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Please do not write anything like this:
"Odysseus and Ransom both were trying to get home. That's sort of, you know, similar. Yeah. Similar. So, you know, kind of the same. And, well, they both really wanted to get home, but it was, um, really difficult and, um, hard. For both of them."
Or this:
"That big guy, the Cyclops, was kind of like those tall scary guys, the sorns...or is it 'scorns'? I can never remember. Anyway, they both lived in caves. And didn't hang out in groups. And, um, were really different from people. And they both liked cheese. That's very important."
Based on classroom conversation, I'm confident that you've identified any number of narrative elements that provide fodder for nuanced, interesting, and delightful comparisons. Here's your chance to wax eloquently about 1 of them. Please cite any quotes with page numbers. Otherwise there's no need for specific references, though your post must include specific information, explication, and analysis.
Due Friday, 21 October, noon.
In Out of the Silent Planet and The Odyssey the main characters have to overcome several obstacles and challenges before they can face one final test to prove they have really grown. Ransom must face his fears with the many hnau of Malacandra. It starts with Devine and Weston where he must find it within himself to leave the only familiar species, then Ransom meets the Hrossa who show him the softer side of Malacandra leading Ransom to begin to trust. The Sorns, who are first portrayed as evil aliens, turn out to be logical and just as peaceful as the Hross. Once Ransom has overcome these fears, he is able to face the Oyarsa who opens Ransom’s mind to the bent ways of man.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, Odysseus faces his own series of trials on his journey home. From the Cyclops to the cattle of the sun god, Odysseus must learn to swallow his pride and step back from certain situations. When he is on Calypso Island he is able to pine away for home and Penelope making him want home that much more. From his lessons abroad Odysseus is then prepared to face the suitors when he returns home. Instead of running in ill-prepared, as a younger untested Odysseus probably would have done, he is able to take his time and destroy the suitors with minimal help. Without their trials beforehand neither Ransom nor Odysseus would have been prepared to face the final challenge successfully.
In the Odyssey the story sort of had a moral and what I think it was saying to me was, that all good things come to those that wait. Picture the Odyssey without the god factor. A guy or king after fighting a war for 8- 10 yrs. in some far off land is heading home, is ship wrecked, stranded the only survivor, and tries so hard that finally with all the good trade winds because of no more war makes it home to his wife or queen and son, "Ithaca at last"(chap13,286). To prove his love to her his queen, he wipes out all the rubbish or suitors in his palace that were making life difficult for her while he was away. Now on the other hand in Out of the Silent Planet, the moral of the story is similar, it's something like, you can have your cake and eat it too. Ransom plays this role through out this book, first he is drugged, taken to another planet, under this impression that he is being fed to some extra- terrestrials, "Then he turned wildly to fly and found himself gripped by Devine. "Let me go" he cried. Both the men were forcing him to the waters edge."(Chap7p46-7), left to continue on by himself, figured a lot out about his forethought that was planted in him, it was wrong. They, the other life on the planet did not want a sacrifice, they were just following orders from a higher power. It was the lack of understanding that hurt this narrative, but by being patient Ransom gained the very most from his experience. Just like Odysseus in the Odyssey who got back to his family and land.
ReplyDeleteIn both of the texts we read, The Odyssey and Out Of the Silent Planet, the main character goes at least most of the novel without a wife or female significant other. In Out Of the Silent Planet Ransom never really even mentions his wife or even the fact that he is attracted to women. His only encounter with a female the whole book is in the beginning when speaking to Harry's mother, and that is very slightly. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is on a journey home without his wife and all of the warriors with him are male.
ReplyDeleteIt gives an interesting perspective throughout the novel, that of a male perspective and only the male perspective. In neither of the books do we get the main character's significant others opinion, and it creates a interesting narration of the book. If there were a wife or a girlfriend of the protagonist in these books, then some of the decisions made may have been different. No way would Penelope in the journey home let Odysseus stop and demand presents and hospitality from the Cyclops, and in this case the more rational decision would be made. Similarly when Ransom lands on Malacandra and decides to run from Oyarsa, I believe if there were the presence of a wife or girlfriend of Ransom she would have had the power to say "Ransom, why don't we just see what he wants, why do we have to run?" thus eliminating a lot of the novel, but also making the rational decision. This is the rational decision because Oyarsa wants no harm done to Ransom, but he doesn't know that.
It is a similarity between the texts, that neither traveler is accompanied by a woman and makes all of the decisions with a 100% masculine testosterone filled influence. Feminine characters are often portrayed as less likely to swing a sword or pull a trigger, and more likely to make a rational decision. So it would have been interesting the route that these characters would have taken with 2 heads instead of 1.
