—Kelvin Hui
I believe everyone must have their own interpretation of what is a great work, and what qualities it must have to be considered as great. But one main quality I think most of us will agree is our enjoyment of the work. My definition of Great Work is something that is interesting, point out the problems still relevant of what is going on now, also the main idea or some character’s action of the work can be taught as life lesson. Indeed, I think the key point is that after reading it, reader can take something from the great work or even learn something.
While reading the Odyssey, I really enjoyed it. From the journey that Odysseus have after the Trojan War, how he dealt with those troubles and obstacles on his way returning home, how he uses his lies and disguise to help himself during the journey. Even though sometimes he may get himself into troubles for being too smart. For me, I enjoyed the foreshadowing part which makes me anxious about will it happen as it suggested during the books.
Even though Odyssey is from ancient Greek time, but I think it somehow make the reader questions about what is women’s proper actions, behavior and place in the household, or even in society. We can see that by different female characters such as Athena, Clytemnestra, Penelope, even Arete and Nausicaa. They each have their stories represent different problems of women faced from time to time.
Odyssey have many main ideas or themes, one of the examples is that danger of egotism. In the book, we see that Odyssey have successfully deceive Polyphemus, the Cyclops and Poseidon’s son by the name No-Man. However, due to his superiority complex, He decide to reveal his real identity to the Cyclops for honor. Which not only made him, and his soldiers barely escape from the Cyclops, also cause himself more troubles later on.
Overall, in my opinion, I consider that Odyssey is a great work because not only interesting and exciting adventures enhance reader’s enjoyment, also the themes or life lessons that reader can learn in the books. Moreover, some problems in the book still applicable in the modern world that we live in now. I think reader can learn at least something from this great work and it will be useful in their own “Odyssey”.
