Initial Impressions of Smithy

When we imagine a hero, we often picture one similar to that of the Odyssey, who is the leader of a group and struggles against circumstances beyond their control, yet we envision something completely separate from Smithy (superficially, in the sense that the typical hero is strong, attractive, intelligent as well as other having other similar values). Smithy is basically a "loser" since he is overweight, friendless, a chain smoker and has fallen into a status below mediocrity, yet we find a certain heroic quality to him even before he commences on his impossible quest. As he has been struck with tragedy with the death of his sister and his parents, I think that his emotional resilience to these situations and his final decision to find comfort by trekking across the nation on a small bicycle prove him to be an unconventional hero, yet a hero nonetheless.

Intially, I saw Smithy as somewhat removed from his life, especially in his way of interacting with people, and perhaps this was his way of resisting his tragic situation. As the novel progressed, a certain likeable quality is found in the way he narrates his memories, and finally, he decides to embark on a journey that will change his way of life. Overall, regarding his situation, we see that Smithy is a desperate man who has little to lose now that he has lost his family, thus he simply wants a way to escape his emotional problems and seizes an opportunity to do so on his bike. If we see this action from a perspective of a pathos-invoking character standing up for himself, as previously described, we loose insight on the potential obstacles behind his adventure. Even for the most experienced athletes, biking across a continent is no easy task, yet Smithy is in an even worse position since he is overweight, a chain smoker and into his forties, ergo he is not in the realistic conditions to complete such an expedition. In a similar way to Anse Bundren from As I lay Dying, Smithy's voyage seems to be without purpose or simply absurd, but we somehow as readers find a heroic quality of their journeys since they face off against the impossible with bravery, even if their ideas and objectives are pointless to us.

Noble Quest or Absurd Venture?

Throughout As I Lay Dying, the Bundren family is continually bombarded with obstacles of every kind, many of which are caused by Anse's illogical decisions that, apart from being morally questionable at times, inflict more problems, such that, at the root of these varied problems, is the idea of transporting Addie's body to Jefferson at her request. The truth is that, as Addie hated Anse as well as the rest of the family (except for Jewel, a product of an adulterous relationship with the minister), I find it ridiculous that Anse is willing to spend time, resources and risk his well-being, yet I also see that Anse was likely blind to Addie's truth feelings to him as well as her moral character, thus he reluctantly decides to  transport her corpse to her hometown. In a way, there is a nobility in the idea of his journey, yet the way in which he executes his travel is quite unvirtuous as he is seen robbing from his children while denying the charity of others to increase his ego.

Of course, every member of the family has ulterior motives for the expedition to bury the family matriarch, including economic reasons, yet also, in the example of Dewey Dell, for personal reasons such as to terminate her pregnancy. Overall, each person has a reason for making the journey other than to fulfill Addie's dying wish, thus they lose some dignity over wanting to use the opportunity of a family member's death in order to better their lives in either economic or social ways.

In conclusion, although Anse originally intends for his voyage to be one based on virtue, a noble journey to fulfill his wife's final wish, I find that various details of the novel detract from the original motive and reason such that we find Anse exhibiting the ridiculous behavior of taking his children's wealth, refusing people's hospitality and other such senseless actions, ergo disproving the theory of a noble reason behind the Bundren family's trip. Anse also shows a kind arrogance when he refuses to take the advice of his neighbors, seeing his truth as the only one, therefore adding to the sheer ridiculous yet noble nature of the venture, while the unrighteous details only reinforce an absurd expedition.

A Comparison of the Morality of Ulysses to Odysseus

Throughout the Odyssey, we find that Odysseus consistently tricks his opponents and uses his superior wit to achieve success such that he overcomes obstacles like the Cyclops, the Sirens and various others relatively unharmed. Therefore, it is obvious that he also feels pride and hubris preceding each of his successes, which causes him unnecessary obstacles, yet in the end, he is victorious. In contrast, Ulysses may be extremely prideful, but on several occasions, he is defeated in both intellect and force, since he is scammed and beaten by Big Dan, the equivalent of the Cyclops, and is later defeated in a fist-fight. 

Also, it is interesting to compare the heroic aspects of both characters, since the Odyssey portrays Odysseus as a god, at many times overcoming obstacles in a supernatural way, such that the results impress the general audience. Exciting feats of ingenuity such as blinding the Cyclops and attaching himself and his crew to the undersides of sheep to escape, or being tied down to hear the Siren's song and survive give the thought that Odysseus is trying to con the system that the Greek gods have emplaced.

Superficially, Ulysses appears as a treasure-hunting con man to his friends, who therefore escape with him in the hopes of attaining wealth. In the end, we see the hero blunder in defending his family against the threat of a suitor taking his place, in protecting his wealth from Big Dan Teague, and truly in the final challenge against the sheriff, yet it seems as if he has a supernatural force behind him that saves him from these situations in a similar way that Athena aids Odysseus. In the superficial respects, the two protagonists are quite similar, yet we see that Ulysses cannot be considered a hero for his successes.