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Modern Interpretations of the
Lotus-Eaters
Three modern works that reinterpret the scene of the Lotus-
Eaters from the Odyssey.
The theme concerns the temptations and challenges that
confront the characters.
The temptation to become distracted and to pause (or stop) the
journey is strong, but the need to fulfill the quest wins out.
The three modern interpretations are:
1) Star Trek episode “This Side of Paradise”
2) movie “Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief”
3) video game “Episodes from Final Fantasy”
Comparing The Odyssey’s “The Lotus Eaters” and the Star Trek Episode “This Side of Paradise” Using Structural Analysis
- By using a simplified version of the Lévi-Strauss structural theory, we
are able to compare and contrast the two stories.
- Both tales recount an obstacle in a journey—for Odysseus, it was
getting home after ten years of war and nearly ten years of divinely-
driven “adventures” at sea. For Captain Kirk, it was his five-year mission
that was at stake.
- These two stories share a particular theme: the diversion or halting of
one’s journey (either deliberately or accidently) and how real life (i.e. the
journey itself) cannot be lived on the extremes.
- First structural analyses will be of The Odyssey, followed by Star Trek.
- The six aspects of each story will then be analysed separately. In each
example, in both The Odyssey and Star Trek, the original conflict creates
the extreme or unusual circumstances,
- The times in which these stories were written/filmed will be briefly
discussed.
Structural Analysis Chart for Star Trek, Part 1
Communication Environment Productiveness Emotions Conflict Level Awareness
No contact with colonists for over three years
Enterprise finds colonists on Omicron Ceti-3 (OC3)
Kirk & his away team beam down from ship to OC3; lush & beautiful planet, despite radiation concerns
Colonists have developed only enough land to feed themselves—no more, no less
Spock meets Leila, an old “friend”; interest in each other obvious
The colonists live in absolute peace & harmony
Colonists seem unconcerned with radiation. Away team (except Kirk) infected by flowers’ pores; become blissful like colonists, forgetting their mission
Spock’s usual demeanor is altered completely by spores. Concerned only with Leila & staying on OC
Spock & others do not obey Kirk’s orders
Spock & others stay on OC
Crew on board Enterprise affected by spores from plants brought onto ship; react the same way
Structural Analysis Chart for Star Trek, Part 2
Communication Environment Productiveness Emotions Conflict Level Awareness Crew disobeys orders…
…& beam down to OC
Work aboard Enterprise ceases
Kirk tries to keep emotions in check; he tries to come up with antidote
Plant sprays its spores on Kirk; he becomes like the others, wants to beam down to OM While looking at medals, Kirk becomes angry…
...& the effect of the spores is countered
Kirk designs a plan to get his crew back—starts first with Spock Kirk calls on Spock to come back & “help” him
Spock returns to ship
Kirk deliberately angers Spock…
…& they fight Spock’s returns to his senses
Spock calls Leila to ship
She beams up to Enterprise
Spock breaks the bad news to Leila— there can be no love between them
The bad news breaks the spell of the spores
- Communication Chart
Communication The Odyssey Star Trek
Poor (extreme)
Good (normal)
1.The three men that were sent
out by Odysseus failed to return,
disobeying his orders
1.Odysseus orders his men to
sail away quickly, lest they are
tempted as well
1.The colonists lost contact with
outside world for 3 years
2.Those infected by spores
disobey Kirk’s commands
1. Spock agrees to back to ship
& “help” Kirk
2. Ship’s communication device
used to break the spores’ effect
3. Kirk orders crew to resume
mission & is obeyed
Communication—Explanation
Communication breakdown caused by the effect of the lotus
plant/flower spores results in the halting of the journey.
Without their crew, the captains of the ships cannot leave.
For Odysseus, this was only a handful of men, whom he was able
to return to the ship, albeit not without a fight.
The rest of his crew obeyed his orders to resume their journey
home.
For Kirk, his whole crew deserted him, despite his orders for
them to return to ship or to remain on board the Enterprise.
As in real life, distractions often result in poor communications.
In both stories, the communication gap is not brought on
intentionally, but by an innocent contact with a mind-altering
substance.
Environment--Explanation
In both The Odyssey and Star Trek, the rich, lush environment
that is found (respectively) on the Lotus Island and Omicron
Ceti-3 can be seen as a welcome relief to life on board the ships,
travelling across the barren and monotonous sea/cosmos.
However, these verdant places hold danger to the crews—for
Odysseus and his men, it is the lotus fruit; for Kirk and his team,
it is the radiation that is bombarding the planet.
These verdant environments provide a strong temptation for
people to stay and abandon their missions
Despite their barren appearance, the sea/space hold the key for
both groups to continue their mission.
Therefore, it is the barren elements that will prevent distraction
and produce the desired results.
