Name: _________________________________________
English I
Mrs. Graham
Mar. 2, 2012
O Brother, Where Art Thou? Versus Homer’s Odyssey
3.5 ESSAY OUTLINE
I. Introduction
a. Grab the reader’s attention by asking a question OR making a joke OR using a quotation OR
making a surprising statement
b. Give some background information on the book, including: epic poem, by Homer, written in
ancient Greece around 800 BC (p.949), blind, may not have been real, also wrote The Iliad about
Trojan War
c. Give some background information on the movie, including: credits say “Based on the Odyssey
by Homer,” set during Great Depression in Mississippi, by Coen brothers (Ethan and Joel),
screenplay nominated for Oscar, also wrote… (IMDB.com)
d. Transition into the topic of your paper.
e. End the paragraph with your THESIS STATEMENT: The movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?
ALLUDES TO Homer’s Odyssey, as evidenced by [#1] the characters,
[#2] the plot, and [#3] the themes.
II. 1st Body Paragraph
a. TOPIC SENTENCE: The [#1]characters in O Brother, Where Art Thou? clearly ALLUDES TO
Homer’s Odyssey.
b. EVIDENCE: For example, Big Dan Teague wears an eye patch and squishes the toad that
Delmar thinks is Pete.
c. EXPLANATION: This is aN ALLUSION because according to Greek mythology, the Cyclops
has only one eye and, in the Odyssey, eats some of Odysseus’ men.
d. EVIDENCE: Another example is the character of Penny Wharvey, Everett’s ex-wife, who is
planning to marry Vernon T. Waldrip.
e. EXPLANATION: This shows that THE MOVIE ALLUDES TO THE BOOK because
Odysseus’ estranged wife, Penelope, feels pressured to choose another husband while is
Odysseus is away.
f. EVIDENCE: As one final example of ALLUSION, consider that Baby Face Nelson shoots “the
livestock,” as Delmar calls them.
g. EXPLANATION: This reveals that he also represents some of Odysseus’ men because they kill
and eat the cattle of Helios, the sun god, and are punished, just as George is later arrested.
h. CONCLUDING SENTENCE: Essentially, these examples illustrate that the characters in the
movie share distinct similarities with those in the epic poem.
III. 2nd Body Paragraph
a. TOPIC SENTENCE: The [#2] the plot in O Brother, Where Art Thou? also MAKES
ALLUSION TO Homer’s Odyssey.
b. EVIDENCE: For example, ____________________________________________________
c. EXPLANATION: This is aN ALLUSION because ________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
d. EVIDENCE: Another example is ______________________________________________
e. EXPLANATION: This shows that _____________________________________ because
_________________________________________________________________________
f. EVIDENCE: As one final example of ALLUSION, consider that
_________________________________________________________________________
g. EXPLANATION: This reveals that ____________________________________ because
_________________________________________________________________________
h. CONCLUDING SENTENCE: Basically, these examples illustrate that
_________________________________________________________________________
IV. 3rd Body Paragraph
a. TOPIC SENTENCE: Finally, the [#3] the themes in O Brother, Where Art Thou?
REFERENCES Homer’s Odyssey as well.
b. EVIDENCE: For example, __________________________________________________
c. EXPLANATION: This is aN ALLUSION because ______________________
________________________________________________________________________
d. EVIDENCE: Another example is _____________________________________________
e. EXPLANATION: This shows that _____________________________________ because
________________________________________________________________________
f. EVIDENCE: As one final example of ALLUSION, consider that
________________________________________________________________________
g. EXPLANATION: This reveals that ____________________________________ because
________________________________________________________________________
h. CONCLUDING SENTENCE: Ultimately, these examples illustrate that
________________________________________________________________________
V. Conclusion
a. Therefore, the [#1]__________, [#2]__________, and [#3]__________ ALLUDE TO Homer’s
Odyssey.
b. The blind railroad man and Homer Stokes also contribute to the movie’s ALLUSIVE
relationship to The Odyssey.
c. The Coen brothers may have chosen to use ALLUSION rather than PARODY because they
respect Homer’s work OR they like the theme of The Odyssey as it relate to growing up OR they
wanted to make a more realistic story rather a spoof…
d. Another effect of ALLUSION is it’s more educational because the references are more subtle, so
you have to really think about how they’re connected…
e. Overall, the movie has some humor and some serious themes OR shows how friends should be
there for each other OR shows the value of love and commitment to your family, and that is
something that everyone can relate to.