Christine Le

Mrs. Parrot/ Mulvey

English 1P; Period 1
2 June, 2017

The Changes of Lives after a Long Journey

Do you ever wonder how the experience of journeys can be life changing? Journeys often

take time, commitment, a lot of courage and motivation. Journeys can make a huge impact on a

persons life because meanwhile the journey you are away from family, friends and your comfort

zone which often leads to the person being more independent, learning new things about

themselves, and gives them space. For example, there are varieties of text from collection six that

provide the different types of journeys. The two text that relates to the topic of how journeys can

impact a persons life is The Odyssey by Homer, and The Cruelest Journey by Kira Salak.

In the epic poem The Odyssey explains the significant traits of what an epic hero means. The

Odyssey was a myth told of being able to complete a quest or a long journey facing many

obstacles and hardships. Ten years have passed since the fall of Troy, and the Greek hero

Odysseus still has not returned to his kingdom in Ithaca. A large and rowdy mob of suitors who

have overrun Odysseus's palace and pillaged his land continue to court his wife, Penelope. She

has remained faithful to Odysseus. Secondly, the journey writing The Cruelest Journey: 600

Miles to Timbuktu by Kira Salak sums up to a journey of more than six hundred dangerous

miles on the Niger River from Mali's Old Segou to Timbuktu, enduring tropical storms and the

heat of the Sahara to fulfill her goal of buying the freedom. The character Odysseus in The

Odyssey by Homer changes by the quest he has gone through for 20 years away from home.

Kira Salak in the travel writing The Cruelest Journey: 600 Miles to Timbuktu changes by the
horrific journey across the Niger river 600 miles straight in tropical storms. This journey across

the river has made an impact on her life to change her into a strong and independent women.

From the start to the ending of each and any journey, it makes a huge impact to the

person's life. Once they have faced a journey consists of many obstacles to complete the journey

they are a different person when they return home. In the epic poem The Odyssey

demonstrates how he is a true hero by the end of the story. In the beginning, Odysseus and his

men did not have all the skills of bravery, but when they had to defeat the sea monsters Scylla

and Charybdis. Odysseus reminded his men that they were able to defeat the Cyclops so they

were able to realize what theyve been through to go through another obstacle. The Odyssey

the author illustrates Odysseuss character role at the start of his wanderings when Homer stated

My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohbdy (Homer

274-275). This shows Odysseus character in the beginning of his wanderings because Odysseus

was so focussed on gaining glory that he deliberately revealed who he was to the Cyclops, and as

a result brought down calamity on both himself and his men because of Poseidon's special

relationship to the Cyclops. This is significant because this part of the epic poem of The Cyclops

demonstrates who Odysseus was in the beginning of his wanderings on one of his scariest

obstacles of defeating The Cyclops who is also known as Polyphemus. For the years Odysseus

has spent his wanderings at the Mediterranean Sea and being held by the goddess Calypso on her

island until Zeus sends the god Hermes to tell Calypso to release Odysseus. Calypso then finds a

transportation for his next and last destination before he returns home to Ithaca. Where he has

reached the end of his journey of his wanderings. Over the 20 years he had left home he had

became a different men. In The Odyssey it shows who he has become when the author stated, I
join my life with his, and leave this place, my home, my rich and beautiful bridal house forever

to be remembered, though I dream it only... (Homer 38-40/ pg.404). This shows his growth if

change by the end of his wanderings, when he reaches Ithaca, the way in which he deliberately

bides his time and disguises himself as a beggar instead of rushing into his home and declaring

who he was before the group of extremely hostile suitors shows how he has developed and

changed. This shows the significance towards the end of the story because He is not the same

glory-hungry individual who often committed rash and rather vacuous actions in order to gain

kudos. Instead, he tempers this aspect of his character with the need for patience, and remains

incognito until he has established his position and what men are loyal to him and he is ready to

strike. On the other hand, not only did Odysseus accomplish his journey, but the other travel

writing The Cruelest Journey by Kira Salak also demonstrates a long journey faced with a lot

of obstacles just like The Odyssey.

However in the Odyssey his wanderings were 20 years with extreme obstacles to defeat.

On the other hand The Cruelest Journey by Kira Salak her journey was a 600 mile long on

water in Tropical storm. Kira Salak faced through the tropical storm that consists of torrential

rains, waves higher than her kayak, and the wind drives the current in reverse meanwhile she was

in pain but she had no time to stop herself. Kira Salak in the very beginning of her travel writing

she was motivated to start her journey across the Niger river because she had been said that she

cant do this and that she is crazy. The Cruelest Journey: 600 Miles to Timbuktu written by the

explorer in this travel writing stated her character in the beginning when she said, Rain or no

rain, today is the day for the journey to begin. And no one, not even the oldest in the village, can

say for certain weather Ill get to the end (Salak 14-16). This quote from the text demonstrates
her character in the beginning of the writing because she is full of motivation and does not care

whether or not she makes it and that she does not need anyones opinion. This is significant of

her character action in the beginning of the story because she was getting on that kayak no matter

what anyone says if she will make it through the Niger river in the storm or not. Also, Kira Salak

stated,Still, when a person tells me I cant do something, Ill want to do it all the more (Salak

26-27). This is an importance to the beginning of her character because she does not know

whether if she will survive or make it through the 600 mile journey in the tropical storm, but she

is a risk taker and she is willing to take the risk of her life because she believes in herself and she

wants to take the chance. Just like Odysseus in The Odyssey by the end of Kira Salak Journey

she has changed her character at the end when she reached the end of her journey because she

was able to make it through her journey to Timbuktu. Kira Salak stated, For me, it is as if the

Niger still keeps a part of me, as if to tell me that i finally belong to it. (Salak 269-270). This

quote means that by the time she made it through the Niger river of her journey she felt

accomplished. Which leads to the significance of her character in the end because she was able

to feel part of the Niger river because she was able to manage her way through which made her

feel part of it because she survived and did not give up even when she was injured. Throughout

the travel writing by Kira Salak she was a strong and independent women because she had went

through this on her own with people doubting her and telling her she was crazy. Which all suns

up to how these two text leads to how they both change.

These two text from collection six heroes and quests, Kira Salak once said, If a journey

doesnt have something to teach you about yourself, then what kind of journey is it?

Throughout these two text they both showed a changed from the beginning to the end of the
characters change. Odysseus and Kira Salak both learned something new about themselves

throughout their journey. It both lead them to become more independent, strong and brave

because of all the obstacles that had been face throughout the journey. For instance, a journey

throughout my freshman year I started off not knowing how to study for all my classes because

there were all new methods and skills of studying. As weeks and quarters pass to a new semester

I realized high school is only going to get more challenging and time consuming. Eventually I

came to the point in my freshman year to start trying because it will only get more difficult, so I

should start now because it is an important matter. In general, journeys have the ability to change

people because during the time period the person will always come to a realization that they have

to change in their mindset to complete their journey. Therefore, because a journey means that

you will always have to learn something about yourself from the experience there will always be

a change in the person of who they are.