The Companions Are the Source of Much Grief for Odysseus Essay Example for Free

The Companions Are the Source of Much Grief for Odysseus Essay Odysseus, the strong, courageous, dedicated hero, travelled for miles on end to return to his home land of Ithica and to bring with him the twelve fleet ships carrying his loyal companions. However throughout this epic poem Odysseus’ companions have been the bearers of much grief for Odysseus, in many ways from questioning his leadership to simply dying in battle. And slowly during this epic poem each of his twelve fleet ships has been struck down. The stories of Odysseus’ companions begin from the very opening of book nine, on the coast of Ismarus home to the Cicones. Odysseus and his men â€Å"sacked the place and destroyed its men folk† after taking their women and their vast spoils, Odysseus warned his men to dispatch with haste. But they were not quick minded enough, and a tremendous battle broke out between Odysseus and his men and the Cicones. Seventy two of Odysseus’ men were brutally killed. We can see here that this would cause much grief for Odysseus and his remaining companions, for his men had made it through the battle of Troy and where rejoicing to be returning home to Ithica, now he would have to return to grieving families awaiting their heroes return and for some, now their hero’s would never return. This is a classic example of the kind of grief Odysseus feels throughout the epic poem, because this is how many of his companions have presented Odysseus with grief, through death. Whether it was falling in battle or devoured by a monstrous creature. For instance when, Odysseus and his remaining companions sailed to the island of the Cyclopes, where with twelve companions, he entered the cave of the Cyclops Polyphemus. This giant devoured, one after another, six of the companions of Odysseus, and kept Odysseus and his other men as prisoners in his cave. Witnessing their loyal companion’s cannibalistic murders right in front of them Odysseus and his men â€Å"wept and raised their hands to Zeus in horror.† This again must have made Odysseus overridden with grief for not only did he watch his men be killed but he was the one that led them to this ferocious one eyed monster. Again he has lost more of his men which means more grieving families; at home in Ithica questioning the Gods for the death of their loved ones. However, death is not the only way that Odysseus is exposed to grief some of the monsters that Odysseus and his followers encountered would not kill his men but simply make them forget all longing for home, and the nostros that they were feeling. One of these monsters would be the Lotus-eaters, â€Å"a race that eat the flowery lotus fruit.† Some of his companions were so much delighted with the taste of this flower that they wanted to remain with the Lotus-eaters and think no more of Ithica. This must have caused much anguish for Odysseus as he did not know how to help his compelled comrades. But being the intelligent and strong hero he is he â€Å"used force to bring them back to the hollow ships, and they wept on the way† but once on board he tied them up and continued with his voyage. The sirens also allow men to forget their home for with their beautiful voices would sing bewitching songs to drive these men to their death. Luckily with the help of Circe the sorceress who told Odysseus that if he wanted to hear the sirens song and live that he should allow his men to tie him to the mast of his ship while they covered their ears with softened bees wax and steer the boat onward while Odysseus listened. Odysseus, in the epic poem has also encountered Companions that have questioned and mistrusted his leadership; this is that of Odysseus’ second in command of Odysseus’ ship during the voyage back to Ithica after the Trojan War his name was Eurylochus. In the Odyssey he is portrayed as an unpleasant, cowardly individual who undermines Odysseus and stirs up trouble. When Odysseus and his men arrive on the island of Aeaea home to Circe Eurylochus is chosen to lead a group of twenty-two men to explore the island. While touring the island they see Circe’s house and all but Eurylochus enters, he himself suspects Circe’s trap and when the men are turned into pigs he runs back to warn Odysseus. Odysseus prepares himself to confront this witch and save his crew however Eurylochus refuses to guide him to Circe’s palace and urges Odysseus to escape and leave the men to their fate. This must have caused an uncountable amount of grief and pain for Odysseus for Eurylochus was his second in command, Odysseus therefore must have trusted this man with his life and thought rather highly of him. Then for him to tell him to abandon his loyal companions who have been there for him since Troy and save himself must have hurt Odysseus a great deal. After Odysseus returns from Circe’s palace having rescued his companions, Eurylochus insults Odysseus and threatens to kill him. Here we see Odysseus being befriended and almost killed by his second in command obviously causing much grief for our brave hero. Overall I feel that the companions are the source of much grief for our fearless hero. However most of them did not wish to bring grief upon their leader. For most it was simply an unfortunate death leading to Odysseus grieving for the loss of them.

