Sirens, Cyclops, and Homer, Oh My!

Paper Summary:

This paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes the film "O Brother, Where Art Thou" and the book "The Odyssey" by Homer. Specifically it discusses the Homeric parallels found in the film as compared with the book.

From the Paper:

"From the opening of this unique film, there is something magical and mythical about it, from the three men's escape from the chain gang through a hazy, golden field of corn, to their eventual success as the Soggy Bottom Boys. Several characters (in quite different forms) make their way from the book "The Odyssey" into the film, and one of the first is the Blind Seer, who the boys encounter on a hand cart after they attempt to jump a train to make their escape. The Blind Seer is based loosely on the Blind Minstrel of Homer's work, who first portends Ulysses (Odysseus') eventual efforts to make his way home (Fitzgerald 127-130). The seer prophecies the men will "See a cow on a roof," and many other seemingly impossible wonders, but they all come true, a testament to the magic of the seer and his abilities. In the book, Homer portrays Ulysses as a very learned and erudite man, intent on his nostos, or "homecoming," and, although it is not clear at the start, this is Ulysses purpose in the film, as well. He tells his friends the reason is a great treasure, waiting for pick-up before the flood, but in reality, he knows his wife is going to remarry, and he will do anything to stop that, even break out of prison. Thus, both stories are tales of homecomings and happy endings, even though they take some convoluted paths to reach these conclusions."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1998.
• O Brother Where Art Thou? Dir. Joel Coen. Perf. George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, Holly Hunter, Charles Durning, and John Goodman. Universal Studios, 2000.

More papers on Sirens, Cyclops, and Homer, Oh My!:

• Book Review # 74929 : "Aeschylus' "Agamemnon" and Homer's "Odyssey"
• Comparison Essay # 7251 : "Sappho and Homer in Opposition"
• Analytical Essay # 130539 : "Friendship and Memory in "My Antonia"

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