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Jun 2, 2022·edited Jun 2, 2022Liked by Laura Linmar

In the Odyssey, Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, leaves home as part of his right of passage from boyhood to manhood, finding some help along the way, and as a way to reunite with the father who serves as the essential mentor. In the Three Little Pigs, the piglets leave home and stake a claim in the world, some with greater maturity than others. How about Jack in the Bean Stalk, Little Red Riding Hood, or Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz? These fairy stories share a rich and essential literary tradition with Homer's epic poem, the hero's journey and the essential belief that all journey stories are journeys of self-discovery. Something that makes a lot more sense when one understands the Odyssey.

When J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series, we saw two orphaned boys who served as foils of one another. The first would become Voldemort, a symbol of evil whose snake like characteristics are reminiscent of the biblical, archetypal images of evil. The second is Harry Potter who must die, only to be reborn, to ensure that humankind is free of evil, at least for a short time. Messianic figure anyone?

These are not coincidences. There is a rich literary tradition that must be imparted; it is essential to understand the concepts of literature in the past that serve as the plots, themes, archetypes, and symbols of contemporary literature. Literature doesn't happen in a vacuum nor does thinking.

Classical literature serves an essential purpose. It really requires those who know how to teach it.

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Some topics never get outdated, they're just not appreciated. The problem today is forgetting the legacy that should have been treasured from the past.

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