Comparison of the Journeys of Amelia Earhart and Odysseus

The story of Odysseus and his journey has been told to many around the world and throughout history rising to one of the most well known stories of the ancient Greeks. While Odysseus’ story is arguably the most well known story ever told, the story of Amelia Earhart has also been retold many times over. In the twentieth and twenty first centuries, Amelia Earhart has been a household name while Odysseus has been one since the general populous was taught to read and even before. The journeys of these two iconic figures are incredibly well known and yet still very questioned. There were many themes in the Odyssey such as loyalty which can be dove into for both Odysseus himself but Amelia Earhart as well.

The Amelia Earhart story began when she gain her notoriety after her infamous solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Being a female and the first female to fly across the Atlantic Ocean during a time where women were seen as. Housewives or factory workers and nothing more was a major event which deserved to be displayed worldwide. This event signifies the moment where the individual becomes a known figure during their time era. When viewing Odysseus’ story, this moment for him would be during the Trojan War.

Being known as the man who came up with the idea that ultimately resulted in the termination of the Trojan War made Odysseus well known for his achievement in battle alongside being the king of Ithaca rather than only because of his royal blood could attract more attention to his disappearance. For both these figures, this represents the beginning of their journey as Troy is where Odysseus fails to get back to Ithaca immediately and the flight across the Atlantic was the stepping stone in Amelia Earhart’s path to her more infamous flight.

The most clear connection between the two stories is that of getting lost on their voyage. An interesting resemblance between the two is that both of their journeys occurred either over or on the seas. Amelia Earhart, just like Odysseus, on her journey back home needs to stop at various locations around the world stop for gas, repair and resupply which happens several times throughout the Odyssey. As extra to this, for a brief moment, Odysseus was required to visit the land of the dead to gather instruction for his route back home.Amelia Earhart, while no body or plane wreckage was ever found, she was declared dead in January of 1937. Once again, even though Amelia Earhart’s body was never found, nor was her plane, most people believe she crashed into the waters of the Pacific Ocean and most likely drowned to death. This could be portrayed as her visit to the Underworld, despite how it was not for navigation but for permanent residence.

While many do believe Odysseus and Amelia Earhart had similar adventures, there are many very general differences between the two. The most obvious of these is how Odysseus made it back to Ithaca alive and well while Amelia Earhart went missing and had to be pronounced dead after over a year of being missing. Throughout his story, there were several instances of the gods either aiding or brutalizing Odysseus. These gods, specifically Poseidon and Athena had interactions with characters from Odysseus’ journey. There are no records of anyone claiming the gods had told them to help Amelia Earhart or any individual requesting the gods hurt her so it would be fair to assume there is no instance of this. Besides this, the reason for Odysseus’ travels is to get back to him home from Troy, the location of a war he participated in, but Amelia Earhart, on the other hand, attempted chose to leave home to attempt at flying around the world at her own volition.

In the Odyssey, despite having to wait around a decade long, Penelope displays faith to Odysseus and does not besmirch the sanctity of their marriage by allowing one of the Suitors to either marry or sleep with her, even when they would physically make life more difficult for her and her son. In 1931, Amelia Earhart had married George P. Putnam, an American publisher and author. Unlike in the story of Odysseus. In 1939, the very year Amelia Earhart was declared dead, George Putnam had married Jean-Marie Cosigny James. George Putnam was an incredible contrast to Penelope and her loyalty towards Odysseus. If compared to Odysseus, Putnam doesn’t seem disloyal in. The slightest as Odysseus had slept with several women which shows infidelity towards his wife Penelope. Finally, a few days after Odysseus’ return to Ithaca, he meets his son finally. While Amelia Earhart did have aid in the raising of children, she never had her own biological children.

Both figures have had their stories told dozens, to hundreds, to thousands to millions of times and yet there are still many unknown sections of their lives. With the unknown, many people have put it in their own hands to draw a conclusion for these dead ends. Many people even today believe that Amelia Earhart is still alive and well despite the fact that she would be turning one hundred and twenty two years old this month. Odysseus opened up many questions as well such as if it is possible to enter the Underworld and return the same man.

Both Odysseus and Amelia Earhart has very interesting and adventurous lives. Both had a defining moment in their lives just a few years before their most notorious adventures. While Odysseus came back home and restores peace to his family, Amelia. Earhart is presumed dead and her tragic story has been told through the generations. While they seem to have also been a very similar two individuals, when explained in depth and detail, they are much less alike. In the dawn of space exploration, we could only prepare for another incident similar to that of Amelia Earhart and Odysseus but hope doesn’t occur. Today, both figures play a key role in modern stories, specifically adventurous stories.