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Brittany Sapp

Mrs. Weaver

LNG 311

10 December 2010

The Journey of Odysseus and Percy Jackson compare and contrast.

Ammit, Centaur, Cyclops, Kraken, are all mythological creatures with a story behind

them.

Myths and creatures are descriptions of the journeys of Percy Jackson and

Odysseus. They both enter their journeys with motivation, supernatural elements,

and guiders and mentors. In these two adventures, Percy and Odysseus share

important motivations to begin their quests and their similar obstacles along their

journeys. However, the intervention of the God Poseidon plays a distinctly different

role with these epic heroes.

Like all heroes Percy and Odysseus have a motivation, which is why they go

on a quest, their challenge. Percy’s motivation is to save the world from destruction

and save his mother from Hades. Odysseus is trying to get back home to save his

kingdom and to be with his beloved wife, Penelope. Both Percy and Odysseus

motivation is similar, they are both are trying to save their worlds and save their

loved ones, their family. They will both go through anything to accomplish their

quest. Percy is on a quest to retrieve the lightning bolt to save the world, and his

mother from Hades in the underworld. Percy goes through battles with monsters

and immortals to save the world from destruction and to be reunited with his mom

again. Now Odysseus went to Troy to get Helen back and win the Trojan War, but

was cursed by Poseidon for not giving him any credit for his doing. Poseidon’s curse
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is that Odysseus shall not return home to “Ithica”, his homeland. They are

connecting by their loved ones.

Like all Heroes, Percy and Odysseus have superhuman qualities. Like Percy

Jackson is the son of Poseidon, which means he has water abilities, and strength,

and healing supernatural elements, Percy is a demigod. On the other hand

Odysseus is a mortal, just a man that is courageous, that is visited b many gods and

goddesses, and some of the gods and goddesses help him throughout his journey

home to Ithica, also giving him supernatural elements, “powers”. Percy has special

supernatural abilities, and Odysseus is a mortal a normal man, that has gods

helping him. They are similar by they are using their supernatural elements to save

the their world and their loved ones.

With all these similarities between our two heroes, its only natural to expect

differences. In the story “The Lightning Thief”, Percy Jackson has a guider and a

mentor, Percy’s Guider is his father, Poseidon. Poseidon helps Percy whenever he is

in the time of need. Percy also has a mentor, a protector, a Saytr named Groover

and a friend that helps him along the way Annabeth. On the other hand Odysseus

also has a guider who is a goddess named Athena, who helps him throughout his

journey home. Unlike Percy, Poseidon is against Odysseus.

As long as a battle between our gods, demigods, and mortals, and as long as

evil exists, people will keep creating heroes, to overcome obstacles to protect

people, worlds, and their loved ones. As longs as myths and stories exist, will there

always be epic heroes, like Percy Jackson and Odysseus?

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