When comparing the Odyssey and Out of the Silent Planet, a huge comparison between the both of them stood out to me. The comparison is between the character Telemachus in “The Odyssey” and Ransom in “Out of the Silent Planet.” In the beginning of the Odyssey it is stated that, “Prince Telemachus, sitting among the suitors, heart obsessed with grief” (Book 1. 146). Telemachus is sitting there just allowing the suitors to take over his father’s kingdom. He does not know at all that he has the potential to be at all like his father. In the beginning of “Out of the Silent Planet,” Ransom is already a successful man taking a journey on foot, but he does not know that his skills of being a philologist could excel farther than what he already knows. Both of these characters in the beginning of the book have a drastic change in character by the time each story ends. However, it took both of these characters to be taken away from their homes to learn more about themselves. In the Odyssey it took Athena coming to Telemachus to lead him on his journey. In book 2 you see it stated, “And Pallas Athena sped away in the lead as he followed in her footsteps” (Book 2. 446). Ransom in the Odyssey wakes up and concludes “That Weston and Devine put him in an outhouse behind their furnace” (Ch. 3. 23). After being taken away from their home both of these characters are led by someone who watches over them. In the Odyssey Telemachus is watched over by Athena and in Out of the Silent Planet Ransom is watched over by Eldila. After both of these characters go through several journeys in the end of the book they both recognize that they possess qualities they did not have before. Ransom, in the end of the book, has the ability to interpret another language from the planet Mars and Telemachus followed in his father’s footsteps to be a strong leader. Both of these characters both significantly changed throughout the book and in the end were a completely different character than the beginning.
ReplyDeleteIn Out of the Silent Planet and The Odyssey, both of the main characters are held captive within a foreign land, and they were both taken captive when they were travelling away from home. Odysseus is held captive by Calypso on the island of Ogygia and Ransom is held captive by Weston and Devine on the planet Malacandra. Odysseus set out to fight the battle in Troy and during his travels home, his boat was destroyed. He floated to the island of Ogygia where Calypso held him there to for her own selfish desires. He had no way to travel home safely except with the power of his captor. Eventually, Zeus sent Hermes to deliver Odysseus from Calypso’s reign; it took someone else to intervene for his captor to send him home. Ransom was walking on his own to Sterk to find himself a place to stay, and he found himself among a battle between Weston, Devine, and Harry. He was attempting to find a place to call home for the night and was taken captive by Weston and Devine. Ransom was taken in a rocket to the planet Malacandra for Weston and Devine’s selfish desire. Ransom had no form of transportation to earth except with the power of his captor. Eventually, Oyarsa called for Ransom and his return home; it took someone else to intervene for his captor to send him home. Both characters were sent home with the assistance and assurance of safety. Athena was with Odysseus and promised him he would be safe. Ransom was assured safety by the Oyarsa and sent the eldila with him to keep him safe.
ReplyDeleteBoth characters were taken captive while they were travelling away from home and were involved in a battle. They were taken to a foreign land and released home when another force of authority stepped in. They both returned safely and were promised safety to return home.
One comparison between The Odyssey and Out of the Silent Planet is the way the natives to a particular land welcome the traveler on his journey and help when possible. Odysseus embarks on his journey and on his way home he comes upon several different lands, each obtaining people that are hospitable to him and his men. When he is led to Alcinous by Athena, Alcinous treats Odysseus with great respect. He feeds Odysseus, houses him as if housing a king, stands up for him and makes sure the men of that land treat him the same. They are open to him staying with them and welcome him with open arms. When Odysseus arrives upon the land of Circe, he and his men are treated the same. They are well taken care of the entire time and assisted in his journey home. Goddesses along the way help Odysseus as well. Athena guides him, and Ino helps save him after his ship wrecks. He gets help throughout his journey from people or goddesses. A similar situation exists for Ransom in Out of the Silent Planet. After he arrives on Malacandra, he escapes the two men and is forced to figure out how to survive. The land is foreign, but he discovers the hrossa. They are extremely helpful in providing safety for him. Hyoi takes him under his wing to teach him how to live and survive on their planet, teaches him what to eat, provides a place to sleep, and engages in interaction through learning to speak to each other. The hrossa are hospitable, caring, respectful, and provide guidance when necessary just like the people who help Odysseus on his journey. The eldil come for Ransom in the handramit to guide him to Oyarsa as well. The eldil are similar to the goddesses in The Odyssey and represent the same characteristics who are caring and full of guidance. Both Odysseus and Ransom receive love, hospitality, generosity, and guidance in their experiences and different situations. These experiences are foundational and significant for their life-changing journeys.
