Essay Sample on Evolution of Literature: Old and New Genres Compared

Introduction

Literature is the oldest form of art. Notably, it has remained the most significant method of communicating where people get the platform to express themselves. As the world is evolving thanks to technological and innovation advancement, so is literature. Artists continue to acquire new ideas based on these evolution aspects, together with new styles of expressing. There is some obvious comparison regarding elements of genre between old and new pieces of literature despite the wide time-range. The differences, as well as the similarities, could be influenced by the different life trends between the periods. This paper presents a comparison of ancient literal works and those that were published in modern times to establish the connectivity. The analysis is based on The Odyssey and Gone Girl for the ancient and current time, respectively.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Brief Summary of the Works

The Odyssey

The Odyssey is an ancient epic poem by Homer, a legendary Greek author. The storyline of the poem focuses on the central character, Odysseus, the King of Ithaca. Scholars argue that The Odyssey is based on actual events of a mythic Greek hero Odysseus. The poem was set during the period after the Trojan War in the 8th century, BC. Odysseus spends ten years wandering in his journey to Ithaca after the war. His family and throne back home become vulnerable to greedy and unruly people who wants to take over his position. The Odyssey presents a struggle of good and evil, as demonstrated by both the spirits and humans.

Gone Girl

Gone Girl is a thriller novel that depicts mostly the theme of crime. It was written by Gillian Flynn and published in 2012. The plot centres a married couple, Nick and Amy Dune, who are facing marital tribulations. Each of them blames the other for their crumbling marriage. Things get worse when they have to relocate in North Carthage, Nick's hometown after they both lose their jobs. Amy decides to revenge on Nick's "betrayal" by faking her death on their wedding anniversary to fabricate him. This plan does not work; thus, she is left with the option of manipulation to control Nick.

Comparison (Similarities and Differences)

Characterization

Both pieces entail characterization. Characters are people or subjects who are in the story. They participate actively in a story's events to make it lively and flowing. Notably, both The Odyssey and Gone Girl are driven effectively by the participation of individuals who helps in elaborating the plot of the story. Notably, the main characters in the two are protagonists. A protagonist is a character who stands for the positive side of morality. These characters go through challenges that threaten to deter them from achieving their good course, but they emerge winners in one or another. For instance, in The Odyssey, Odysseus does not give up of his desire to return home to his wife and son despite after the many years he has been held captive by goddess Calypso (Homer 1. 13-14). Similarly, in Gone Girl, Nick experiences a difficult time after the perceived murder of his wife, Amy, as he is held accountable but still manages to unveil Amy's true intentions to clear his name (Pertwi, Iswalno & Nurchayo, 66).

The difference between the works regarding characterization is that The Odyssey is heroic while Gone Girl is not. Odysseus is termed a hero as he defeats the evil god, Poseidon, together with the opportunistic suitors to have his family and kingdom back (Homer 24. 392-397). On the other side, Nick emerges a loser at the end of the story; his wife successfully manipulates him. He is unable to publish a book that he had noted all of his wife's misdeeds to the public after she threatens to have an abortion (Flynn, 200). Worse, the blackmail forces him to stay in a marriage that he dislikes.

Setting

Setting refers to place or time upon which the events of the story are based. The two sets are based on very different periodic era. The noticeable comparison concerning this aspect is depicted through the geographical setting. Indeed, the two works comply in a large geological setting. Their storylines are not confined in a constant area in that the characters are spread across an ample space. In The Odyssey, the story begins by stating that Odysseus is held captive in the Island of Ogygia by Calypso, and desires to back to Ithaca, his homeland (Homer 1. 10-14). Another evidence of the large geographical scape is portrayed vividly when Helen and Menelaus travel bark to Sparta from Egypt and Poseidon goes to Ethiopia to receive a sacrifice (Homer 1. 10-14). Likewise, in Gone Girl, Nick and his wife live in New York, where they both lose their jobs and decide to relocate to North Carthage, Missouri (Pertwi et al., 64). Also, after Amy's plan to fabricate Nick of her purposively death fails, she sets to her ex-boyfriend's in the lakeside, where she continues to hide (Flynn, 150).

Conclusion

Ancient works of literature than modern ones have little differences, as demonstrated by The Odyssey and Gone Girl. The authors incorporate the elements of genres in writing which have not changed entirely despite the period. However, these elements vary from works to works based on the richness of the plot's storylines. For instance, a story about kingdoms will cover a larger geographical setting that the one that concerns a mere family. Again, the evolution of the application of genre's components depends majorly with the writers' intention to entice the audience.

Bibliography

Flynn, G. Gone Girl. Crown Publishing Group, 2012. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/wiwicafu35802/gone-girl-pdf-gillian-flynnHomer (Circa 700 BC). The Odyssey, Translated by Samuel Butler. 2000. Retrieved from https://www.planetebook.com/free-ebooks/the-odyssey.pdf

Pertiwi, G. W., Iswalono S & Nurcahyo R. "Amy's personality Disorder in Flynn's Gone Girl: A Psychological Approach." Sastra Inggris-Quill 5.1 (2016): 65-73.Retrieved from http://journal.student.uny.ac.id/ojs/index.php/quill/article/view/645