The Odyssey, written by Homer, narrates the journey and hardships our protagonist, Odysseus, faces on his way home to Ithaca. This literary work teaches the reader of Odysseus’ struggle and these lessons learned throughout The Odyssey can provide beneficial lessons to people of today. Odysseus learns from the mistakes he has made along the way, bad judgment calls, and poor execution of tasks, all while learning from it. Further lessons about perseverance and a hero’s journey can be learned. Similar lessons can be implemented here at Hopkins. And what better way to learn said lessons than to keep The Odyssey in the Hopkins curriculum? This epic simultaneously teaches the youth lessons about ancient culture for it is important for them to learn about times past. Finally, it teaches important literary devices and effective writing techniques. For these reasons, The Odyssey should remain in Hopkins’ curriculum as it can teach the students advantageous teachings to all that read it.
In an article titled “SOAPBOX; An Odyessy”, 6th graders learn the lesson of leadership through the travels of Odysseus. They learn that leading is difficult yet can also provide a sense of power. They gain invaluable experience in becoming better leaders through a challenging activity where they have to try to gain the trust of others. This reflection signifies the importance The Odyssey can also have on students attending Hopkins School. Writer Marcia Worth-Baker commented, “One person can be both powerful and foolish, equally full of influence and errors.” This quote shows the difficulties faced by leaders in the world. Leading is not one set path and can have its drawbacks, but also its benefits. The Odyssey guides young Hopkins readers and shows how leadership requires courage and mental fortitude. They also gain helpful insight into a complex example of leadership through the development of Odysseus on his journey. This acquired knowledge proves the relevance and importance of the epic’s teachings.
The second important lesson is teaching readers about ancient culture. The epic gives us detailed insight into the lives of Ancient Greeks and how they functioned, what they believed, and more. In the article “A Grecian Artifact Evokes Tales From the ‘Iliad’ and ‘Odyssey’” Nicholas Wade mentions the accuracy of a recently discovered artifact and how it is “strongly evocative of those in Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey,” depicts an event that contributed to the oral tradition behind the works of Homer.” This further advocates the fact that The Odyssey gives an accurate depiction of Greek culture and values. This important lesson should not be forgotten over time, and the best way to not forget is to keep this tale in Hopkins education.
Finally, this epic teaches important lessons for writing techniques and literary elements. The Odyssey shows important themes, metaphors, character development, climaxes, symbolism, and more. In an article, titled “The First Woman to Translate the ‘Odyssey’ Into English” Wyatt Mason brought up a point made by Emily Wilson explaining, “The whole question of ‘What is that story?’ is going to depend on the language, the words that you use.” This exemplifies the necessity of good word choice, and that can be shown through different literary elements to heighten your writing. This importance will help the reader better understand what is effective and convincing in a piece of writing. This lesson is invaluable, and removing it from Hopkins’ teachings would be tragic.
When taking all of this into consideration, the debate of whether The Odyssey should be kept in Hopkins’ curriculum or not should not even be proposed. This epic teaches indispensable lessons to its readers which can help them develop useful skills and information. This alone should be enough to convince anyone of the importance of this text in the curriculum.