Post a
summation of our readings and discussion of Omeros,
nothing esp. elements of the story that still elude you. Our interest is in
drawing conclusions and finding insights, not in producing a literary essay.
Omeros is fashioned after epic Greek poems
such as the Iliad and Odyssey. It is a narrative poem that deals with many
characters who move between the reality and idealism; real and illusion; St. Lucia
in the Caribbean, the great North American midwest, and Africa; and hope and
cynicism. Of course, to separate any thought and dilemma into two parts
(dichotomous thinking) may prove to be simplistic and a hindrance, rather than
a help, to elucidating meaning and purpose. For Omeros,
I think this is true. There is an abundance of layers of characters and their
plot lines; the meeting points coincide and miss each other on purpose to
create a bewildering array of things to take note of and remember. A few ideas
that seem to reappear during the course of the poem is the idea of racism and
color; power and purpose of trances or the realm of spirituality; native and
non-native tensions; white colonialism and imperialism; essence of history and
remembering; and voyaging and searching for truth. Also noted are the
characteristics of contemporary literature, namely, being a literature of
witness, exile, evil, and identity.
Some
questions I have are interested in these reoccurring ideas:
- How closely is Walcott identifying with Homer, the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey? Why choose Homer (i.e. Why not another epic poem author such as Milton?)
- Are the layers of the palimpsest (as seen in characters, plot lines, themes) in Omeros converging on a single conclusion or idea? Or are they separate, individual pieces with their own stories that may or may not relate to an overall theme?
- Is there an overall theme or continuity line that holds Omeros like a backbone?
- Why does Walcott insert himself into the story? Why not substitute the/an unnamed narrator back into the piece? What is the relevance and purpose of the author being a character interacting with his created characters?
- How does Omeros deal with the contemporary literary themes of witness, exile, evil and identity?
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