Father Comes Home From the Wars

One important character in Parks’s play who does not have a clear counterpart in Homer’s Odyssey is the character named “Homer.” Instead, he has the name of the author of the Odyssey. Why do you think this is? What influence does Parks’s Homer have over other characters in the play and how does he “rewrite” their stories?

Why does Parks draw so heavily from the Odyssey to tell a story set in the Civil War-era South? What is the purpose of drawing on literary tradition in this way and in this context?

Discuss the role of music and the Chorus in the play. Why is there a song at the beginning of each part? What is the significance of the “Chorus” in Ancient Greek contexts and in the context of this play?

Pick three characters in the play. Compare and contrast what “freedom” means to each of them.

Why do Homer and Hero have such great interpersonal conflict? How do they each conceptualize their identities, their enslavement, and what they owe to their fellow enslaved people?

Examine Smith’s role in the play. What is the purpose of his interactions with the Colonel? What does their dynamic add to the play?

In the second part of the classic hero’s journey, the hero undergoes trials and temptations, which he ultimately overcomes. How does this iterate itself in the story of Hero, who calls himself a “non-Hero”? What is he tempted by, how does he react, and how is this related to the classic hero’s journey?

Is Hero is the “hero” of this play? Support your answer with examples from the text.