ReplyDeleteIn The Odyssey, Odysseus is faced with a journey that requires him to travel alone for long chunks of time. This idea of solitude is a strong theme in the story, and it really let's the audience see into the true character of Odysseus. When he is by himself, he does not have to act a certain way or try and be the big hero that he always tries and portrays himself as. He becomes very vulnerable. When he is stranded and left alone with Calypso on his island, the reader finds him crying and full of remorse. When he is lost out at sea after his raft has been broken into pieces, he becomes dependent (after a little hesitation) on a scarf from a sea goddess that saves his life. In Out of the Silent Planet, Ransom finds himself in the same situation when he first escapes from Weston and Devine and is alone in the Malacandrian woods and when he travels to Meldilorn. We know Ransom is a traveler and has a good heart when he tries to save Harry from Weston and Devine back on Earth. But, the reader does not really get to look too deeply into his character until he is by himself on Malacandra. He becomes vulnerable like Odysseus. He talks to himself to keep himself company, much like Odysseus talks to the gods for comfort. The reader also gets to see how brave Ransom can be when he travels to the sorns caves and almost dies due to lack of oxygen. Like Odysseus, Ransom does not give up, even if he has been abandoned and hope may seem completely lost.
ReplyDeleteThere is a parallel between a higher power in both narrative works. I see the thought of there being a higher power in place but in one of the stories, the idea of "God" is not explicitly implied in the narrative. In the Odyssey, Odysseus relies and puts his faith into the Greek Gods. He relies upon Athena's guidance and fears the wrath of Poiseidon. In Out of the Silent Planet, Ransom learns of the Malacandrian "God" or higher power and then ventures to meet the Oyarsa. I could not find if it stated that Oyarsa is a God or not. Oyarsa does describe Thulcandra(Earth)'s higher power and how this higher power is bent. The idea of everyone on Earth being their own little Oyarsa themselves is interesting. So, in a way the inhabitants of the lands in both stories believe in a higher power, but how strong the higher power is over the other individuals seems to be argueable.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading Out of the Silent Planet I couldn’t help but think of Zeus when Oyarsa’s name was brought up. In The Odyssey Zeus clearly has the most power over the other gods and goddesses, as well as over the mortals. In Out of the Silent Planet we see Oyarsa displaying very similar characteristics. Oyarsa is portrayed as seemingly god-like in the novel and we obviously know that Zeus is an actual god in The Odyssey. However, Oyarsa does not demonstrate a god-like ability to interfere with the destiny of the Malacandrians, as does Zeus with the mortals in The Odyssey. However, Oyarsa and Zeus are both looked upon as extremely wise; and similar to the belief that Zeus ruled the Ancient Greeks, the Malacandrians view Oyarsa as the ruler and creator of their own world. Both Oyarsa and Zeus are “people” of status, and their roles are very much admired by the people and creatures in their worlds.
ReplyDeleteI also compared the eldils to the goddess Athena. In The Odyssey Athena is a protector, and a guide for Telemachus and Odysseus. In the Hanakra hunt scene an eldil appears and explains that Ransom must go see Oyarsa immediately or else trouble will come his way. Identical to Athena’s role in both Telemachus and Odysseus’ lives, the eldil was protecting Ransom and guiding him in the correct direction. Also, the eldils are not always visible, and neither is Athena. The eldils and Athena are both highly respected, and both have the ability to help and protect the main characters in both The Odyssey and Out of the Silent Planet.
There are several comparisons that I could make between The Odyssey and Out of the Silent Planet. The most obvious one is that both the main characters are men that have to overcome several obstacles to make it home. But there is an even bigger comparison that I noticed between these two books and it is WHO helps these men make it home safely.
ReplyDeleteIn the Odyssey, it was the gods that would interfere in Odysseus's life, such as Athena protecting him in battles and convincing her father to use his power to bring Odysseus home safely after being held captive. Consisantely we saw evidence of a god being involved in protecting or punishing the mortals that they look over. But thanks to their support and help, Odysseus was able to make it home finally to his family after 20 years of being kept away from home.
In Out of the Silent Planet, there was also a "god" type character helping the main character make it home safely. Ransom was kidnapped by Weston and Devine and on the new planet he was taken to, the Srons and Hross consider the character Oyarsa like a god. After Ransom traveled to the Oyarsa, he was able to get help from the Oyarsa and eventually make it home thanks to his help and support, such as when he had men go through the space ship to take out all weapons that could be used to hurt Ransom on his travels home.
