allowed to go on strike or not. In any profession, except in emergency services, the workers have the right to strike. I believe that employees in the government payroll have a valid right to benefit from the same Fundamental International Rights of workers as specificied by the International Labor Organization through its Conventions, and the Right to strike is enlisted in it.
Workers participate in strikes whenever their respective grievances are not met in relation to the services they offer at their work places. Similarly, government employed workers have the Right to strike when the government as their employer fail to meet their end of the bargain. Striking is a measure taken by the employees as a way of ensuring the employers put in place the agreed terms and conditions as stipulated, especially if the employer was initially reluctant in implementing this terms.
The government employees have needs too and if they present their needs to the relevant authorities and are ignored, they find another avenue to air their grievances and in many cases it is often strikes. Moreover, these employees give up much of their personal life for their jobs e.g. a doctor is never on holiday or a fire fighter may be called in case of a nighttime fire. If the employees have genuine complaints about work, they should be allowed to go on strike if previous attempts to resolve the disputes were shunned.
Back in the 1800s, when slavery was a norm in the plantations in the West Indies, it is striking and industrial actions that helped end it. The belief may just as well be the same today. Workers too have rights and this is a good way to help us not forget that this privileges we enjoy at work today were fought for. The lifetime problem of the worker earning very low wages while the employer gets fat profits needs workers to help the selfish employers see the reality of their greed.
Not all strikes are about monetary issues though, some are strikes about retrenchments and some are about fighting for certain rights. These government employees are important in their capacity to do their specific jobs. A teacher has the qualifications to teach and not just anybody can do the job, therefore this teacher is in high demand and has to fight for his rights. Every parent wants the best education they can afford for their children and experienced teachers are the best option for this, therefore, protected and if striking is the means by which they fight for it, so be it.
The government has the responsibility of preventing strikes by its employees by providing services as stipulated in the appointment letters and also work benefits when need arises i.e. market inflation. Most government employees provide essential services to the public i.e. the police, teachers, doctors and in as much as this is important to a nation as a whole, this people are after all still human.