Research Paper - Female Dominion vs. Epic Heroes

Eleanor Celmer
Eng 102 – Dr. McCormick
Final Paper
Word Count: 1,079
6/2/10

Female Dominion vs. Epic Heroes

Historically, men have been clearly depicted as the stronger of the two human sexes. Although each individual male differ physically and/or emotionally, each man struggles with internal quarrels. Literary examples of such men can be seen in Homer’s epic tale, The Odyssey, as well as The Book of J, translated by David Rosenburg. Despite the creation of both works in a vast time difference, the stories held in Ancient Greece and Biblical periods, the two main males seem to share the same problem; women have controlled them.

Odysseus is introduced to the reader as the leading protagonist in the Homeric epic legend, The Odyssey. Quickly, readers learn about Odysseus, and his status as an epic hero traveling home from a battle won at the great ancient city, Troy. Being an experienced and well trained warrior, we understand that his command and power over a large fleet of men had been earned through wars, battles, bloodshed and extensive experience. Most simply, “he embodies many of the qualities most admired in ancient Greek culture – intelligence, prudence, courage, strength in battle, agility in athletics, and most distinctively, wiliness or guile” (Bloom 29). His large sense of pride was built on these qualities, as well as his near invincibility and the women he was able to conquer.

Although a married man, Odysseus seemed to have a wandering eye for the beautiful, goddesses we meet in The Odyssey. We can see examples of these immaculate women when we read about the witch goddess Circe as well as the infamous Calypso. Realistically, it is easy to understand the superficial reasoning behind Odysseus’ adultery to his wife, Penelope, when around such dynamic beauties such as Circe and Calypso, admitting once that “…Penelope is inferior in beauty” (69). Circe, in addition to being stunning, had the ability to sing beautifully. Her voice could draw men to her and cause them to feel as if they have fallen in love with her. Circe used her talent to attract traveling men to her palace, where she then fed them food with magically, and even poisoning properties. These foods would cause the men to swoon over her, and later shape-shift into swine, bears and lions. The men were animals “by appearance and sound, but still with human minds” (Bender et al 121). Odysseus heard about this magic trick from one man that was able to escape Circe’s powerful wrath. Odysseus soon met with the Greek god, Hermes, who coached Odysseus on how to bypass Circe’s trickery and seduce her into a yearlong love affair. Similar to Circe’s enchantment, Odysseus also meets the dynamic and vibrant goddess, Calypso. Her loving ways had become almost seductive to Odysseus, for he lived with Calypso for seven years. She poured her true feelings out to Odysseus many times, providing him a lavish and comfortable lifestyle other men could only fathom in their dreams. Despite her affection and offers of marriage and immortality, Odysseus finds himself still nostalgic for his Penelope. “This emphasis on Penelope as the object of Odysseus’ disguise is puzzling” to the reader because of Odysseus’ contradictory adulterous ways with many women in this epic (Murnaghan 119). Odysseus, as well as the reader, knows for sure that Penelope has stayed loyal to him, which makes the reader question what would cause Odysseus to desire other females. Perhaps it is as simple as men needing to feel love and affection from a woman in order to understand circumstances and make a logical decision.

Unlike Odysseus, The Book of J’s Adam had been less successful with achievements in war, seduction or sharp-mindedness. Yahweh, the God ever present in The Book of J, created Adam as a witness to the earthly beauty created in the Garden of Eden. Adam became flesh by Yahweh in order to tend and rule over the earth and animals as his own paradise. Following the creation of Adam, Yahweh creating Hava, or the woman, to remain at the side of the man. As many scholars may argue, Hava was created by way to be secondary to Adam. The male was dominant over his female and animal counterparts in paradise. However, the story in The Book of J provides room for argument. The woman easily dominated Adam, as it was easy for him to give into Hava’s wrongdoing. By eating the forbidden fruit, Hava brought about a pain and suffering many scholars and biblical leaders believe is reflected upon humans today. Whether it affects humanity today, is a personal believe reliant on religious affiliation. However, Hava’s actions had a direct affect on her man, whereas “the two punishments are interwoven” (Walsh 168). Many scholars and believers may argue that because of Adam’s lack of strength and control over his woman, resulted in causing him punishment and lifelong suffering by Yahweh. The woman’s actions caused him “the pain of insufficiency and labor” (168) where we see that because Yahweh created both man and woman as ‘’ ‘matching helpers’ “(168), Adam induced pain, suffering and perpetual hardship for himself as the tiller of the earth. Yahweh may have created a sort of hierarchy in The Book of J; however it doesn’t prove to follow the standard focus of male dominion over women and animals. “The woman is superior to the animals not in authority but in the perfect way she answers the man’s need for companionship” (174). Walsh makes a valid point, however the need for companionship here enables the woman to hold a more powerful position than that of a mate. Hava’s “initiative influences him to follow her lead” (175), which causes the reader to see and understand the control a woman has over her man. Here, predetermined male dominion holds no true value over the power a woman had over Adam.

“A hero epitomizes what is best in man,” (173) says Walsh. This be true, one must also see that man is not completely invincible. Women have the ability to control men, whether it be with sheer logic, their sexuality, seduction or even through the use of food. Despite their human strength, authority – whether acquired or predetermined by higher powers, both The Book of J’s Adam and The Odyssey’s hero, Odysseus, were two men that let women get the best of them. Poor judgment about themselves and their women, as well as probable inflated ego led these men into their unfortunate final situations.








Annotated Bibliography



Bender, Leon, et al. Readings on Homer. San Diego : Greenhaven Press, 1998. Print.

This book is a good guide that will help me understand the writing of Homer’s characters, especially Odysseus.

Bloom, Harold. Homer’s Odyssey Bloom’s Notes. Broomall : Chelsea House Publishers, 1996. Print.

This book is a great read to help me understand the depth and thematic analysis of the Odyssey.

Murnaghan, Sheila. Disguise and Recognition In The Odyssey. Princeton : Princeton University Press, 1987. Print.

This book is a great in depth analysis of Homeric disguises seen in the Odyssey. It will help me understand and write about Odysseus better.

Teffeteller, Annette. Cambridge University Press. Homeric Excuses. Cambridge: 2003. PDF File

This article stands out as a very interesting point of view of the use of Homer’s written excuses for his characters. I hope this will help me strengthen my opinion of Odysseus.

Walsh, Jerome T. The Society of Biblical Literature. Genesis 2: 4b-3:24 : A Synchronic Approach. Journal of Biblical Literature: 1977. PDF File.

This article provided me with a fantastic, in –depth analysis of The Book Of J, as well as the characters Adam and Hava.