Life is full of struggles. Odysseus knows this well, seeing as how the man faces the wrath of the gods, hideous monsters, and the numberless amount of perilous dangers of the world. The only thing that keeps Odysseus going is his wife, his son, and his perseverance. In Book Twelve of the Odyssey, Odysseus perseverance is tested. First him and his men must pass by the Sirens, tying Odysseus up proves to be the only way by.
Next they must pass by a valley of certain death, with terrible cliffs that will tear the boat in two on either side, and a large whirlpool standing in the center. Through their perseverance, the inhabitants of the boat manage to live through the experience, only to have their ship stranded on a ship without food. But luckily, a flock of sacred cattle stand idly by, but devouring them angers the gods, who send the terrifying Cilla after them.
Cilla destroys their ship and begins gorging on the crew. Odysseus lives, and through his perseverance, pushes on. Odysseus time and time again has his limits tested and his faith judged, and yet he pushed forward past all this towards his true goal of reaching his homeland. The Odyssey is all about Odysseus and his quest, but the true intent of the tale can be tricky to figure out.
The Odyssey cant be about Odysseus and his love for his family, as he sleeps with other woman on his way home. Is it about the sacrifices your comrades make so you can push on? If that were the theme of the story, we would probably have actual names for different crewmates. The Odyssey is about perseverance and having your commitment to your goal tested by even the gods themselves.
If you can’t push through these hurdles with great determination and use your perseverance as a blade to cut through these obstacles then you will fall in pursuit of your goal, your task, your dream. Odysseus in the face of almost certain death keeps moving on, against nearly impossible odds. His perseverance is what keeps him going all this time.
The Odyssey is truly about a man and his perseverance and determination against impossible odds and challenges. That man may have his faith tested time and time again, but he will continue onwards with all the strength he can muster.
