
Readers coming to the Odyssey for the first time are often dazzled and bewildered by the wealth of material it contains which is seemingly unrelated to the central story: the main plot of Odysseus' return to Ithaca is complicated by myriad secondary narratives related by the poet and his characters, including Odysseus' own fantastic tales of Lotus Eaters, Sirens, and cannibal giants. Although these 'para-narratives' are a source of pleasure and entertainment in their own right, each also has a special relevance to its immediate context, elucidating Odysseus' predicament and also subtly influencing and guiding the audience's reception of the main story. By exploring variations on the basic story-shape, drawing on familiar tales, anecdotes, and mythology, or inserting analogous situations, they create illuminating parallels to the main narrative and prompt specific responses in readers or listeners. This is the case even when details are suppressed or altered, as the audience may still experience the reverberations of the better-known version of the tradition, and it also applies to the characters themselves, who are often provided with a model of action for imitation or avoidance in their immediate contexts.
This work investigates how the secondary narratives, or 'para-narratives,' embedded within Homer's Odyssey function as structural and thematic devices to influence the audience's reception of the primary plot. Maureen Alden, a scholar of classical literature, utilizes a narratological framework to analyze how these internal stories—ranging from mythic digressions to character-led anecdotes—serve as mirrors, models, or warnings that shape the reader's understanding of Odysseus' return to Ithaca. By examining the interplay between these sub-stories and the main narrative arc, the book argues that Homeric composition relies on a sophisticated system of allusion and variation to guide interpretation.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars and students of Homeric epic frequently cite this text for its clear articulation of how complex narrative structures function within oral tradition. It is widely regarded as a valuable resource for those seeking to understand the sophisticated literary techniques employed by the poet to manage audience expectations.
Page Count:
435
Publication Date:
2017-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0192524283
ISBN-13:
9780192524287
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