Odysseus- Everett Comparison
The poem “The Odyssey” details the story of a man named Odysseus who went through many trials and tribulations while trying to get home to his family. In the past, many stories, movies, and other works of literature have based its plot around the story: “The Odyssey”. However, there is one movie that stands out as unique and its title is “O Brother Where Art Thou”. The producers, Joel and Ethan Coen, did a wonderful job in making actor Ulysses Everett McGill represent Odysseus. Everett from “O Brother Where Art Thou” and Odysseus from Homer’s “The Odyssey” are very similar in many ways, but contrast in multiple qualities and characteristics as well. In “O Brother Where Art Thou”, the main character, Everett is on a voyage trying to return home to his family. Everett tries to escape Parchman Farm after he hears that his wife was about to remarry a suitor named Vernon T. Waldrip in two days. He tricks his “Chain Gang” into believing that they were going after treasure; clearly demonstrating the love, loyalty, and courage that he has for his wife. As a result of this event, he caused the authorities to go on a Louisiana wide man hunt for Everett while creating a new relationship between himself and two other members of the “Chain Gang”. Like Everett, Odysseus “has been wandering for ten years on the sea, to find his family;” however, little did he know his absence allowed suitors to besiege his wife with proposals. For this reason, Odysseus laid siege on the suitors on his island. In this example, the situation that Everett and Odysseus were in is very similar. They both have to make a long journey to get back to their families and return to their original life style. Through the actions that Everett performs, one can see the similarities between himself and Odysseus. In “O Brother Where Art Thou?”, Everett bombards a Ku Klux Klan meeting to save his friend Tommy from being lynched due to his skin color showing Everett’s willingness to sacrifice his own life, as