- Productiveness—Chart
Productiveness The Odyssey Star Trek
Unproductive (extreme)
Productive (normal)
1. The men Odysseus sends out
fail to carry out their mission
2. They sit and do nothing but eat
the lotus plant
1. After collecting his men,
Odysseus & his men leave to
search for home
1. The colonists have done little
except what is necessary to feed &
clothe themselves
2. The crew abandons ship to join
the colonists in their life of bliss
1. The crew return to ship to
continue their mission
2. The colonists agree that they
have been unproductive; they will
go on with more constructive lives
- Emotions—Chart
Emotions (^) The Odyssey Star Trek
Unusual Emotions (extreme)
Usual Emotions (normal)
1.The men who eat from the lotus plants are distressed when they are forced to return to their ship; begin to weep
- After seeing Leila again after many years, Spock’s usual unemotional demeanor is thrown off slightly
- The spores cause Spock to lose all control over his emotions; he thinks only of love and contentment
- Kirk must be vigilant, now that Spock is no longer around to give him logical advice. He later succumbs to the flower’s spores
- Kirk becomes angry when he looks at the medals—counters the spores effects
- Spock is shocked back into his normal behaviour by the strong emotion of anger
- Anger used to bring rest of crew to their senses
- Now that the spores are out of their system, the behaviour of the crew members & colonists return to normal
Emotions--Explanation
In The Odyssey, the evidence of emotion is meagre. The anger of the
lotus-affected crew members can be accounted as unusual, since their
anger is misplaced (Odysseus and his men are trying to save them), but
can also be considered normal, since this is the usual reaction of those
who are forced to do something against their will.
In Star Trek, the emotions are evident. Spock’s ordinarily stoic and
logic-based demeanor is completely altered by the spores and his
affection for Leila. As the only crew member not afflicted by the
spores, Kirk must use every means possible to find a solution to this
dilemma.
Kirk finds that anger is a counter-balance to the effects of the spores.
Being blissful (or angry) all the time is unusual; more usual are the
range of emotions expressed by humans.
The “enchanted” emotions of the crew prevent them from seeing
reality; it also allows them to forget about their mission.
Conflict Level—Explanation
- Conflict here does not mean war; war is another extreme. Conflict is
reality, encountered regularly as part of a journey. War and (total)
peace can bring a journey to a halt, or alter its intended course.
- The Lotus-Eaters threaten Odysseus’ men not by making war against
them, but by causing them to forget their homeland. The journey is at
peril.
- What is unusual is that fact that the Lotus-Eaters do not even eye
Odysseus’ men with suspicion, as one would expect.
- The Enterprise also encounters a highly peaceful population on
Omicron Ceti-3. There is no conflict, even amongst the colonists
themselves. Again, an unexpected situation.
- The absence of conflict, like in the Odyssey, brought about
complacency. With no challenges (conflicts), no work is done beyond
what is absolutely necessary. Also, one can expand it to spiritual and
mental development; with no inner conflicts, one cannot develop into
a mature, well-rounded human.
- Awareness—Chart
Awareness The Odyssey Star Trek
Lack of Awareness (extreme)
Awareness (normal)
- Three men sent by Odysseus forget their way home; have no concerns beyond the present
- Does not mention what happened to the three men brought back; the effects of the fruit must have worn off (?)
- Odysseus and the rest of crew maintain their awareness and their desire to go home
- Colonists and affected crew members have no concerns beyond living a peaceful and happy life on Omicron Ceti-3; they forget their purpose
- Extreme blissfulness countered by another extreme emotion—anger; ultimately, emotions become balanced
- Crew and colonists regain their awareness and purpose regarding their mission
Reflecting Their Times
Odysseus had fought ten years in a war against the Trojans. The nature of the war (or any war) and
the duration of the Trojan War in particular can be seen as having put Odysseus off-balance.
Before returning to his family, the ten-year journey that Odysseus must undertake allows him to
adjust back to peace-time activities (peace-time does not imply conflict-free!!).
The journey of Odysseus is his passage back into normal existence, after ten years of war. Anything
that threatened this journey threated this transition.
The original Star Trek series aired in the late 1960s. It reflects the vast social change that was
occurring at that time.
The idea of living in peace and limiting work activities to only the essentials was (and still is, in many
respects) contrary to the religious and political ideologies and realities of that era.
The strong Protestant work-ethic present in American society meant a constant strive for
development and dominance over nature, no matter the cost.
The colonists failed to do this, thus their attempt to live in peace and to develop only what was
necessary was considered a failure (as noted towards the end of the show).
America was also at war with the Communists in Vietnam. Many believed that peace represented
acquiescence and nothing was going to stop America’s journey of success and dominance.
Communism was a threat to everything America stood for, and peace was the antithesis of what was
required to eliminate the enemy.
It was also a time of psychoactive drugs. The spores of the flowers could also represent the dangers of
these drugs and their potential to help users escape reality.
Conclusion and Link (Star Trek Preview)
The journeys in both The Odyssey and Star Trek represent not
only the physical expeditions of the captains and their crew, but also a psychological and mental development necessary to
complete their missions successfully.
The Lotus-Eaters/flower spores represent a threat, not because
they are an obvious danger to the crew, but because they allowed the lotus eaters or those sprayed by the spores to forget their reality and “drop-out” from their mission and from society at large.
http://www.startrek.com/watch_video/episode-preview-this-side-
of-paradise
