Sexual Fantasy Within The Odyssey - 1603 Words

Cassidy Bulger Professor Isser Montserrat September 22, 2015 Sexual Fantasy Within The Odyssey In the Odyssey, by Homer, Homer suggests that women can be seductive traps that prevent or delay men from reaching their goals. The women that Odysseus encounters on his journey home in The Odyssey all represent a different sexual fantasy figure in the eyes of a male, and serve as a distraction that he must work around. Although the three women that Odysseus encounters on his travels are desirable to him, the only thing that he wants is to get home to his devoted wife. The soft, alluring, pastoral sensuality of Calypso, the purity, youth and innocence of the young Nausicaa, and the adventurously sexy Circe are no contest to the loyal and faithful Penelope. Penelope holds aspects of each of these three women, making her the most sought after by Odysseus. The goddess Calypso resides in a cave on an island. The lush and blossomed forest that surrounds her cave symbolizes the idea of and new life, whereas the cave itself represents a womb. â€Å"Around her cave the woodland was in bloom,...Four separate springs flowed with clear water, crisscrossing channels as they meandered through meadows lush with parsley and blossoming violets† (Odyssey, 5. 67-76). These symbols of fertility are important to males, especially during the time period that the Odyssey portrays when a woman’s primary duty was to birth children and raise them. Odysseus was forced to stay on the island with Calypso forShow MoreRelatedJames Joyce s The Odyssey And Ulysses1622 Words   |  7 PagesUlysses is arguably one of James Joyce’s most famous literary works. At least, the obscene sexual nature of Ulysses is notorious in itself. Indeed, it is widely considered that the novel was a scandal when it first appeared serialized in 1918. 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