Since the beginning of literature, authors have discussed many themes and life truths through their writing, and though they may be separated by centuries of cultural evolution, many of the characters created by these authors share a common theme. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer contained characters who lived in very different time periods and had unrelated backgrounds, yet the works share a common theme, exemplifying how truths about life withstand the test of time. Both works exemplify that when great suffering befalls people, they can become closer than ever with those around them through adversity. Characters’ suffering in The Odyssey united people in completely new ways that were…show more content… For one, Atticus and Scout bonded as Atticus suffered through the hardships he endured while defends Tom Robinson. As the townspeople of Maycomb caused Atticus to endure great suffering and caused him to crumble under the pressure of the case, Scout asked Atticus about why black people were treated the way they were and why people can sometimes be so cruel. While Scout and Atticus discussed the many critical parts of life and the hard-to-face truths about life, Scout and Atticus grew closer than they have in the past because of how Atticus explained life lessons and facts to Scout. Moreover, Aunt Alexandria bonded with Atticus after he lost the Tom Robinson case. When Atticus returned home after losing the case, Aunt Alexandra said, “‘I’m sorry, brother,’” (216). Aunt Alexandra recognized all of the pain and suffering Atticus was going through and even though all she did was call Atticus “brother” for the first time, in doing so she showed Atticus that, despite her disapproval of his parenting and life choices, she still loved him and felt sorry for him. Furthermore, Aunt Alexandra and Scout bonded after Jem’s near death experience. When Jem was rushed home after Bob Ewell attacked him and Scout, Aunt Alexandra disregarded the fact that Scout was wearing overalls, even though Aunt Alexandra disapproved of Scout…show more content… In both works, characters suffered as they grew up, which caused them to bond with their family and learn life lessons. In The Odyssey, Telemachus matured into a young adult and started to become curious about the fate of his father, causing him to leave Ithaca and question his father’s friends. In To Kill A Mockingbird, as Scout and Jem grew older and became members of Maycomb society, they started to question the world around them and why people acted like they did. In both works, Telemachus and Scout are young people compared to the rest of the characters and asked questions about the world around them, which allowed them to better bond with their families and friends as they ventured into adulthood. Suffering also caused multiple characters to bond in both works, but this bonding led some of them to later commit horrible atrocities. In The Odyssey, the Suitors united together in their struggle to win Penelope’s hand even though they wreaked havoc on Odysseus’s palace in the process, and in To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus says that, “‘He might have hurt me a little,’ Atticus conceded, ‘but son, you’ll understand folks a little better when you’re older. A mob’s always made up of people, no matter what. Mr. Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he was still a man’” (Lee, 159), when he explained the lynch mob to Jem. While
