Polyphemus Essay
Polyphemus Essay
Sometimes, science and literature connect in unique ways. This is the case in Homer's Epic The Odyssey and Annie Dillard's vignette from The Fixed. The Cyclops Polyphemus from The Odyssey and the Polyphemus moth in The Fixed have some similar physical attributes, as well as some differences. Also, their injuries in the stories are similar, but have different outcomes. The Cyclops and the moth are similar and different in their physical attributes. Homer compares the Cyclops to "a shaggy mountain," meaning that it is large and hairy, which it is. Dillard describes the moth as "one of the few huge American silk moths," and that "His multijointed legs...were shaggy as a bear's." Compared to other moths, the Polyphemus moth was huge. However, the Cyclops and the moth are also very different in physical appearance. Compared to a human, the Cyclops was very large. At one point he "caught two [people] in his hands like squirming puppies...." However, the moth was small compared to people. The children in The Fixed "wrapped it...[in their] fists." In some ways the Cyclops and the moth are similar, however they are also different. The Cyclops and moth do not only have similarities and differences in their physical appearances. The Cyclops and the moth's injuries were also similar, but with some differences. Both creatures were injured by humans. Odysseus "bored that great eye socket...," blinding Polyphemus with a stake made of an olive tree while he was asleep. The moth's wings were "stuck on his back in a torture of random pleats and folds, wrinkled as a dirty tissue, rigid as leather." When the moth emerged from his cocoon, he could not spread his wings in the jar he was in and they dried and stiffened in a folded state. While the Cyclops and moth were both injured by humans, the injuries were slightly different in the end. When Odysseus escaped Polyphemus, the Cyclops reveals that "he [Poseidon] may heal me of this black wound...." Polyphemus
Sometimes, science and literature connect in unique ways. This is the case in Homer's Epic The Odyssey and Annie Dillard's vignette from The Fixed. The Cyclops Polyphemus from The Odyssey and the Polyphemus moth in The Fixed have some similar physical attributes, as well as some differences. Also, their injuries in the stories are similar, but have different outcomes. The Cyclops and the moth are similar and different in their physical attributes. Homer compares the Cyclops to "a shaggy mountain," meaning that it is large and hairy, which it is. Dillard describes the moth as "one of the few huge American silk moths," and that "His multijointed legs...were shaggy as a bear's." Compared to other moths, the Polyphemus moth was huge. However, the Cyclops and the moth are also very different in physical appearance. Compared to a human, the Cyclops was very large. At one point he "caught two [people] in his hands like squirming puppies...." However, the moth was small compared to people. The children in The Fixed "wrapped it...[in their] fists." In some ways the Cyclops and the moth are similar, however they are also different. The Cyclops and moth do not only have similarities and differences in their physical appearances. The Cyclops and the moth's injuries were also similar, but with some differences. Both creatures were injured by humans. Odysseus "bored that great eye socket...," blinding Polyphemus with a stake made of an olive tree while he was asleep. The moth's wings were "stuck on his back in a torture of random pleats and folds, wrinkled as a dirty tissue, rigid as leather." When the moth emerged from his cocoon, he could not spread his wings in the jar he was in and they dried and stiffened in a folded state. While the Cyclops and moth were both injured by humans, the injuries were slightly different in the end. When Odysseus escaped Polyphemus, the Cyclops reveals that "he [Poseidon] may heal me of this black wound...." Polyphemus