In both of these books, the characters would not have made it as far as they did without the help of the gods of their world. I truly do not believe that the main characters in the stories The Odyssey and Out of the Silent Planet would have made it home safely without the help of the higher powers in their worlds.
A parallel that I found between the Odyssey and Out of the Silent Planet is the mannerism of self-discipline. In both of these stories, the main character shows a strong and concise sense of self-control. These characters hold themselves to strict guidelines that ultimately enhance their individual growth. Odysseus shows self-control through his ability to restrain himself from acting out. One example of this is when he finally reaches home and is conversing with Penelope under the disguise of an old beggar. Odysseus has to watch his wife cry directly in front of him and yet is able to hold himself back from revealing who he truly is. Another example is when the suitors are taunting him in his own home. Athena even inspires them to continue insulting him, which drives Odysseus mad. At the same time that this is all happening, he is able to hold himself back and wait till the proper moment to act. Ransom’s self control is more about pushing himself to act. He is extremely self determined and is constantly making decisions before he acts. Ransom does not just do something, but instead states that he must do it. After Ransom decides he is going to do something, he requires himself to do so. He does not contemplate over things when he is making a decision, if he puts his mind to something, he will complete it. In chapter 13 Ransom states “it was necessary and the necessary was always possible,” clarifying his dedication to completing a certain task (Lewis 79). I believe that these stories would not have been the same without this trait of self-control. Without the ability to hold back and the discipline to finish something, Odysseus and Ransom would not have had the same outcomes in their lives.
ReplyDeleteAlthough presented differently, character growth and transformation is a critical component of Out of the Silent Planet and The Odyssey. Ransom’s development as a character is symbolized through change of perception. His initial view of Malacandra is distorted because it is solely based on his perspective of Earth. Additionally, he is filled with fear and anxiety because Earth had instilled in him the internal belief that “any life beyond [Earth] is evil” (pg 120). Ransom’s implausible response to Malacandra reflected his narrow-mindedness, for he believed that the only sufficient approach to life was that characteristic of Earth. His character’s growth is then made apparent when his perception of Malacandra is completely transformed, to the extent that he fails to recognize Weston and Devine, comparing their features to that of the hrossa and sorns; “he had seen the human form with almost Malacandrian eyes” (pg 124). Through allowing himself to be immersed in the Malacandrian lifestyle, Ransom learns how ‘bent’ Earth actually is and dissolves his fear of death.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast to representing character growth by change of perspective, Homer illustrates the transformation of Telemachus through his speaking ability. Telemachus is introduced sitting amongst the suitors, filled with grief and sadness from their invasion of his home. Instead of taking action against the suitors, Telemachus often complains that he is helpless because the gods have “invented such miseries to plague [him]” (1,284). It becomes clear that Telemachus initially lacks the motivation and confidence to withstand the suitors’ desires. The commencement of Telemachus’s progression is seen during an assembly when he demands that the suitors leave his palace. His transformation into a man of strength and confidence becomes complete when he announces, “Enough. Don’t let me see more offenses in my house, not from anyone! I’m alive to it all, now, the good and the bad- the boy you knew is gone,” (20,344). Just as Ransom transformed from an anxious, narrow-minded character, Telemachus transforms from a timid, complaining boy into a passionate, courageous man.
Both The Odyssey and Out of The Silent Planet’s plots involved gods or god-like figures. These gods were believed to know of all things happening and have influence over the fate and destinies of the characters. The similarities about fate and free will involving god-like figures draw parallels between both stories. In the Odyssey we discussed the influence and control the god’s had over the characters Odysseus and Telemachus. It was argued that the characters didn’t have free will because the gods could control what happened to them. For example, Zeus demonstrates the god’s control over mortals in the quote “For his sake Poseidon, shaker of the earth, although he does not kill Odysseus, yet drives him back from the land of his fathers. But come, let all of us who are here work out his homecoming and see to it that he returns. Poseidon shall put away his anger; for all alone and against the will of the other immortal gods united he can accomplish nothing.” In Out of The Silent Planet, Maleldil told Ransom that his coming to Malecandria was because of Malelidl’s will the whole time. He also says the he is doing the will of the Oyarsa of Malcandria. This implies that it was his fate to come to the planet and he had no control over it.
ReplyDeleteBoth stories involve god’s who are looked up to by the characters in the stories. Both the characters in The Odyssey and those in Out Of the Silent Planet talked highly of their gods and believed in them fully. They believed their gods controlled their destinies.
