Symbolism In The Odyssey

When reading fiction or realistic fiction we can often find hidden meanings behind why character do the things they do. These experiences usually reflect or discuss symbolism. Symbolism can almost always can help you figure out the underlying message that each book is trying to convey. The Odyssey also has an underlying moral or lesson that the author wants you to take away after you have read the book. All of the life-threatening experiences that Odysseus goes through in the Odyssey have helped him grow as a person. One thing I think must have put a tremendous hardship on Odysseus would be him having to choose between going through Scylla and Charybdis. If Odysseus sailed his boat through Charybdis his boat and all of his men would be destroyed, but if he went through Scylla she would eat his men. Odysseus chose to sail through Scylla knowing that he would exit the straight with less men. Odysseus decided that losing a few men would be better than losing all of his men. This is symbolism of the phrase “the lesser of two evils”, Odysseus chose the option that would be better for the greater good even if it wouldn’t work out for some of his crew. After going through the straights of Scylla and Charybdis I think Odysseus grew as a person and was more confident in himself knowing that he had made the right decision. I think the
lesson you learn from this part of the story is that when faced with a hard decision you should choose the option that benefits the majority and not just yourself. Another example of a time Odysseus had to endure a difficult journey was after he left Troy, his ship was hit with storms at every turn because Poseidon was determined to keep him from getting home. Odysseus had to face the consequences for upsetting Zeus. I think the symbolism in this is that you should be humble and kind to others even if they are mean to you. I also think that Odysseus learns that gloating isn’t always a good idea because sometimes it will get you in even more trouble. Symbolism is everywhere, its in the things we say and the small details that make up our lives.
The symbolism in the Odyssey shows how for every difficult situation life throws at you there is always a lesson you can take from it that will help you along your journey. By having Zeus torture Odysseus he learned that some times its better not to gloat about who you are and all the great things you’ve done. This helped him when he went to the city of Phaicians because he knew to keep his identity a secret. By taking these lessons to heart Odysseus learns to be a smarter and overall better person which ultimately are what helped him get
home.