The Odyssey By Sue Monk Kidd: An Analysis

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H.M Tomlinson once said, “The right good book is always a book about travel, it is about a life’s journey”. Tomlinson means that the best types of books are the books about a life’s journey, both in which character mature and gain valuable insight to allow them to complete their travels. The epic The Odyssey by Homer and the novel The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd are both quite popular for this reason. Good books come in a variety of styles and plots; some of them are bildungsromans, others are made for comical reasons. However the best of them all are the books focus on a protagonist’s journey to become a better person. The Odyssey is the story of a man’s journey home after a long battle in a foreign land, but the wrath of Poseidon causes this journey numerous detours; which adds another several years to Odysseus’ journey. The book uses en medias res to show the repercussions of his absence from his home for more that ten years. Amplifying the imagery of a figuratively and literally broken home; where men poison the marriage of Odysseus and Penelope. However Odysseus is not dead; he is very much alive and stuck in Ogygia. With the help of the Gods he makes his way home and brings an ironic justice upon the wretched suitors who…show more content…
Along the way the imagery of the “Black Mary”/ Our Mother of Chains plays an ironic role in the story because it leads Lilly to August and her sisters. It is also the statue they worship and on the label for their honey. It is an omen that leads Lilly there, as if fate sets up a path for her to find where she belongs. Bees are another symbol because they appear in the beginning of the story, when Lilly wishes she could leave T.Ray. In the middle of the plot she works with bees and begins to understand them. They play a role as a symbol of hope and happiness, which is where they lead

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