The Many-Minded Man: The "Odyssey," Psychology, and the Therapy of Epic

by Joel Christensen

Overview

In The Many-Minded Man, Joel Christensen explores the content, character, and structure of the Homeric Odyssey through a modern psychological lens, focusing on how the epic both represents the workings of the human mind and provides for its audiences—both ancient and modern—a therapeutic model for coping with the exigencies of chance and fate.

By reading the Odyssey as an exploration of the constitutive elements of human identity, the function of narrative in defining the self, and the interaction between the individual and their social context, The Many-Minded Man addresses enduring questions about the poem, such as the importance of Telemachus's role, why Odysseus must tell his own tale, and the epic's sudden and unexpected closure. Through these dynamics, Christensen reasons, the Odyssey not only instructs readers about how narrative shapes a sense of agency but also offers solutions for avoiding dangerous stories and destructive patterns of thought.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781501752353
Publisher:	Cornell University Press
Publication date:	12/15/2020
Series:	Myth and Poetics II
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	360
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Joel P. Christensen is Professor and Chair of Classical Studies at Brandeis University. He is coauthor of A Beginner's Guide to Homer and Homer's Thebes. Follow him on X @sentantiq.

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. Homeric Psychology
2. Treating Telemachus, Education and Learned Helplessness
3. Escaping Ogygia, An Isolated Man
4. Odysseus's Apologoi and Narrative Therapy
5. Odysseus's Lies
6. Marginalized Agencies and Narrative Selves
7. Penelope's Subordinated Agency
8. The Politics of Ithaca
9. The Therapy of Oblivion, Unforgettable Pain and the Odyssey's End

What People are Saying About This

Richard P. Martin

Christensen has written one of the most creative, meticulous, and broad-reaching analyses of the Odyssey of the last half-century, tying together the millennia-old saga and contemporary social problems.

Editorial Reviews

Joel Christensen shows that he has thoroughly digested not only the vast field of Classics – specifically Homeric scholarship – but also the equally immense realm of human psychology, although he modestly denies the latter. [H]e offers a deeply personal study, one that emphasizes process over product in a way that seems quite appropriate to both the Odyssey and modern psychology.

The Classical Journal

While the arguments are usually complex and intricate, Christensen has successfully achieved what he set out to do, thanks in part to his clear style and presentation. Attentive and contemplative readers will gain insights not only into the Odyssey but also into their own experiences.

Choice