I believe a parallel can be drawn between Ransom and Telemachus, in the sense that neither one had experienced a real journey until Telemachus left home to search for his father and Ransom, just wandering, perhaps looking for a journey. Telemachus had never left his home land and is thrust into this rather new situation of sea travel and enemies and experiencing what people were like outside his comfortable home of Ithaca. Ransom, on the other hand, we don't know much about what his life was like before encountering Devine and Weston, but we could assume he was a bit of a "nerdy" character since he was a well known doctor in his field and achieving recognition in any field requires constant involvement in the field. Perhaps, being taken to Mars was the best thing for Ransom because it was this intense voyage and he utilized his love of language and had a real adventure, in the same way that Telemachus did. It wouldn't be hard to think of "Out of the Silent planet" as a sci-fi version of the Odyssey (to some degree).
ReplyDeleteIn The Odyssey, Book Fourteen is about the loyal swineherd. It is about how King Odysseus's servant stays loyal to him even though he has been gone twenty years. Later when Odysseus fights for his house and the safety of his family, the Eumaeus risks his life to fight alongside Odysseus. I find a similar loyalty in chapter 13 of Out of the Silent Planet. After the hunt of the hnakra and Hyoi was killed, he told Ransom that he was a hnakra-slayer. Calling him this is a high honor in the hrossa culture, and using his last breath to tell Ransom this was honoring him as a friend and forgiving him for bringing such evil into his world.
ReplyDeleteThough Eumaeus knew Odysses for over twenty years, and Hyoi knew Ransom for a couple of months, I find that the loyalty of friendship is important. Eumaeus was a swineherd, and Hyoi was a stranger, but a real bond was created between them and Odysseus and Ransom during the story. Eumaeus risked his life for Oysseus, Hyoi honored Ransom with his dying breath. Willingness to die and respecting a person in one's last breath shows true and honest friendship; it shows character. Both Eumaeus and Hyoi bring out the best in Odysseus and Ransom. Their loyalty encouraged the main characters to continue on, defeat their demons, and resolve their problems. Both Odysseus and Ransom needed companionship to complete their journey.
One theme that is in both stories is the aspect of faith. In The Odyssey, the gods play a central role in the lives of mankind. Men worship and give sacrifices to the gods to gain their favor or to appease them. The gods can influence and change a man’s circumstances, like Poseidon preventing Odysseus from returning home. In Out of the Silent Planet, divine powers play a key role as well. There are several tiers of gods. There is the almighty Maleldil, the almighty creator of the universe who is only mentioned. Beneath him are the Oyéresu, the class that rules planets. On Malacandra, it is Oyarsa. Oyarsa cannot be seen, but he speaks to Ransom and to Weston. Serving Oyarsa are the eldils, who are the equivalent of angels. The concept of Oyarsa can be rendered into The Odyssey as the gods who have reign over different aspects of creation. Poseidon is the god of the sea and Athena is the goddess of wisdom as Oyarsa rules over Malacandra. And finally, both kinds of deities have incredible powers. Oyarsa “unbodies” the dead hrossa and threatens to do it to Weston’s ship if they try to do not return to Earth in time. Likewise, the gods have tremendous power as Athena takes many disguises and Zeus is mentioned throwing his lightning bolts several times.
ReplyDeleteThe Odyssey and Out of the Silent Planet both have distinct settings that individualize each story. The Odyssey takes place in the Bronze Age, in Greece. On the other hand, Out of the Silent Planet takes place in the (somewhat) present time, on a planet in outer space. Though quite physically different, the settings do have certain similar qualities. Each setting provides opportunities for the main characters, Odysseus and Ransom, to discover unknown creatures and customs. Whether it be the Cyclops or sorns, Lotus plants or the weed honodraskrud, both of the locations had a plethora of mysterious flora and fauna. Timing also sets the tone of each story. Only in the ancient past would men be sailing in wooden ships, and only in the present could men be rocketing into space. In conclusion, each setting is distinctive to each story; yet both ancient Greece and futuristic Malacandra provide such fantastic obstacles and adventures.
ReplyDeleteWhile reflecting upon the first two narratives that I have read for class, I came upon a very apparent similarity between the texts "The Odyssey" and "Out of the Silent Planet". The journeys traveled by both of the main characters, Odysseus and Ransom, were not only physical journeys, but also a personal journey. The physical journey is easy to describe. They went from where they did not want to be to their home. The personal journey was one that was surprisingly similar in comparison to the two characters. As characters, they experienced immense personal growth in their character, learned new things about themselves, and had a guide(s) helping them through the changes they were experiencing. In Odysseus' journey, he had Athena guiding him and he learns self-control and wisdom in regards to situations that are important. His journey is demonstrated in the following two phrases, one he does not demonstrate self-control and use of wisdom then in the second is at the end of his journey when he demonstrated his new character trait: "So stubborn,! The lovely goddess countered. Hell-bent yet again on battle and feats of arms." (12.125-126) and then "He steeled himself instead, his mind in full control" (17.260). In Ransom's journey, he was guided by the three different races of Malancandra that served as guides along his journey an he goes from a weak man to a man who sees himself and his race as who they really are and in turn acts in a more honorable way. The following three quotes identify the three stages in which I just identified in Ransom's journey: "he rather underestimated than overestimated his own courage"(p. 38), "We are all a bent race"(p. 82), and "Bent creatures are full of fears. But I am here now and ready to know your will with me." (p. 121).
