How Did The Odyssey Influence Me

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Indicate a person, character in fiction, an historical figure, or a creative work that has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

The paths our lives take are filled with uncertainty and are controlled by far more than our own will. From conception to death, our lives are impacted by countless influences. Whether parents, friends, teachers, or media, the vast myriad of entities that people interact with create a lasting impact on the individual. For myself, Homer’s Odysseus was a major inspiration for me as a child and as a senior.

The main reason why I was drawn to Odysseus’s journey was the overarching parallel’s to real life. Upon the completion of the Trojan War, Odysseus begins his voyage back to his home of Ithaca. However, he is set off course and struggles to find his way home. When I read this story as a younger boy, I only saw its face value as a story of a hero and adventure of larger than life proportions that could only exist in the realm of fantasy. As a …show more content…

Here he was a young man who with a brashness and recklessness that could only come to fruition during youth but he had the skills and talent to back up his arrogance. Throughout his adventure in the Odyssey, he defeats monsters of immeasurable strength through wit and cunning. His willingness to take on any challenge in order to further his goals and his immense intelligence is philosophy that I strive to mirror. Odysseus stood out from other heroes of his era because is that his victories were never won through thoughtless attacks. All of them where won through him recognizing a problem and creating unorthodox solutions to those problems. As a child, this trait made him more distinct and memorable. As I realized that my passion was programming, the ability to solve issues in an efficient way is something that I value greatly and I aspire to reach the level of creativity that Odysseus demonstrated as I grow in my