Flashbacks In The Odyssey

In the first three chapters, Auerbach compares different ancient styles of representing reality. Homer’s style represents a constant present time: flashbacks are integrated in present, without giving any other perspective where you can see action from. Narrative tension is broken in this flashbacks, though: you can relax and reflect on what’s going on during flashbacks. You know characters better in Homer, though they are plane. Biblical characters are more complex and the y evolve, but you never know their reasons for what they do, their history or deep thoughts. Classical stories try to please the spectator, biblical ones try to dominate him: just one narrative is allowed. They search for truth, not realism.
There is also no historical time in …show more content…
Some authors (Tacitus, Ammianus), have described social revolts (Tacitus in the army, Ammianus in regular people). Tacitus doesn’t want to give voice to the rebels, he invents what could be their discourse in detail but for rhetorical purposes. However, he is more humane than Ammianus. Ammianus shows a grotesque, sadistic, superstitious and ambitious ruling class world. None of them let them think, sense, act or speak: that’s why neither of them are mimesis. Both see action from above and morally judge it.
Material world imposes its strength to Ammiano, who cannot follow the simple, pure and elegant classical language. He is very visual and gaudy: It seems you hear and see the characters.
Ammiano just shows one side of reality, though: the worst. But averything has a counterpart and the noble characters and actions are suppressed. This choice reflects the defensive and desperate situation of the last Roman Empire century. The same horror, but passionately, is shown in San Jerónimo’s Procession. Baroque characteristics, big contrasts. The same hate to life as in Ammiano’s is