Modernism In The Odyssey, By James Joyce

“Modernism is a catchall term for any kind of literary production in the interwar period that deals with the modern world” (Baym, Levine, and Franklin 663). Literary work that was created during this timeframe was established during the late nineteenth century. Most modernism authors wrote about “material culture, journalism, magazines, race, gender, nationalism, the body, emotion, popular and commercial culture” (Currell 232). Some key aspects of modernism works include fragments of information, perceptions, or experiences. Oftentimes, “a typical modernist work may seem to begin arbitrarily, to advance without explanation, and to end without resolution, consisting of vivid segments juxtaposed without cushioning or integrating transitions” (Baym, Levine, and Franklin 663-664). Influenced by the modernism literacy movement, “Babylon Revisited” and “A Rose for Emily” portray the impact that love has on one’s life; the former text portrays how a change in one’s life circumstances can be used to help try and bring a family back together; whereas the latter

It is an unspoken truth in Homer’s Odyssey that “home“ is something good. All that Odysseus seems to want throughout the poem is to come home again, but that is one thing he is not granted from the god Poseidon for nearly ten years time. On the first page of the Odyssey we learn that all his friends-in-arms had the fortune of returning home “while he alone still hungered for home and wife.“ (The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Robert Fitzgerald; Book I, line 21-22). The original intention of this paper is the question: What is home? What is it that Odysseus yearns for so long? But reading through the Odyssey again it came to mind, that this question might go beyond the constraints of this essay, considering that Homer describes not just Odysseus’ home, but also shows the reader (or listener) glimpses of the homes of Meneláos, Nestor and Alkínoös. Throughout the Odyssey one of the most central themes of this poem is the topic of “homecoming“ illustrated through Odysseus’ struggle to get home again. Odysseus desire for his home is so overwhelmingly strong “that he longs to die“ just for the sight of seeing “the hearth smoke leaping upward from his own island“ (I., l. 78-80). And yet after years and years, after his long and troublesome passage home “trials and danger, even so, attended him even in Ithaka, near those he loves“ (I., l. 26-30). This hints right at the beginning of the Odyssey at something essential in it: even after a voyage full of doubt and fear, a peaceful

The Odyssey and The Penelopiad’s storyline are both based off the same social context as Homer recorded the epic poem during Homeric society (when he was alive) however when the story was composed the literary context is completely different in comparison to Atwood, as Atwood wrote her novella - The Penelopiad, in the 21’st century and homer recorded the epic poem during 8th C BCE. The difference between each time period meant there were societal differences which had different impacts on each of the stories literary context. The odyssey is a historical epic poem that was verbally told by bards around ancient Greece and recorded by homer in 8thC BCE, following the dark ages. During this time there was no real sense of freedom or self expression and people were not very opinionated.This was because during this time, Homeric society was overruled by patriarchal views and a hierarchy within their time, meaning some people were seen as much less than others. In contrast to Margaret Atwood where her fictional Novella the Penelopiad was crafted in 2005, during a modern society where freedom of speech was more or less accepted than in Homeric society. The Odyssey has a major influence on Margaret Atwood’s novella the Penelopiad, as she based her opinions and perspective off the facts and historical content from the Odyssey. The Penelopiad’s central theme consists of the double standards that occurred against the women within the Odyssey such as the maids and Penelope. Margaret

The first literary device used to show growth of a character is setting. The setting can place a hero anywhere and give detail to his past. Such as in the Odysses, “I will take no horses back with me to Ithaca,but will leave them to adorn your own stables, for you have much flatground in your kingdom where lotus thrives, as also meadowsweet and wheat and barley, and oats with their white and spreading ears; whereas in Ithaca we have neither open fields nor racecourses, and the country is more fit for goats than horses, and I like it the better for that. None of our islands have much level ground, suitable for horses, and Ithaca least of all (Homer). "