ReplyDeleteThere are many simularities between Odysseus and Ransom. Both started out at victims. Odysseus a victim of Calypso being held captive on her island and Ransom being a victim to Weston and Devine as they hold him captive against his will and take him to another planet.
ReplyDeleteOdysseus and Ransom have both proven themselves loyal to the gods. For Odysseus the Zeus and Athena have always watched over him. In the most deadliest situations the gods have protected him. For Ransom he has proven himself loyal to all species on Malacandra and when he sees Oyarsa he likes Ransom and even offers for him to stay on his planet but offers a sure death for Weston and Devine if they stay or death if their ship couldn't make it back to earth in 90 days.
Both men have proven themselves intelligent such as Odysseus came up with the plan to slay the suitors in his castle and had to show his patience in order to do so and he also had his loyal friends to help and Ransom had loyal friends to help him get to Oyarsa and he was smart to learn their language because at the end when Weston and Oyarsa had communication problems Weston was ordered by Oyarsa to go through Ransom so the English language could be translated into Malcandra language.
Both men were loyal to the gods and to the loyal people who helped each of them. Both have learned a lot through their journey's and appreciate what they had back home.
Odysseus turns down a chance at immortal life for a fleeting chance at recapturing domestic bliss. He denies his chance at god-like status for an impermanent status.
ReplyDeleteIn Out of the Silent Planet, the sorns criticize human ambition and logic. We covered this one in class; I'll also add a quote. "They are like one trying to lift himself by his own hair--or one trying to see over a whole country when he is on level with it-like a female trying to beget young on herself" (102).
In the Odyssey, god-like status in mortals is undesirable and in Out of the Silent Planet it is very bad for a mortal to desire god-like status.
Many have written comparing the perilous journey of both Odysseus of The Odyssey and Ransom of Out of the Silent Planet. However, I tend to find many more similarities in Ransom and Telemachus, the son of Odysseus. Although not entirely a 'coming of age' story for Ransom, since the time span is too short for this to occur and since he doesn't actually age very much at all, it does have many traits that a 'coming of age' story will possess. The trait most similar to Ransom and Telemachus would be their growth in courage shown in their times of trials and tribulations.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite quotes from Out of the Silent Planet comes from the 13th chapter, page 79 and is a thought of Ransom's. "It was necessary, and the necessary was always possible." (13.79) This happens right before he hunts with the hrossa for the hnakra, and he is battling to overcome this fear he has as a result of being in a foreign place, with a foreign species, doing a completely foreign, and quite frankly, dangerous thing. Ransom reasons with himself that whatever is necessary is always possible for him to do and so he shows such growth of character in courage in that moment.
Similarly, Telemachus shows much courage when he is summoned to travel on behalf of his father, but is still very young and unsure of what good he would be able to do. It isn't what Telemachus says that shows his courage, but it is the action of him taking the dangerous risks in traveling, as instruction by Athena. After taking this leap, he is given the tools necessary to complete a journey unharmed by Athena, who, for example, gives him the right words to speak to Nestor. (Book 3 23-30).
When thinking about the similarities between “The Odyssey” and “Out of the Silent Planet” one similarity jumps out at me, that is the way both Telemachus and Ransom are treated throughout their journey. Each main character was guided on their journey by “foreigners.” Whenever Telemachus came to a new land and city, the hospitality was important. He was treated well and given many gifts. Hospitality was a major theme in the Odyssey. Perhaps he did not know what to expect when he set out on his journey to find his father. Ransom’s thoughts about the creatures that inhabited Malacandra, started off negatively. However, once he met Hyio and later Augray, he realized his fear of the creatures had been misleading by Devine and Weston. Like Alcinous did for Telemachus, Hyio gave Ransom a place to stay and taught him new things. The hrossa were very hospitable creatures. Hospitality was an obvious theme throughout “The Odyssey”, but in “Out of the Silent Planet” you have to look a bit deeper to see that it was a theme throughout the narrative.
