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Essay / The Odyssey Reflection
I think The Odyssey depicts two different types of women. Women who are pro-marriage and pro-family and women who are anti-marriage and anti-family. Penelope, for example, is pro-marriage and pro-family. She is the faithful wife of Odysseus and waited twenty years for Odysseus to return from the war. She defends her home against suitors who desperately want to marry her and inherit her wealth. Penelope raises her son Telemachus alone in the absence of her father and her husband Ulysses. She warmly welcomes guests and creates a home that embodies the ideal of civilization. Even in her husband's absence, she continues to ensure the stability and smooth running of their home. His contribution to civilization and his family is so great and his virtue will never die. She is the perfect example of a faithful, pro-marriage, pro-family wife. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Calypso, the mermaids, and Circe, on the other hand, are the kind of women who despise marriage and dishonor men. All they have is a great sexual desire. These women are an example of anti-marriage and anti-family women in The Odyssey. These women attract and capture men. They deprive them of their manhood and keep them away from their children and wives without any sympathy. In the story, Calypso captured and held Odysseus hostage on her island for seven years. She promises him immortality, the paradise of his island and the love of a goddess. Calypso never mentions the idea of marriage, but only the idea of living together and having a sexual relationship. She seemed completely anti-marriage. It was also never mentioned that she would have or want children. She had no desire to start a family, just sex with men. Mermaids also distract men from their duties as husbands and fathers. They attract men with their musical voices which prevent them from taking them home. The thrilling songs of the sirens transfix men. For civilization to prosper, families must grow and develop in healthy ways. Houses must also be permanent and stable. They need loyal, family-oriented women like Penelope. Sirens show no interest in ever having a stable, permanent home or family. Circe also represents anti-marriage and anti-family women. She deprives men of their identity and seduces them with her captivating voice. She has a potion that she puts in men's drinks that takes away all motivation and will to do things. It also distracts men from their duty as husbands and fathers. Circe attempts to lure Odysseus into her bed and enslave him with the price of her beauty and pleasure. Calypso, the Sirens and Circe rob men of their masculinity by making them drunk and taking advantage of them, dulling their memories of home and delaying their journey back to their wives and children..