John Alexander Macdonald: A Good Role Model? :: essays research papers

John Alexander Macdonald: A Good Role Model? A role model can be looked up upon and imitated. Many would argue that Sir John A. Macdonald is not someone of this stature, but I have different opinions about him. By studying some books about him I concluded that this humble man is someone who deserves to be known as a good role model. Here are some reasons to why. It is John A. Macdonald's outstanding qualities that made him a upright leader. He won the hearts of people because he could relate to them and their problems. Showing humility, Mr. Macdonald considered himself as one of them*. And his devotion to helping these people is shown by his life course, to which even his opponents admitted "there does not exist in Canada a man who has given more of his time--more of his heart--more of his wealth or more of his intellect and power, such as they may be, for the good of the Dominion of Canada." Yes, we can say that the first Prime Minister was very devoted to Canada and her people, and helped direct Canada to become what it is now. John A. Macdonald became well known for the way he treated people. He was kind and courteous. And because of his humor and consideration of others, people enjoyed being around the Prime Minister. He left a good impression on the people of Canada because he cared for not only the English, but also the French and Natives. One example is when he visited the Council House of the Six Nation Indians near Brantford. Mr. Macdonald met more than thirty farmers and after only thirty minutes of chatting with them he knew them all by name# . In another instance, a guest of John A. Macdonald was so impressed with the hospitality he received that he described him as "courteous in his social relations--a very prince". In both cases he made those involved feel noticed and cared for. The most prominent attribute that makes John A. Macdonald a good role model is his honesty. In comparison to all of the politicians, he is by far one of the most honest Prime Ministers. Although he was not perfectly honest as shown in the Pacific Scandal, he rarely made promises that weren't fulfilled. The people recognized this and showed their appreciation by continuing to support him till

Should Obese People Pay Higher Health Insurance Premiums?

