Examples Of Arrogance In The Odyssey

When writing The Odyssey, Homer organizes the story in a unique yet confusing way. The reader follows Odysseus in his journey that is written out of order and confusing to follow for the reader. Odysseus journey also provides many different themes for the reader to follow leads to even more confusion for the reader. In The Odyssey, the structure Homer uses and his own arrogance leads to a confusing nameless main character for the start of the story, the many different themes, and non-chronological events only lead to confusion for the reader throughout the story.

Homer's choosing to keep Odysseus nameless at the beginning of the story creates a confusing start for the reader. Homer does not name his main character until line 21 of his story.

“Books 1–4 and 13–24 tell the age-old tale of the Wanderer's Return and his vengeance on the Suitors who devour his substance and try to marry his wife” (House). Homer continuing the part of his story so far apart in his books makes it very confusing for the reader to follow because the reader has to follow one story then another back to the story from the start. The stories throughout his work end up all being out of order and confused the reader throughout the whole work. “When Homer announces his theme at the start, he assumes that much will be known about Odysseus, and the special surprises which he has in store are not of the kind to be publicised now” (Bowra). Many works of literature build their theme throughout the story, but Homer just announces his right in the beginning which leads to confusion for the reader because they know the theme but not why the theme is what it is. This evidence from Bowra proves once again that Homer's structure of his works only leads to confusion for the reader. “The events of the Odyssey could have been arranged more simply and chronologically, beginning with the sack of Troy by the ruse of the Trojan horse and ending with the completion of Odysseus' nostos. But Homer chose to abandon his hero for several books in the beginning, to give earlier episodes nested in songs of other bards, and to let Odysseus himself narrate his fabulous adventures” (Bloom). Bloom's evidence provides the thought that Homer is trying to let Odysseus be the narrator and main character, but only ends up creating non chronological events that confuse the reader. Bloom also shows that Homer tries to build more for other stories rather than finishing the story he previously started. Homer's non chronological events only lead to confusion for the reader rather than the building of the events Homer is trying to