The Odyssey

Lily Elfrink gives a scathing review of the misogyny-filled classic, The Odyssey, known for its age.

The Odyssey

By Lily Elfrink

(Timanthes “The Sacrifice of Iphigenia”)

The Odyssey is a Grecian epic centered around a man named Odysseus, who suffers many trials and dangers on his journey to get back home to his wife and son. His story begins after the fall of the legendary Troy, and his travels bring him face to face with many enchanting women and vile monsters.

To be completely honest, I personally had a ship load of issues with The Odyssey, and Odysseus himself. (To be fair, I have issues with everything, so don’t take this to heart.) First of all, I despised how women were portrayed. I understand that it was a different time, and that our “modern” ideas seriously clash with the beliefs of ancient Greece, but… still. The women are a strange mix of overly sexualized villainesses who tempt our brave and noble hero, and sweet, yet weak and submissive women who only belong with children and in the kitchen.

The other main issue is that Odysseus does not give off strong hero vibes. First of all, it was his pride that kept him and his army from getting home for ten years after the Trojan War. (If you don’t know, The Odyssey spans over twenty years- ten of which were spent in war, and the other ten merely getting home) He thought that he did not need the gods, who then proceeded to prove him wrong, resulting in many deaths-- unfortunately, not his own. He also caused the death of all of his men, in one way or another. Plus, when he finally got home to Ithaca, he massacred 108 men, even after they offered to leave and give him gold and livestock which, at this point, he sorely needed. This act of wrath almost resulted in another war, and Athena then had to fix his problem so Ithaca was not destroyed.

(Image: Stock Photos)

While I was searching for sources to add to my beautiful article to make it more journalistic, I happened upon a hidden jewel. The Google review page!! Specifically the 1 star section. Here, I found some kindred spirits who have similar feelings about this adventure of a story. One example of these scholars' eloquent reviews was this one, written by a mysterious Owen Hiltz. What he had to say was intriguing. He said, “I bought this book from a guy in a dark alley, and he said id love it. Then i couldnt read it, so i was angry, and gave it to my 2 year old cousin fro his birthday. maybe he can read it when hes older. overall terrible experience” Here’s another from a Ms. Clarissa- she said that she “Had to read for an assignment, was the worst. era complex and intertwined with greek mythology. If you aren't a great reader or you aren't all that interested in greek mythology I do not suggest this book. It just confused me the majority o f the time and it was quite time consuming.” Whoops! I guess no one told Clarissa that since The Odyssey is Greek, it is deeply rooted in Greek mythology! A certain Bradley Zamudio brings up what I thought was an excellent point. They say that “this book is really confusing and i dont know why odysseus didnt just go home. like bro just go home already?????”

(Image: Buena Vista Pictures)

While I don't have anything good to say about Odysseus, even I have to admit that The Odyssey is an iconic piece of classical literature, and the underlying moral to let go and control yourself still is an important one to learn. Odysseus also represents the type of person not to be, which can be just as important as a representation of what to be. One could look at The Odyssey as a way to teach teenagers that some things take time, and to not be a misogynistic poo-poo head in the meantime. Or, it could just be a really old story from a time long past -in some ways for good reason- that has nothing to do with life nowadays and shouldn’t be taught in schools anymore. Who knows? If you are really set on reading The Odyssey, or something like it, I would suggest watching Oh, Brother Where Art Thou. It is far superior.

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