“Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real.”
- Cormac McCarthy, American novelist
While often deemed ugly and flawed, scars really are a testament to what one has been through and serve as proof to healing and growth. Only brought up nineteen books into Homer’s Odyssey, the scar on Odysseus’ leg is an extremely important factor that reveals many of the themes of the second half of the epic. Hoping to gather information about her lost husband, Penelope, Odysseus’ faithful wife, offers for one of her maids to wash a disguised Odysseus. Odysseus, who is already tense about keeping his disguise a secret, wants someone reliable to wash his feet. Eurycleia volunteers to do it, saying that nobody “has so struck my eyes—your build, your voice, your feet—you’re like Odysseus” (19: 431). At the point, Odysseus’ comfort and lack of attention allows him to forget that a scar above his knee will undoubtedly give his identity up. He tries to hide it in the life, but Eurycleia is not fooled and knows it is Odysseus in disguise. Homer then goes on to tell the story of Odysseus’ scar, using information that offers important details and context to the epic. One of the most …show more content…
Readers see how Autolycus naming Odysseus “Son of Pain” paved his fate for him before he even had a chance to make one for himself. Moreover, the scar serves as a metaphoric representation of his growth and maturation. Homer also uses language and imagery that shows a growth and change in Odysseus between his exploits as a boy and as a man. Finally, the scar functions as a method of Athena establishing a relationship of trust between Odysseus and Eurycleia which ultimately leads to the success of their plan to kill the suitors. Ultimately, Homer tells the story of Odysseus’ scar because it reveals themes in the book that are innately important to Odysseus’ growth and his journey to get home to
- Cormac McCarthy, American novelist
While often deemed ugly and flawed, scars really are a testament to what one has been through and serve as proof to healing and growth. Only brought up nineteen books into Homer’s Odyssey, the scar on Odysseus’ leg is an extremely important factor that reveals many of the themes of the second half of the epic. Hoping to gather information about her lost husband, Penelope, Odysseus’ faithful wife, offers for one of her maids to wash a disguised Odysseus. Odysseus, who is already tense about keeping his disguise a secret, wants someone reliable to wash his feet. Eurycleia volunteers to do it, saying that nobody “has so struck my eyes—your build, your voice, your feet—you’re like Odysseus” (19: 431). At the point, Odysseus’ comfort and lack of attention allows him to forget that a scar above his knee will undoubtedly give his identity up. He tries to hide it in the life, but Eurycleia is not fooled and knows it is Odysseus in disguise. Homer then goes on to tell the story of Odysseus’ scar, using information that offers important details and context to the epic. One of the most …show more content…
Readers see how Autolycus naming Odysseus “Son of Pain” paved his fate for him before he even had a chance to make one for himself. Moreover, the scar serves as a metaphoric representation of his growth and maturation. Homer also uses language and imagery that shows a growth and change in Odysseus between his exploits as a boy and as a man. Finally, the scar functions as a method of Athena establishing a relationship of trust between Odysseus and Eurycleia which ultimately leads to the success of their plan to kill the suitors. Ultimately, Homer tells the story of Odysseus’ scar because it reveals themes in the book that are innately important to Odysseus’ growth and his journey to get home to