Oh brother, There you are!

I really liked the movie Oh Brother, Where art thou? It was really funny and something I looked forward to that week. When we went over some of the connections in class I realized that there were actually a ton of them that I didn't originally notice. Like how Big Don was the equivalent of  Polyphemus or those girls in the woods were the same as the Sirens. But there were also some things that my classmates pointed out that I didn't notice like how Everett's crew messed up with the train just like how Odysseus's crew messed up with the bag of wind which ended up making both of their journey's a lot longer than they needed to be. The movie made a lot of subtle connections that would have gone by if I hadn't read the book so I decided to show my brothers the movie to see if they liked it even tho they never read The Odyssey. Turns out they liked  it a lot even though they didn't really get all the hidden connections, because without them they were still able to enjoy the comedy and the soundtrack. I know there are people out there who hate movies based on books because they mess up and don't capture the book just right but I want to know if you guys thought Oh Brother, Where art thou did a good job or was there something that it really needed to change?

Suitors in Body Bags

        We are right at the end of the book and about to read the ending to The Odyssey.  From what I've heard without actually reading the ending yet, the Suitors meet a really brutal end. I'm expecting heads being smashed and people being cut up which is very gruesome.  Do they really deserve it tho? It all really depends on the perspective you take. Whether you're looking at it from Odysseus's or the suitors point of view.
        From the view of suitors they're using Greek hospitality as a reason to allow them to stay at Odysseus's house. They come to the house they are accepted and allowed to eat and drink. But this never really turns off and they just keep eating, drinking and taking advantage of the hospitality.  Penelope and Telemachus don't like what they're doing but they also never really stand up and demand that the all get out, since Penelope is just telling all the suitors maybe to marriage and Telemachus just can't stand up for himself. But there is also this group of suitors that is plotting against prince Telemachus which isn't something that should be taken lightly because what would stop that same group from doing that against Odysseus if they were successfully.
      Odysseus on the other hand had some justifiable reasons to be mad. Not only were they trying to kill his son, they were trying to take his wife as well. And as far as I know there isn't really a definition of hospitality which makes eating all my food, trying to kill my son, and marry my wife OK. We also have the thing vengeance hero thing where he's dressed up as a beggar and takes all this abuse just to get his revenge but at the same time this is sort of weird because he's sort of expecting the abuse. But the most convincing thing that I heard in class was what Dong-Ha said. And that is Odysseus had been gone for 20 years and has lived his through his hero's journey. He wants to get home and relax not have to deal with all these horny college kids trying to get with his wife.
     In the end I don't think slaughtering is really necessary. Maybe they could have been put in jail. Like "Oh you liked my house so much, why not try the big house?" That sort of thing but thats just me. Do other people feel the same way or do you all think they should just die?

2015 Honda Odysseus

       After the great presentations of the Wanderings last week, I got a pretty good view of Odysseus. It caused me to wonder if Odysseus's characteristics would allow him to be called a hero. He was a leader but often lead his crew to their death. Could that have been their stupidity tho? He was a show off and unfaithful to his wife. Or was all that normal and accepted back then? But on the other hand, he was also being diplomatic with the people he came across and very emotional when it came to the topic of getting home. These were just some of the things I noted and I really say that Odysseus could be 50/50 from hero to just lucky dude trying to get home. Maybe all the crying he did is what convinced the Gods to help him in the first place. And speaking of which, a lot of people said that because he received so much divine intervention on his travel home, it makes him look less heroic. Are all of these problems and enough to discredit him from really being called a hero, and if so what should we call him instead?

A Hero in all of Us

    I always loved the idea of a Superhero. When I was younger, my brothers and I would run around outside pretending to be superman saving the world. The thought of having super speed and being able to fly always came across as appealing. But during that time my definition of Hero would probably go something like this "A man or woman that can fly and save the world from evil". As I grew up my opinion on what made someone a hero would change.
    Back when I was smaller and still thought I couldn't be a hero unless I wore a cape, I was asked by my dad what I wanted to be when I grew up. I told him I wanted to be just like super man and he asked why. I stood up and said "I want to be able to help people".  He told me that I can help people by being a firefighter or police officer and that becoming a doctor is a little easier than getting heat vision. Back then I ignored what he said but as I got older I realized that there wasn't anybody in a cape stopping meteors. And the people that everyone really appreciates are the ones that help with everyday things.
      I learned that a hero can be portrayed in more ways that what we are shown in movies and comics. Being a hero doesn't mean that you have to accomplish the impossible everyday, it could mean that you do anything at all. My description of a hero then became "Anybody who can and is willing to help others". It doesn't take powers or money to assist others, all it takes is that bit of humanity.