ReplyDeleteIn both "The Odyssey" and "Out of the Silent Planet" there are a number of obstacles the characters need to overcome. Though there are many obstacles, one in particular connects these two stories;while Ransom was abducted and Odysseus was held captive they both share similar thoughts on their journeys home-if one should in fact return home. Though this idea is played out separately for each character they both have thoughts to stay where they are.
ReplyDeleteOdysseus infers this by taking his time at particular stops, living with Circe for a year and intruding on as many people as he can find. Whereas Ransom, though evidently longing for Earth takes on the persona of the Hross on Malacandra and wonders if he should leave this new planet to go back to Earth.
Both characters are forced with this dilemma and to decide if they should truly travel home, and both, in fact, come to the same decision and eventually arrive home-truly glad for their decision.
Out of the Silent Planet and The Odyssey possess many similarities, one being there very unique and distinct settings. While the actual physical settings are completely different, I found a similarity in the fact that they were both described with great detail and dealt with environments completely unlike what the main characters were used to. The main setting of Out of the Silent Planet was the planet of Malacandra. The actual appearance and features of the planet stand out from the start. Such descriptions included, “Beyond were strange upright shapes of whitish green: too jagged and irregular for buildings, too think and steep for mountains” (44). Ransom’s character later struggled with his new setting when trying to travel to Meldilorn to see the Oyarsa. There are many different settings found in The Odyssey. Each of the settings that Odysseus encountered throughout his journey home were unique and certainly raised some dilemmas. Such settings would include the land of the Cyclops, the kingdom of the dead, Circe’s island, and the island of the Sunggod.
ReplyDeleteThe main similarity I saw between "The Odyssey" and "Out of the Silent Planet" was the relationships and thoughts about the gods. The apparent similarity is that there are many more than one, and that characters are able and actually do talk to them throughout the text (as in Odysseus to Athena several times and Ransom to Oyarsa). That being the main similarity, after I was done reading I had the exact same feeling and question from both of the texts: how much power do the gods really have? Because the power of the gods is stated over and over again throughout the Odyssey, which makes some of the acts of the Odysseus especially highly questionable as to whether the gods were in control of his actions or whether it truly was Odysseus himself acting in the manner that he did. We don't see it until later in the Out of the Silent Planet, but when Oyarsa tells Ransom that he has been controlling his journey the whole time to come see him, we look back at the entire story so far and wonder how many actions that Ransom took were those of his own accord or actually the will of Oyarsa himself.
ReplyDeleteAlthough there are many similarities between Out of the Silent Planet and Odysseous, the one that jumped out at me at the very begining of our reading was the initial view of death. In the Odyssey how a man died determined how their life was honored. Dying on the Land of Troy during battle was considered to be an honorable way to die while getting lost at sea was not. We see this happen at the begining of Out of the Silent Planet as well. When Ransom over hears Devine and Weston talking about giving Ransom over to the scorns. Ransom said "he could face death, but not the scorns. He must escape when they got to Malacandra, if there were any possibility. Starvation, or even to be chased by the scorns would be better than being handed over." (37) Here we see that like Odysseus, the way you die matters.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the view of how one who supposed to die honorably was the similarity between Out of the Silent Planet and The Odyssey. Ancient Greeks believed that dying should be done nobly and it would be better to die for a cause (AKA: WAR) then to die from something lame like a cold. How you die matters. In, Out of the Silent Planet towards the end of the book Ransom tells Oyarsa that it is okay to kill him if he thinks it would be for the benefit of everyone. It reminded me of the thought process, dying for a good cause. As long as Ransom's death benefits others, than it would be fine to die.
ReplyDeleteThere was one moment in particular in "Out of the Silent Planet" that reminded me of "The Odyssey." This is when Ransom goes to visit Augray. Lewis makes a reference to the Cyclops from "The Odyssey" during this encounter. Ransom learns that the seroni cultivate animals to make cheese, just as the Cyclops do.
ReplyDeleteThis reminded me of when Ransom feared the sorns, and, during this moment of initial fear, thought they looked frightful and grotesque the first time he saw them. When Ransom goes to meet Augray he has now learned more about the seroni and sees them differently; they now appear to be elegant and angelic beings. Ransom also enters the cave of a sorn and is welcomed by Augray. This is reminiscent of Odysseus walking into the cave of a Cyclops, unwelcomed, and yet expecting a grand welcoming. The Cyclops is thus instigated to act out against Odysseus and his crew and he uses blunt force to do so. Lewis keeps the meeting between Ransom and Augray peaceful. I think the main difference shown between these two situations is how perceptions can change meaning. Ransom went from fearing the sorns and their shapes to admiring them. Perhaps if Odysseus had more knowledge and respect for the Cyclops before he went to meet him, he would have been experienced a better outcome.
