Literary Review of The Odyssey and The Flute by Usman Ali
Literary Review of The Odyssey and The Flute by Usman Ali
The Odyssey
Homer use to consider as a Greek poet and author of Western Literature due to his most influential works Iliad and The Odyssey. He is also believed by the ancient Greeks, among the great epic poets. The Odyssey, Homer’s second epic, is a story of a great soldier, who goes on to fight a battle against. After a period of ten years, he returns to his home at Ithaca after the battle of Tory. The journey of Odysseus from Troy to Ithaca takes ten years, the same amount of time that the Trojan War itself lasted. The unusual length of Odysseus' arrival trip, which should take a matter of weeks, is due to his many opponents, including the god Poseidon. He also encounters with Circe, Polyphemus, Sirens and Cicones. Finally, the gods take pity on Odysseus and he reaches on the land of Phaeacians and tells them his adventures. Phaeacians give him a ship and he reaches Ithaca safely. Odysseus 'most memorable quality is not only his bravery but somewhat his cleverness and intelligence.Literary Review of The Odyssey and The Flute by Usman Ali
Usman Ali is a Pakistani dramatist. He is the author of plays, The
Guilt, The Last Metaphor, The Odyssey and The Flute. The
main themes of his works are mainly based on his personal experiences. Greek
mythology left a deep influence at Usman Ali which is understandable in his works.
The Odyssey, Ali's third play, is the story of
Odysseus's home in his absence. In his absence his son Telemachus is
physically abused by Bali. His son Telemachus considers that his father is
responsible for his tragedy. When Telemachus is ignored by his father for two
years, he becomes shadow and falls into a broken life. Penelope, wife of
Odysseus, is also prejudiced because of her husband‘s carelessness. Odysseus
comes back to his home. He is told that his son is victim of HIV. At the same
time, he is informed that his wife is conceiving an illegitimate child in her
belly. At the end of the play, an explosive jacket is discovered from
Telemachus.
Play ends where Odysseus, Telemachus and Bali all are arrested by
the police. This play seems to ask for a bandage big enough to cover the
world‘s wounds. Story of Odyssey by Homer in 7 th centuries and by the Usman
Ali written in present scenario of the Pakistani society. Both characterize
their contemporary issues. Odyssey of Homer and Usman Ali is subjected to
struggles and efforts. Outcomes of both writers drive through the overall
behaviors of the societal conditions. Homer represents the Odyssey as a hero,
who sets off to fight a battle against Trojan. After a successful end of battle
he returns to home but during the course of journey he encounters with
different adversities. Finally, he approaches to his native, where he found
that some people want to seize his property and taunting to his wife and son.
He observes the whole quietly and finally defeat all those wicked and restored
his property.
The story Odyssey by Homer reflects the behavior the society.
Similarly, The Odyssey of Usman Ali represents the whole scenario of Pakistan
society, where most people go to abroad to regulate their economic problems.
They leave away from their families for a long period of time. They remain busy
to earn money and send it to their family. They thought it the solution of the
whole problems. At same at home their family facing different kind of glitches.
Some of them are reflected by the Usman Ali in his work under discussion,
though, themes of all the works of Usman Ali reproduce contemporary problems of
the society in which he lives. He observes the psychology of the different
people of the different segments of the society. He understands the minute
problems of the different people. He also realizes the need and importance of
people for each other. He understands the psychological and physical needs of
husband and wife. He also realizes the importance of father for the upbringing
of children, their social safety. How a father can guard children against
different hardships faced by them.
The Odyssey starts with the description of a home. The home belongs
to Odysseus and Penelope who is the wife of Odysseus is trying to sleep in the
launch of house. Writer has beautifully described the interior of the house and
the condition of the weather, and “it is raining outside”. (Ali, 1)
Penelope is trying to sleep and the disturbance begins when the
doorbell rings. Rain seems to be unstoppable and Telemachus is home. He seems
not to be happy because his clothes are yet wet. Disturbance in the surrounding
is visible when the events are being introducing with the sound.
“A loud sound of dholki followed by songs.” (Ali, 2)
The sound is present which leads to reader to the point that there
is no privacy around and one is almost always surrounded by others. Writer is
forcing us to take notice that weather is not getting any better.
“The weather has become worse”. (Ali, 3)
The rains are not good; maybe writer is depicting the worse society
in the form of weather. The society is almost completely rotten. Marriages are
not working well which means the major entity of society is disturbed and not
working properly, as we have seen Euriycleia’s daughter is being married again
because of different unwanted circumstances created by others.
“She married her off twice but the girl comes back.” (Ali, 3)
Basic needs are clothes shelter and safety, but the characters are
facing harsh reality and their needs are not getting fulfilled. As we have seen
Telemachus clothes are wet thus not able to be used, and he is waiting them to
be dry, which leads him towards anxiety and despair. These two factors are
leading the audience to feel the suffering of the character.
“how long will they take….” (Ali, 3)
It is raining outside and there is no longer safe place even the
roof of home is leaking, which is depiction of the fact that with every drop
there is realization of being intruding.
