Isha Kalwani 24/02/19 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BIG FISH AND THE ODYSSEY veryone has a story and our stories all have something in common — we all start E from nothing. Whether it contains an extraordinary epic about how they slayed a Cyclop or how they first rode their cycle, the stories indeed contain a small glimpse into the real world of the storyteller. There are times when are stories are not entirely true or some spices are comprised to make the story sound more interesting. The two heroes, Edward Bloom and Odysseus have the powerful traits of a hero and yet, they do have some significant differences among themselves. At first, one might not notice any similarity between The Big Fish and The Odyssey but with further research, there are some contrasts that one might notice. There are indeed many similarities and differences between the characters involved in both of these stories. Wallace’s novel Big Fish is about a young man, William Bloom who’s father, Edward Bloom is on the verge of dying. It is about William’s journey who is trying to figure out who his father really is as a person. William's father was always telling tall tales of his life and events that happened to him, clearly describing his life as completely extraordinary. Through each adventurous stories shared by his father, William finally gets to the bottom of the truth and finally unveils a way of truly understanding his father. The Odyssey is Homer's epic of Odysseus' 10-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. While Odysseus battles mythical creatures and faces the wrath of the gods, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus stave off suitors vying for Penelope's hand and Ithaca's throne long enough for Odysseus to return. What is a better way to start with the similarities between the two main protagonists, Edward Bloom and Odysseus. Both are “extemporary personifications” of key traits that heroes have. For example, the story of Odysseus fighting against the Cyclop was an evidence of pride, ego, bravery, and cunning. The way he traps Polyphemus in the cave and escaping was indeed cunning. Also, the way he fights the suitors back in Ithaca with the intervention of Gods was commendable as they were like more than 100 of them. Whereas in Edward’s part, “And so it was, in roughly just this way, that Edward Bloom became a man.” to leave a place a man calls home indeed tries a man’s courage, patience, and a transition into independence and enlightenment as it is evident in Edward’s tale The Day He Left Ashland. It takes courage and determination to go on the road to freedom. Edward, like Odysseus, took the first step in a long journey on the day he decided to expel his old life, and that step defined how he would walk the rest of his life. One of Edward’s adventures included him facing a ferocious, dark as dusk dog that can scare the life out of anyone. A normal person might as well faint but Edward bravely fought against the dog and even saved a young girl’s life. This trait is especially evident in both Edward and the heroes of old, Odysseus. One more similarity is between Jenny and Circe. Edward meets a young girl called Jenny in Spectre. She confesses her love for Edward but Edward’s love of his family prevents him from committing to her. Same goes with Odysseus. He does not commit anything to Circe on that stranded island and the love for his wife outweighs this affection. Another comparison is between Sandra Templeton and Penelope. Both are dedicated and faithful wives of the main characters even though they are put through slightly different situations. Neither of them wavered their trust on their husbands and were very loyal. There are many similarities between Penelope and Sandra. They both have undying love and affection for their husbands, and would gladly do anything for them. They are completely faithful, even in times of separation. Although, Odysseus was gone for twenty years while fighting sea monsters and a giant Cyclops, and Edward was gone on business, the idea is the same. The wives kept everything normal at home, and welcomed the men home with open arms. It is their love and passion that brought their husbands back home. There are indeed some differences between the two protagonists. Heroes, are not usually compassionate and do not usually take the non-violence path. This is one trait that differences Edward from Odysseus. There is a part in the story On Meeting the In Laws takes place in Edwards life shortly after the marriage of Edward to his wife. During the conversation with the father, he learns that his father is in trauma and talks about fantastical stories about his wife. Any other man might have woken the father’s senses back into the reality world but Edward, who was filled with compassion confirmed the man’s tales as truth because he realized that taking away the man’s stories will shatter him completely and might even put him into depression. This is a very humble action that is indeed rare to find in this cruel world. Both of them were indeed heroes but were two people made for the same purpose but different parts and different ways. Both of their personalities were completely different as Edward had the ability to have diverse emotions such as compassion and sympathy and could make anyone laugh whereas Odysseus was harsh and had the logic and ability to make difficult decisions for the greater good. What accounts for their similarities is that Daniele Wallace was inspired from the The Odysseus and she integrated lots of mythological characters in her book. For example, when Edward is young, he meets a one- eyed witch who can see the future and tells him how he will die; exactly the way the blind prophet Tiresias predicts Odysseus’ future. Edward also fights a vicious guard dog not unlike the Cerbeus, the three headed dog who guards Hades. “Remembering a man’s stories make him immortal, did you know that?” Indeed, even after several years, both of the protagonists are remembered even after several years. “Everyone must leave something behind when he dies . . . Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die . . . It doesn’t matter what you do, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that’s like you after you take your hands away.” These were some of the comparisons between the literary elements of these both books.