Writing Assignment #3: Should obese people pay higher health insurance premiums than people who are not obese? – Rishard Rheyas Obesity has become a serious problem with more than one third of adults being obese in the United States. Obesity is seen as a self-destructive behavior accompanied with smoking and use of other drugs thus, government officials and other business bureaucrats expressed the need to impose higher health insurance premiums on the obese.Obesity is not always due to the personal behavior of people and can be linked with the environment and genetics; I personally feel that obese people should not pay a higher health insurance premium compared to those that aren’t. Government officials and other business bureaucrats expect that raising the health insurance premiums for the obese would help reduce the mortality and overall health of the country however according to a study, individuals with lower BMIs tend to associate themselves with less favorable hea lth conditions and mortality rates as compared to those with high BMIs.The body mass index (BMI) assesses one’s body weight relative to height. The weight in kilograms is divided by height in meters squared (kg/m^2). It correlates highly with body fat in most people hence is a useful, indirect measure of body composition. According to research carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with increasing weight the risk of diseases also increases including cancer, stroke, coronary heart disease etc. A BMI between 25. 0 and 30. 0 is defined to be â€Å"overweight† and a BMI of over 30. is defined to as â€Å"obesity† (30 or more pounds overweight). Overweight and obesity result form an energy imbalance which involves consuming too many calories as compared to the amount of physical activity one does. The question lies on whether this issue is mainly because of psychological factor beyond an individual’s control or personal choices ma de by the obese individual. Genetics and the environment do play a huge role in this however it also deals with the personal choices made by that particular individual.David Zinckenko argues in his article â€Å"don’t blame the eater†, that it is a matter of personal responsibility but can sympathize with the obese individuals as there is a lack of alternatives and information regarding fast food consumption. Society in the United States has raised concern about healthy diets, providing alternatives sources of food but unfortunately at a cost. The increased cost for a healthy diet dissuades teenagers from eating healthier food thus without a change of environment it can result in a lifetime of obesity. David Zinckenko briefly brings in the comparison with the automobile industry.The automobile insurance is significantly high for most high end vehicles and also for the younger generation. This is mainly because the higher end vehicles have a certain type of brand value and reputation as with certain big health insurance companies. The youth are charged higher automobile insurance as they are more prone to accidents as suggested with smokers and obese individuals with diseases. The government and other respective officials imposing this would mean that obesity is termed a disease which would force individuals to try to become thinner.This could lead to dangerous diseases such as anorexia. The difference is mainly because health insurance has a closer link to our economy and human life as compared to automobile insurance. Individuals should be given rights to decide what they would like as with the automobile insurance wherein individuals choose a higher end car thus pay a greater insurance. With regard to obesity, this increase in health insurance would not give individuals a choice but force them into a system of hardship.Judt claims that throughout the middle decades of the Twentieth Century society as a whole guaranteed certain rights for citize ns without questioning the motivations or the morality of citizens. There has been increased support for self responsibility and reduced expectations for â€Å"handouts† from the state since the 1980s. The current proposition to raise the insurance premiums for the obese questions the morality of the government officials involved as it forces individuals to change in order to fit into a certain framework of expectation.This is unfair and it deprives individuals of their freedom and rights to choose their way of life. Concerns regarding the health issue of obesity are justifiable however this type of proposition appears to be harsh and presumptuous. It comes down to the issue of state responsibility versus individual responsibility. The current issue at hand dealing with obesity is part of the state’s responsibility but is more about personal individual responsibility. The state should provide cheaper and healthy alternatives as one of the major reasons for obesity is d aily life.David Leonhardt argues that personal responsibility has become more complicated as our environment has changed. The present environment involves us prioritizing our work more than our health or anything else hence we become more unhealthy and obese. The solution to this is suggested to be beyond the control of an individual, if people want to become successful they need to work hard most of the time and that requires people choosing a certain type of lifestyle.Imposing higher insurance premiums would also be unfair to the obese as most obese individuals tend to earn less than their less obese counterparts. This increase in insurance would mean that individuals would have to lose their freedom and rights whilst suffering even more hardships trying to pay the health insurance. Controlling obesity can be done by implementing more healthy affordable alternatives and controlling the work environment rather than imposing higher insurance premiums and compromise on freedom.

The American Dream By Thomas Wolfe - 1556 Words

The Epic of America stated that the american dream is â€Å"that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone no matter what race, or religion with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement (Congress 1). It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable (Congress 1). Thomas Wolfe said, to every man, regardless of his birth, his shining, golden opportunity †¦the right to live, to work, to be himself, and to become whatever thing his manhood and his vision can combine to make him. The american dream has changed from the 1920s to the present dramatically. The 1920s was a decade of exciting social changes and profound cultural conflicts Sexual mores, gender roles, hairstyles, and dress all changed profoundly during the 1920s. But for many others, the United States seemed to be changing in undesirable ways. The result was a thinly veiled cultural civil war, in which a pluralistic society clashed bitterly over such issues as foreign immigration, evolution, the Ku Klux Klan, prohibition, women’s roles, and race (A+E Networks). The roaring twenties or the â€Å"Jazz Age† It was a decade of prosperity and dissipation, and of jazz bands, bootleggers, bathtub gin, flappers and, marathon dancers. It was in the popular view, the roaring twenties, when the younger generation rebelled against theShow MoreRelatedThe American Dream By Thomas Wolfe1750 Words   |  7 PagesUnited States of America looking for the American Dream; flexibility, uniformity, and the chance to accomplish their own objectives in life that they couldn t generally accomplish in their country. 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