The most compelling character studies are those of characters who are depicted as reasonably human. Narratives must utilize humanization to facilitate empathy and understanding of the character for the consumer. While some narratives artfully employ this technique to create understandable human characters, others either fail to humanize their characters, and instead highlight their inhuman flaws such as selfishness and cruelty. Caro’s biography Life serves as the benchmark for truly human characters, as evidenced by its dynamic depiction of Lyndon B. Johnson and, while the Odyssey does not humanize Odysseus through his interactions with Eumaeus, House of Cards masterfully portrays Frank as a genuinely human character through his relationship …show more content…
Odysseus’s humanization, as brought about through his time with Eumaeus, is only surface level. While Odysseus shows compassion for his swineherd after Eumaeus recounts the tale of how he came to serve Odysseus’s family, Odysseus comforts him. While this scene does illustrate a sympathetic side to Odysseus, it also serves to remind the reader that Eumaeus is not Odysseus’s friend; he is Odysseus’s slave. This interaction to modern viewers dehumanizes Odysseus seeing as he owns another human being. These scenes with Eumaeus undermines the humanizing of Odysseus unlike the scenes in Life of Johnson and the students of Cotulla. While Odysseus does take care of Eumaeus, as evidenced by Eumaeus’s relative wealth for being a slave, Odysseus does not treat Eumaeus as an equal. Odysseus withholds the information of his true identity from Eumaeus. Odysseus views himself as above Eumaeus which is a contrast to the relationship of Johnson and the students of Cotulla in Life. Johnson used to be like the students of Cotulla and he recognizes their disadvantage as well as attempts to correct it. While Johnson strives to provide better opportunities for the students of Cotulla so that one day they will have an equal chance as anyone else to be elevated to a higher social class, Odysseus endeavors to provide a comfortable life for Eumaeus with …show more content…
In contrast to the Odyssey’s attempt to humanize Odysseus, Frank’s humanization is not just surface. Frank is always generous with Freddie as evidenced when Frank pays too much for his lunch and Freddie indicates that this is a common occurrence. In “Chapter 5” Frank also gives Freddie the opportunity to serve his food at the Clean Water Initiative’s gala. While Frank provide opportunities for Freddie like Odysseus does for Eumaeus, Frank’s aid is selfless and genuine. Frank does not look down on Freddie as a member of a lower social class because he, like Johnson, used to also be a member of the lower class. In the episode where Frank returns to South Carolina to deal with the Peach debacle he reveals that he came from nothing. He understands, unlike Odysseus, what it means to struggle to obtain opportunities in a society of such social and economic disparity. Frank’s generosity to Freddie is like Johnson’s to the students in Cotulla in that it is not paternalism, as he actually understands what will best benefit Freddie due to his own experience being lower class. The relationship between Frank and Freddie provides a different side of Frank for the viewer. It illustrates a side of him where he is selfless and in fact generous. Frank and Freddie’s relationship humanizes