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The many-minded man : the Odyssey, psychology, and the therapy of epic / Joel Christensen.
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Christensen, Joel (Joel P.), author.
- Series:
- Myth and poetics ; 2
- Cornell scholarship online
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Homer. Odyssey.
- Homer.
- Psychology and literature.
- Epic poetry--Themes, motives.
- Epic poetry.
- Physical Description:
- 1 online resource (360 pages)
- Online
- Place of Publication:
- Ithaca, New York ; London : Cornell University Press, [2020]
- Summary:
- This text explores the content, character, & structure of the Homeric Odyssey through a modern psychological lens, focusing on how the epic both represents the workings of the human mind & provides for its audiences - both ancient & modern - a therapeutic model for coping with the exigencies of chance & fate. By reading the Odyssey as an exploration of the constitutive elements of human identity, the function of narrative in defining the self, & the interaction between the individual & their social context, the book addresses enduring questions about the poem, such as the importance of Telemachus's role, why Odysseus must tell his own tale, & the epic's sudden & unexpected closure. Through these dynamics, the book reasons, the Odyssey not only instructs readers about how narrative shapes a sense of agency but also offers solutions for avoiding dangerous stories & destructive patterns of thought.
- Contents:
- Homeric psychology
- Treating Telemachus: education and learned helplessness
- Escape from Ogygia: an isolated man
- Odysseus's Apologoi and narrative therapy
- Odysseus's lies: correspondences, coherence, and narrative agency
- Marginalized agencies and narrative selves
- Penelope's subordinated agency
- The politics of Ithaca: from collective trauma to amnesty's end
- The therapy of oblivion, unforgettable pain and the Odyssey's end
- Conclusion: escaping (the) story's bounds.
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- Description based on print version record.
- Other Format:
- Online version: Christensen, Joel (Joel P.) The many-minded man.
- ISBN:
- 9781501752360
- 9781501752353
- 1501752359
- OCLC:
- 1147944052
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