The Great Wave Of Possibilities In Homer's The Odyssey

“A small rock holds back a great wave” (Homer 3.276), the famous quote by Homer stated in his epic poem The Odyssey. Although only a short sentence, this statement also represents Homer’s own work as a whole. The mystery of a great and heroic journey was the rock that held back a great wave of possibilities, but these were eventually brought to shore through Homer’s The Odyssey. His great poems not only inspired millions, but they also resonated with the readers who read them including Gareth Hinds, the author and Illustrator of The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel. For thousands of years, Homer’s The Odyssey has inspired and truly resonated nearly all of its readers through its heroism, fantasy, and romance.
Homer’s work contains so many themes
In the time of Homer writing the Odyssey, he and many thought these events had actually happened so he would not have believed of Odysseus’ journey as imaginative events. On the other hand, in the time of Gareth Hinds’ graphic novel, these events were simply fantasy. According to Hinds, Odysseus explains “Aeolus welcomed me to their feast, and when I departed, he gave me a godly gift. He captured the winds and bound them up in a great bag made from the hide of a full-grown ox, sealing the neck up tight with wire so nothing can escape” (Hinds 111-112). Here Aeolus, the king of Aeolia and god of the winds, was giving Odysseus the gift of successful travels by capturing all headwinds that had the ability to resist the travels of Odysseus. The fanaticism of this act lies in the ability of Aeolus controlling the environment and also in consuming the excessive amounts of wind in a simple leather sack sealed up with wire. The idea of being able to control the factors around you empowers the reader and expand their imagination into a world of superpowers. Unlike the whimsical nature of Aeolus, another example of how fantasy entices the reader in a different way is with the violent and horror filled Scylla. According to Hinds, Circe, the bewitching queen states “‘Scylla she is called, the six-headed monster who lives in a cave high up on that rocky cliff, above the reach of the strongest bowshot’” (Hinds 138). In this scene, Circe is warning Odysseus about the monstrous Scylla and the potential dangers that lurked above. This beast could swoop down and devour any human or sea creature in a moments notice. The six heads and long necks of Scylla that can exceed the distance of the furthest bow shots show the fantasy in this situation. Though unrealistic, this is exactly what the readers love as they are