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"odyssey"
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Para-narratives in the Odyssey : stories in the frame
\"Readers coming to the Odyssey for the first time are often dazzled and bewildered by the wealth of material it contains which is seemingly unrelated to the central story: the main plot of Odysseus' return to Ithaca is complicated by myriad secondary narratives related by the poet and his characters, including Odysseus' own fantastic tales of Lotus Eaters, Sirens, and cannibal giants. Although these 'para-narratives' are a source of pleasure and entertainment in their own right, each also has a special relevance to its immediate context, elucidating Odysseus' predicament and also subtly influencing and guiding the audience's reception of the main story. By exploring variations on the basic story-shape, drawing on familiar tales, anecdotes, and mythology, or inserting analogous situations, they create illuminating parallels to the main narrative and prompt specific responses in readers or listeners. This is the case even when details are suppressed or altered, as the audience may still experience the reverberations of the better-known version of the tradition, and it also applies to the characters themselves, who are often provided with a model of action for imitation or avoidance in their immediate contexts.\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
The many-minded man : the Odyssey, psychology, and the therapy of epic
In The Many-Minded Man, Joel Christensen explores the content, character, and structure of the Homeric Odyssey through a modern psychological lens, focusing on how the epic both represents the workings of the human mind and provides for its audiences—both ancient and modern—a therapeutic model for coping with the exigencies of chance and fate. By reading the Odyssey as an exploration of the constitutive elements of human identity, the function of narrative in defining the self, and the interaction between the individual and their social context, The Many-Minded Man addresses enduring questions about the poem, such as the importance of Telemachus's role, why Odysseus must tell his own tale, and the epic's sudden and unexpected closure. Through these dynamics, Christensen reasons, the Odyssey not only instructs readers about how narrative shapes a sense of agency but also offers solutions for avoiding dangerous stories and destructive patterns of thought.
eBook
The myths of Mars: from its Greek origins to Dan Simmon’s posthuman Ilium-Olympos
Mars has always fascinated humanity due to its proximity, movement, and red color. For ancient civilizations, it symbolized blood and war, and for Greeks and Romans, it was considered the living place of Ares/Mars, the god of war. The discovery of straight lines on the planet’s surface by 19th-century astronomers led to the popular belief that it could be inhabited by intelligent creatures. Since then, Mars has become a kind of mythic double onto which we have projected our Earthly hopes and fears. In the Ilium-Olympos series by Dan Simmons, set on a futuristic Mars, ancient and modern myths are revisited and recontextualized to explore our deepest desires as human beings. Its hero, Harman-Prometheus, represents those who still read the ancient epics convinced that their narratives and myths provide the wisdom to understand our profoundest desires.
Journal Article
The Meaning of Meat and the Structure of the Odyssey
This comprehensive study of the Odyssey sees in meat and meat consumption a centre of gravitation for the interpretation of the poem. It aims to place the cultural practices represented in the poem against the background of the (agricultural) lived reality of the poem's audiences in the archaic age, and to align the themes of the adventures in Odysseus' wanderings with the events that transpire at Ithaca in the hero's absence. The criminal meat consumption of the suitors of Penelope in the civilised space of Ithaca is shown to resonate with the adventures of Odysseus and his companions in the pre-cultural worlds they are forced to visit. The book draws on folklore studies, the anthropology of hunting cultures, the comparative study of oral traditions, and the agricultural history of archaic and classical Greece. It will also be of interest to narratologists and students of folklore and Homeric poetics.
eBook
The Many-Minded Man
In The Many-Minded Man , Joel Christensen explores the
content, character, and structure of the Homeric Odyssey
through a modern psychological lens, focusing on how the epic both
represents the workings of the human mind and provides for its
audiences-both ancient and modern-a therapeutic model for coping
with the exigencies of chance and fate.
By reading the Odyssey as an exploration of the
constitutive elements of human identity, the function of narrative
in defining the self, and the interaction between the individual
and their social context, The Many-Minded Man addresses
enduring questions about the poem, such as the importance of
Telemachus's role, why Odysseus must tell his own tale, and the
epic's sudden and unexpected closure. Through these dynamics,
Christensen reasons, the Odyssey not only instructs
readers about how narrative shapes a sense of agency but also
offers solutions for avoiding dangerous stories and destructive
patterns of thought.
eBook
Understanding Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey : representation and interpretation
Scholars have been studying the films of Stanley Kubrick for decades. This book, however, breaks new ground by bringing together recent empirical approaches to Kubrick with earlier, formalist approaches to arrive at a broader understanding of the ways in which Kubrick's methods were developed to create the unique aesthetic creation that is '2001: A Space Odyssey'. As the fiftieth anniversary of the film nears, the contributors explore its still striking design, vision, and philosophical structure, offering new insights and analyses that will give even dedicated Kubrick fans new ways of thinking about the director and his masterpiece.
BOOK
The diagnostic odyssey: insights from parents of children living with an undiagnosed condition
Background
People living with rare disease often have protracted journeys towards diagnosis. In the last decade, programs have arisen around the world that are dedicated to ending this ‘diagnostic odyssey’, including the Undiagnosed Diseases Program Western Australia (UDP-WA), which has a focus on finding diagnoses for children and young adults. To explore the lived experience of the diagnostic journey semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of 11 children at commencement of their involvement in the UDP-WA.
Results
Thematic analysis revealed three main themes that captured parents’ experiences and perspectives. Parents reported (i) the need to respond to significant care needs of their children, which span not only the health system but other systems such as education and disability services. In doing so, parents become the navigator, expert and advocate for their children. Meanwhile, parents are on (ii) the diagnostic odyssey—the rollercoaster of their journey towards diagnosis, which includes various names applied to their child’s condition, and the impact of no diagnosis. Parents described their views on (iii) the value of a diagnosis and the outcomes they expect to be associated with a diagnosis.
Conclusion
Analysis showed an overall significant perceived value of a diagnosis. Our study provides new perspectives on the concept of diagnosis and indicates that parents may benefit from supports for their child’s care needs that are beyond the scope of the UDP-WA.
Journal Article