Question

homers epic poem the odyssey is about a great warrior, odysseus, who tries to return home after the trojan war. the gods make his journey long and difficult, causing him to travel wide, having many adventures. meanwhile, his wife penelope must politely avoid the affections of suitors who, thinking her husband is dead, have invaded her home.

in margaret atwoods novella the penelopiad the spirit of odysseuss wife penelope recounts her life, including the suitors she had to keep happy (all the while avoiding their affections) while her husband was away. she corrects many misconceptions about herself and clears up some false ideas about her husbands heroism.

which statement best explains how the modern story transforms the ideas of the original myth?

a. atwood offers a retelling of odysseuss story in which penelope herself went on a long voyage, to show that women also like to travel.
b. atwood argues that being true to ones husband is one of the greatest virtues that any wife can aspire to, whether in ancient times or today.
c. atwood tells the story of the odyssey from a womans perspective, making the original story of odysseus and penelope more complete.
d. atwood emphasizes how important it is to be clever by portraying penelope as someone who is loyal to her husband, yet smart enough not to reject the suitors too rudely.

Explanation:

In the original The Odyssey, the focus is mainly on Odysseus' journey. Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad tells the story from Penelope's perspective, filling in the gaps and making the overall narrative more complete by giving voice to a character who was more in the background in the original.

Answer:

C. Atwood tells the story of The Odyssey from a woman's perspective, making the original story of Odysseus and Penelope more complete.