“The roof leaks” (Ali, 4)
Plot line of the play keeps on yelling the disturbance both inside
the personality of the characters and outside in the form of weather and smell.
Writer tells us about a foul smell which is continually polluting the society.
May be writer wants to convey us the fact that nothing is in good shape, with
the help of the smell around.
“Stench everywhere, one cannot sleep even.” (Ali, 4)
Telemachus rapped by a group of men. He was very religious man he
“begged them in the name of God”, but no one listened him and quenched their
thirst of animal desires by rapping him in very brutal manner. Because of their
act Telemachus is no more positive in his life and unable to follow his
religion thus is unsatisfied. He becomes offended with God even, as his mother
said to him that don’t worry God will take your revenge. “He is with the weak.
He will never leave us alone”, his reply depicts his bareness towards his
faith.
“But he left me alone in the basement.” (Ali, 9)
Telemachus’s life has become no less than hell because of the
rotten act of some other people. He is offended with his father because he
thinks that his father has left him. Alone for state and no one was there with
him to take care, on the other hand state didn’t take care him and snatched everything
from him, thus considers his father dead.
“Odysseus is dead” (Ali, 11)
According to the Telemachus father is one who takes care of the
children and in Pakistan fathers has to go to the war to get so called glory
and that is the reason that every boy in Pakistan is out of safety, thus in
continues state of terror which is hell.
“There are no fathers in Pakistan”. (Ali, 11)
So maybe writer is of the view that being away from the home
creates hell because it kills Communication and creates gaps between relations.
Penelope is in wait for her husband. He is not spending her life normally
because she has to resist her carnal desires which is another need and not
being fulfilled like shelter and home.
“He promised me by this tree” (Ali, 12)
It seems that wait is endless and never going to be end. Writer has
depicted disturbance both in the society to the personal lives of the people.
Penelope did not get pregnant thus having illegitimate child, love nor religion
is in safe hands and that is the reasons everyone is suffering around.
Odyssues, who is on the war but the glory of the war which was
promised by the Greeks, is proved to be just a myth as Odyssues got nothing but
destructions and hell. His son is suffering from HIV and wife is no more loyal
to him. His life becomes hell due to the acts and deeds of other people around.
At the end of the play son of Odysseus is guilty as attacker and
everyone is standing under the neem tree and waiting for Ali Moula, their godot
to come to take their suffering away from them, End is ambiguous because no one
knows that whether their godot will come to save them or not.
“Waiting for you Ali Moula, Ali Moula..” (Ali, 42)
The Flute
Another play of Usman Ali, The Flute depicts the story of a family
who holds lower status in the society. Writer has beautifully passes us the
fact that how minor caste’s people have to suffer in the caste oriented
society. In the start of the play Orpheus introduces himself through his caste.
“Hi, I am a meerasi (Entertainer) your Meerasi,
the entire village’s meerasi, Randia’s Meerasi !” (Ali, 72)
There is disturbance from very start of the play where Orpheus is
telling to the audience that his wife loves her and he tries to kiss her but
she spits on her face to show that she does not want him to get close, which
shows the fact that they have no smooth relationship.
“As he got closer to Randia, she spits on him” (Ali, 73)
Randia is being offended by Orpheus because she wants him to leave
the village as he is having no respect in the village. Maybe writer is of the
view that both Randia and Orpheus are in suffering for not getting what they
want and being intruded by others.
Orpheus is not only the one who belongs to the lower class family,
but as well is an artist and being imposed by everyone around who does not
understand art.
“(holding the flute) this ant is my lineage…” (Ali, 74)
“He is an artist.” (Ali, 76)
Randia’s life is in great torture because she is more concerned
with money and standard life than art. She is not at all satisfied with her
husband and thinks him a blood sucker which concludes that she is in continuous
torture with him.
“A parasite I think living off me for the last ten years.” (Ali,
76)
On the other hand Orpheus is suffering because no one understands
and letting him to live his life according to his ideas. He is lover of art and
the place where he belong people has no respect for art and artist.
“Who cares about dholki No one. I found it laying on a leap of
trash.” (Ali, 77)
Above written lines the pain and torture is visible where Orpheus
is revealing the truth that no one cares about dholki (an Asian musical
instrument).
As the play precedes audience come to know that the people who
belong to upper class once treated Orpheus too badly. They shaved him and
degraded him in very brutal way. Orpheus suffered because the people snatched
his honor by beating and making him sit on the donkey. Orpheus is suffering and
in tournament and he demands just his honor back to get satisfaction. He needs
nothing but honor to be proud what he wants to do.
“Take away cheeks. Eyes. Forehead . arms. Legs. Hair. Skull. Feet.
But nose. Give us nose.” (Ali, 80)
By us writer has given broader meaning and convey the truth of
Pakistani society that neither artist nor people of lower cast have got any
respect and honor thus in hell.
Play has no proper ending in a sense that no one gets anything
neither honor nor money and status. Writer has beautifully conveyed the idea that
the continuous suffering is never ending.
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| Sir Adnan |
#Literary
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