The elegant Eleanor Roosevelt stated, ‘We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up… discovering we have the strength to stare it down’. The themes portrayed in Homer’s epic The Odyssey and the movie Cold Mountain are the characteristics of an epic and epic hero. In the epic The Odyssey, the main character Odysseus has been fighting in a war against Troy. The story depicts the long and difficult journey Odysseus faces as he is trying to get back to his homeland and his wife Penelope. On the other hand, in the movie Cold Mountain the main character W.P Inman is on the way to fight the Yankees in the United States Civil War. However, he eventually escapes from the war and begins his long and treacherous journey back home to his love Ada. Therefore, The Odyssey and Cold Mountain have drastic differences in setting and time period, but they have major similarities in literary style, epic characteristics, symbolization, and characterization.
To begin with, The Odyssey and Cold Mountain have key similarities within the literary style. In both of the stories the authors use in media res to illustrate the situation in the story. In the epic The Odyssey the storyline begins in middle and sets the scene of Ithaca and the reader learns about the current situation and location of Odysseus, whom alleged as dead. Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, states, ‘clearly my father’s journey home is lost forever’ (Homer, 269). Then the story flashbacks to introduce the main character Odysseus explaining his complications of his journey from Troy to Calypso’s island. Now the current situation of Odysseus returning home to redeem control of his kingdom. In comparison, in the movie Cold Mountain in media res is used because it begins as a flashback of how Inman and Ada meet and how Inman begins his epic journey going to war. Then the story continues to describe the situation of Inman’s journey home and Ada’s new life on a farm. Inman eventually returns home many years later, however it ends in tragedy and the movie flash-forwards to modern day with Ada and their child. Therefore, the authors use the literary characteristic in media res to emphasize the occurring actions within the story.
Another similarity between The Odyssey and Cold Mountain is the epic journey the main characters endure. In The Odyssey, Odysseus trapped in an endless cycle of obstacles returning home ‘By now, all of the survivors, all who avoided death were safe at home, escaped the wars and the waves. But one man alone… his heart set on his wife and his return-… then every god took pity, all except Poseidon. He raged on, seething against the great Odysseus till he reached his native land’ (Homer, 259). Poseidon is causing the difficulties in Odysseus’ travels because he blinded Poseidon’s son who is a giant Cyclops named Polyphemus. It has taken ten years for Odysseus to return home because of the wrath of Poseidon controlling the sea and leading him to multiple islands with additional inconveniences. Furthermore, in Cold Mountain Inman fights in the Civil War and decides to escape so he can return home to Ada. During his journey home he experiences many hurdles causing his travel to be difficult. Inman is having to run from the war, hide from home guards, and cope with the injuries he receives during the war. However, even though Inman does not have the force of the gods against him he has the forces of nature against his journey.
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Additional similarities between The Odyssey and Cold Mountain are the symbolization throughout the stories. To begin with water is a key symbol portraying the representation of life. In The Odyssey the sea is a major reason why Odysseus is struggling to get home because he has to travel across the raging and violent water of life to return home to Ithaca. In the movie Cold Mountain water is used for a sign of the future when Ada looks into the magical water well and sees Inman returning home. Another key symbol is the muse and music throughout the stories. The goddess, Muse, of epic poetry is called upon multiple times throughout The Odyssey. One example is, ‘Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus, start from where you will- sing for our time too’ (Homer, 259).
However, in Cold Mountain music unexpectedly plays a role including Ada’s love for the piano, music is playing to the injured soldiers after a battle, and the band of men lead by Stobrod Thewes. Another symbol in both The Odyssey and Cold Mountain is the blind men. In the Odyssey the blind prophet Tiresias warns Odysseus by telling him ‘A sweet smooth journey home, renowned Odysseus, that is what you seek but a god will make it hard for you – I know – you will never escape the one who shakes the earth, … Even so, you and your crew may still reach home but suffering all the way,’ (Homer 386-387). Furthermore, Inman in Cold Mountain seeks a blind man who is selling peanuts outside of the hospital and discovers that when he is healed the army will ship him back onto the battle field, and if he does not go he will be hunted down by the home guard. The symbols help the authors represent the themes and set the mood for the entire journey of these men.
