The Portrayal of Power in The Odyssey Reimagined for a New Cultural Context and Cudience in The Penelopiad Stephanie Lee 11th Grade

The portrayal of gender and hierarchical power in Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, is reimagined in The Penelopiad to adhere to the values of Atwood’s post-Modernist context. Texts reflect their context but a comparative study reveals the eternal. In this case, the eternal is revealed to be the significance placed on patriarchal and hierarchical powers. The Homeric portrayal of masculine power reaffirms a patriarchal society whilst projecting archaic views on the mortal man. Atwood deconstructs and reimagines this power to adhere to the values of her context. The relentless power of a rigid social hierarchy in The Odyssey portrays the systematic repression of the slave class primarily through the exclusion of their voice. However, Atwood gives those repressed an enunciated voice to stage a rebellion against the hierarchy in the pursuit of justice. Both texts reflect the cultural values of their context and instill reflections of struggles and ideals through the thematic and characteristic transmission.

Homer intricately depicts a portrayal of masculine power to reaffirm a patriarchal society, ultimately reflecting vital Ancient Hellenic values. Specifically, the patriarchal ancient Greek society was characterized by male...