The comparison I am choosing between the Odyssey and Out of the Silent Planet is the settings. Granted I already did not like the Odyssey, I felt like the setting was not told to us in a very descriptive manner. We were told where the character was, but not really details about the colors, plants, buildings, weather, etc. In Out of the Silent Planet, we were always aware of where Ransom was and what it looked like. While reading, I could easily picture the scenery. The descriptive technique is incomparable to the Odyssey.
ReplyDeleteI found a couple things to be interesting comparisons between the Odyssey and Out of the Silent Planet.
ReplyDeleteOne was the common idea that dying honorably is very important in the Odyssey and is also very important to a couple characters in Out of the Silent Planet. In the Odyssey everyone believes that if you die in a honorable manner, like fighting in a war, that was great. However, if you died doing something mundane no one really cared. In Out of the Silent Planet, Watson believes that it's fine to sacrifice Ransom because he's not contributing much to humanity, and because his death would be for the greater good of reaching his goal of having humans eventually move to Malacandra. Also, when Ransom was meeting Oyarsa he said that if the Oyarsa thought his death would be beneficial he would be okay with dying for a good cause.
Anther similarity I saw was the view of Gods. While the idea of the Gods are obviously very different between the Odyssey and Out of the Silent Planet, as well as the interaction between Gods and humans. However, I thought it was really interesting that in both books people could talk to the Gods. I also thought it was interesting that the Gods of other planets, except the God of Earth, could communicate with one and other, just like the Gods in Greek mythology can communicate with each other. I was really happy about the differences between the Gods of ancient Greek mythology and the Gods, or Oyarsas, in Out of the Silent Plant. Like the Oyarsa silenced the Oyarsa of Earth because he was becoming corrupt. In the Odyssey, the Gods were clearly corrupt and had a lot of bad qualities that humans have, making them seem like humans with super powers instead of a power greater than us.
A relationship I noticed between The Odyssey and Out of The Silent Planet was not only the human views on death (what's considered "honorable") but also how the humans in each book seem to view life. I do agree with almost all the other bloggers that it's very important to the characters in both books that they die in an "honorable" way. They want to die for a cause (like saving the human race, or fighting in the battle of Troy). However, this seems a little contradictory to their views on life. In both books, almost every human character (or maybe just all the men) has this "every man for himself" attitude. Each man has to fend for himself and he can't count on anyone being on his side. His life is completely in his own hands and he is responsible for where he goes and what he does. Odysseus is dead set on going home. He's willing to go to any length to make it there, but he doesn't ask any humans for help. He doesn't make any friends that will help him on his way. Even if he had made friends (like his crew on the ship) he would be willing to sacrifice their safety in order to get home (like in the Cyclops' cave, or on Circe's island). I think that is interesting because for a human that believes that dying for a people or a cause is so important, he's not as careful as he could be to keep as many humans alive as possible.
ReplyDeleteMoving over to Out of The Silent Planet. The three humans that we get to know in this book (Ransom, Devine, and Weston) all have this attitude as well. Ransom is not as willing to let people or things die as Devine or Weston but he does have an "every man for himself" attitude, especially at the beginning of the book when he's trying to run from the unknown right after landing on the island. Weston is so set on preserving the human race (or so he says) but he is willing to go to all lengths to keep himself alive. He'll sacrifice any number of people as long as he doesn't end up dead. He doesn't rely on anyone and he doesn't have any friends. The same is true for Devine. He doesn't care what happens to anyone else as long as he gets some money and stays alive, but if he dies, he would like to die honorable or for the cause of saving the human race. Ransom is the only character in either book that seems to be genuinely willing to die to save others, but that attitude develops throughout his time on Malacandria, he didn't come
After reading The Odyssey and Out of the Silent Planet, there are characters similar to one another. For two characters, some areas that I feel were important are the morals and actions of Weston and Odysseus. Both men were held in high regard, for their separate areas of expertise. But they both had a drive in them that made their actions questionable. Weston wanted to do everything he could for humanity, even if it meant the sacrifice of others or even his own life. Odysseus, fighting for so long to get home to his family, lost the lives of many comrades along the way. He went into situations with a resilient attitude, no matter how dangerous they seemed to be, putting so many at risk. Weston, does just the same, such as when he’s caught. He shows no fear, standing for what he believes for, even if it may get him killed. He will get his word in. In the end, it is only with the help of others that these two make it home. And it is questionable if they would even do the same for others or even deserved to make it home safely.
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