Identify one of the darker action from "The Odyssey" poem or "Animal Farm" story. In what piece the action highlighted what intentions or emotions prompt the action? How would the story or drama change if the character involved were able to overcome the darker impulse and indulge a higher intention? Explain
If you have read these works, first identify a dark action (negative, harmful). Then figure out why that action was taken. What prompted it? If a more positive, less harmful action had been taken, how would the story be different?
To identify a darker action from "The Odyssey" or "Animal Farm", we need to analyze the intentions or emotions that prompt the action and explore how the story or drama would change if the character involved were able to overcome their darker impulse and indulge a higher intention.
In "The Odyssey," one darker action is the blinding of Polyphemus, the Cyclops, by Odysseus and his men. The intention behind this action was driven by revenge and survival. Polyphemus had already devoured some of Odysseus' men, and blinding him was both a means of escape and a way to avenge their fallen comrades.
In "Animal Farm," a darker action occurs when the pigs, who have assumed leadership over the other animals, gradually adopt human-like behaviors and oppress the rest of the farm. This action highlights the pigs' intention to consolidate power and privilege for themselves, betraying the original ideals of equality and freedom that led to the animal revolution.
If the character involved in these darker actions were able to overcome their darker impulses and indulge a higher intention, it would dramatically change the direction of the story or drama. In "The Odyssey," if Odysseus had chosen mercy instead of revenge, showing empathy towards Polyphemus for his own sake, the narrative might have shifted towards a more peaceful resolution. This alternate path could have potentially led to better interactions with other obstacles throughout the hero's journey.
In "Animal Farm," if the pigs overcame their desire for power and embraced the principles of cooperation and equality, the story's outcome would be quite different. The animals' revolution could have thrived, and their collective efforts might have successfully created an equal and just society. This transformation would have fundamentally changed the dynamics on the farm and altered the allegorical message of the story.
Overall, recognizing darker actions in literature and considering their underlying intentions and emotions allows us to reflect on the consequences of such actions and explore the possibilities of a different narrative direction when characters choose to overcome those darker impulses.