At one point or another in one’s lifetime, people let go one thing to try and move on to something bigger and better, whether it’s a new job or new way of life. In its entirety, modernism is similar. It can be defined as moving away from the traditional creations and activities towards news tasks formed by the individualism and freedom within a man or woman. For instance, in the poem “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop, the speaker eventually moves on from his previous set of ideas to something new. Similarly, in “anyone lived in a pretty how town” by E.E. Cummings, the main character doesn’t feel comfortable with the repetitious structure of the society he’s placed in. This leads the main character to form his own opinion, uncommon to his society,

The birth of the modernist movement in American literature was the result of the post-World War I social breakdown. Writers adopted a disjointed fragmented style of writing that rebelled against traditional literature. One such writer is William Faulkner, whose individual style is characterized by his use of “stream of consciousness” and writing from multiple points of view.

Homer's great literary classic, The Odyssey, represents and illustrates many emotional and mental values. All of these values can be classified under three different main themes that are constant throughout the epic tale. These themes are: A boy's struggle to be a man, a king's struggle to reclaim his kingdom, and a man's struggle to return home. As one reads this book it will become more and more evident to them that a man's struggle to get home is the most important theme throughout Homer's adventure.

Authors wanted to revolutionize arts and audience worldwide. This was done by the creation of tools that helped excel the “American Dream”. Some of the major authors in this time included T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, Ezra Pound, and Gertrude Stein (Modernism). There are two different groupings of modernism, which are modernism and post modernism. In the beginning, “early modernists used elements of experimentation, freedom, radicalism, and utopianism” (Modernism). After the war, “post-modernists, however, rebelled against many modernist elements and instead depicted disillusionment and elements of dystopian ideas—dehumanized and fearful lives” (Modernism). Many different historical aspects influenced the upcoming of the modernist movement such as publications of scientific theories, technological inventions that globalized society, Sigmund Freud’s change in the discipline of psychology, new concepts of ethics, morality, and ideals, and artistic movements (Modernism).

The Odyssey, a text written by Homer, originates from Ionia (a part of Asia Minor). This epic poem relates the journeys of both Odysseus and Telemachus. During their journeys, they encounter a wide variety of hosts. Telemachus provides Mentes a great meal and is later also given a feast from King Nestor. In addition, King Nestor also gifted Telemachus two horses and a chariot; Athena gave Telemachus the gift of wise advice, for which he used to go on his journey. And as their paths crossed in a meeting back in Ithaca, Odysseus is given food and allowed to rest by Telemachus just as his emotional need had been cared for by Alcinous through ending the lyre’s tune. The figures that host Odysseus and Telemachus during their travels highlight the importance of hospitality. As revealed by The Odyssey, the Ancient Greeks valued feasting, gift giving, and caring for the need of the guest as important values of hospitality.

As we journey through modernism I can’t help but note how stylistically different every single author is from all the others of this period. Much of what we have covered so far in class has in one way or another addressed the issue of individuality and separation. Modernism is no exception. Not only are characters adapting and modernizing along with society, but the same development is also present in writing styles and subject matter. It seems literature adopted a much more artistic approach, as opposed to the traditional religious, scholarly, and philanthropic approaches of the past.

Modernism was very diverse but had one common purpose: they sought to capture the essence of modern life in both form and content of their work

Modernism Modernism begins with World War I and the Great Depression and is the rejection of tradition. Writers in this time era began to question the authority and tradition that seemed to be the foundation of America. Modernists destroyed the American Dream. The modernist group ask themselves three questions. Who are we?

Classic literature often provides insight to an ancient society, their values, and their beliefs. Many books that are considered classics today focus on ancient Rome and Greece. Revenge, hubris, and other themes, and the relation of this book to modern life, classifies the poem The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Fitzgerald, as a classic. For this reason, it is still read today.

Modernist movement is a change in art and architecture during late 19’s and early 20’s. Modernism, in general, includes the activities and creations of those who felt the traditional forms of art, architecture, literature, and activities of daily life were becoming outdated in the new economic, social, and political environment of an emerging fully industrialised.

The Modernist Period was first a reaction against the previous Victorian culture. Intellectuals and artists of the 20th century believed that the previous era’s way of doing things was a cultural dead end and they wanted to break away from traditions.