Introduction
Finding your purpose—discovering meaning in your life—the journey. . .each describes our quest to become better individuals. Some find that meaning within the context of a socially stereotyped structure, others in the traditions (or dare I say mysteries) of religion and certainly there are others; however, none of these avenues have been more instrumental in humanity finding individual meaning than religion. It is through our understanding of a higher power and our relationship with that higher power, or lack thereof, that we begin to form our concept of who we are as individuals.
The ancient Greek and Roman cultures certainly realized this concept. Through its intricate web of polytheism, trudged humanity trying to appease the gods to assure good fortune and understand their place as humans in the world. Though many might argue that mythology is just that—myth; still these cultures recognized the sovereignty of gods to man. The Odyssey is one text that juxtaposes the struggle one man, Odysseus, has with finding his place in this relationship as he journeys home.
Odysseus is however not unique in his quest. In literature and in film, such characters—be they heroes or the girl next door—are prevalent. Characters such as Huck Finn, Beowulf, Dorothy, Harry Potter and even Ulysses Everett McGill of film O Brother Where Art Thou? fame, each has a personal journey toward recognizing not only who they are as individuals, but also that they have a significant and specific role in life. Such characters in many ways parallel the classic epic heroes who are men and women of imposing stature, and of great historical or legendary significance (even Dorothy was hailed as a savior after killing the Wicked Witch of the West). The works themselves parallel classic characteristics with their vast setting often mythical in proportion, covering many nations/worlds, deeds of valor and supernatural interventions.
The Odyssey is a foundational text that provides a framework for many works among the western canon. Its strikingly episodic structure presents a Greek culture that has in essence has dominated the formation of western culture to include the reliance on religion, the strength of women and the quest for understanding, each captured through the Homeric tradition. Additionally, Odysseus provides for us the archetypical hero who, though celebrated for his wisdom/intelligence/bravery, is prideful and ultimately blind to his role in his own downfall.
This unit, The Odyssey: Seeing My Journey through Films, is designed for ninth grade students at Booker T. Washington High School who are enrolled in the School of Fine, Visual and Performing Arts. Through the use of films, we will examine the elements of the epic to include: invocation, /praepositio/, /enumeratio/, /in medias res/, /deus ex machina/, /anticipatio/, and epithet to name several.
Though these characteristics are commonly associated with classic epics, such as Sundjata and The Odyssey, I propose that there are modern works that mimic the classics and are very relevant to my students' experiences. Hence, my students will be better tuned to the possibilities that reading or viewing such works have for their cognitive understanding of not only the epic as it is understood in traditional academic arena but also of how these works speak to their personal development. With this in mind, my 9th grade students and I will also view O Brother Where Art Thou?, The Wiz with this focus, though I also propose that this goal might also be achieved with other works such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Don Quixote and The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.
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