The Odyssey vs Of Mice and Men vs The Scarlet Ibis

Everyone in the world has experienced people challenging who they are. Expectations of others weigh on the shoulders of children and adults alike, and oftentimes, people actively harm themselves by trying to conform to these expectations. Author Ralph Waldo Emerson expressed his opposition to this, which can be seen in the quote, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment”. He stresses that the highest thing one can achieve is being true to oneself and one’s values. Being capable of staying true to oneself even under the pressures and expectations of others is the greatest achievement one can make, and is demonstrated by the characters Penelope from The Odyssey, George from Of Mice and Men, and Doodle from The Scarlet Ibis.

Penelope from The Odyssey demonstrates the importance of being oneself and staying true to one’s values. Penelope was the wife of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and had suitors fighting for her hand in marriage when Odysseus was gone. They stayed at her house and continued to pressure her into choosing someone to marry. Penelope however, refused to marry and chose to stay loyal to her husband until he came back home. She went as far as to use her wit to trick the suitors out of marriage, which can be seen in the quote, “So by day she’d weave at her great and growing web- by night by the light of the torches set beside her she would unravel all she’d done. Three whole years she deceived us blind” (Homer, 96). Penelope, despite both the suitors and people of Ithaca expressing their desire for her to marry, stayed true to the person she loved. She stayed loyal and faithful to her values, and was able to reunite happily with Odysseus when he returned home. Penelope demonstrated that despite the pressures of others trying to change her values and beliefs, she was able to be with the one she loves by being herself.

George from Of Mice and Men also is an example of how staying true to oneself is the greatest achievement. The men at the farm showed confusion at seeing George and Lenny travel together, and George was told by many people that it would be more beneficial for him to travel on his own. After George spoke for Lenny to the farm’s boss to ensure he would get a job, the boss responded with, “Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy. I just like to know what your interest is” (Steinbeck, 22). Despite the suspicions of others, George stayed true to his values and looked out for Lenny. He stayed by Lenny’s side and helped him to survive with his disabilities in a time that didn’t accept people like Lenny. Of Mice and Men emphasized that George and Lenny were able to make it so far because they had each other, and the duo have expressed multiple times that their friendship was what set them apart from others. George was also able to be the one that put Lenny down instead of leaving him in the harsh hands of the other men at the farm, and he made sure to handle him with care up until the very last moment they were together. By not letting others sway his personal feelings, George treasured his friendship with Lenny and was able to feel happy even during hard times, which demonstrates the importance of being oneself.

Lastly, Doodle from The Scarlet Ibis demonstrates how changing to meet the standards of others instead of being true to who one is can be harmful. Doodle was born with a weak heart and was told he would never be able to walk or strain himself physically. His brother, ashamed of having a disabled brother, started training Doodle to become stronger. However, as Doodle’s brother became more selfish, he started to manipulate Doodle’s love for him to force Doodle to exert himself past what he was physically capable to do. Doodle’s brother taking out his selfishness on Doodle can be seen in the quote, “The faster I walked, the faster he walked, so I began to run” (Hurst, 6), where he manipulates Doodle to push himself past his capabilities. Doodle begged his brother not to leave, but his brother ran away, leaving Doodle behind. After his anger subsided, Doodle’s brother returned to find Doodle dead, bleeding and limp in the rain. Doodle loved his brother, but his love blinded him into pushing himself too far in trying to please his brother. His brother tried to change Doodle and make him able to do things his body couldn’t handle out of his own selfishness, which resulted in Doodle dying. If Doodle had accepted himself for who he was and didn’t allow the pressures of others to change him, he would have continued to live with his condition and help others to accept him as well. Doodle allowed other people to hold him up to their standards, and actively tried to change who he was to gain the acceptance of his brother. This resulted in Doodle’s death, which illustrates the harm that can result from not staying true to oneself.

Overall, the greatest accomplishment one can achieve is the ability to stay true to oneself despite what others may say or do. This is demonstrated through the characters Penelope from The Odyssey, George from Of Mice and Men, and Doodle from The Scarlet Ibis. In conclusion, these characters managed to exhibit the happiness and success that comes with staying true to oneself and one’s values, and support Emerson’s statement about being oneself even under the pressure of society.