Ma and Jack vs Athena and Odysseus

It was brought up in class sometime last week that Jack is the hero of "Dying" and Ma is just more like a helper, just like Odysseus was the hero and Athena aided him. I can see how this is the case (even though I didn't really see Odysseus as a hero) but now that we've finished Room, I think I view Ma as the hero of the first part of the book, and Jack as the hero for "After" and "Living."

Ma was the mastermind behind the escape plan, and though she didn't carry out the plan, she still came up with it all. Of course, Jack played a crucial role, but I still think planning it is certainly enough to deem Ma a hero. I also think that Jack is heroic in "Dying," but none of this would've happened without Ma. To me, she's also the hero of the earlier sections because she was selfless and able to carry on in this prison all for the sake of her son. Her strength allowed her to raise him as best she could.

For the majority of this book, I've considered Ma as the sole hero, but now I can see how Jack is a hero too. I think it's a little less obvious because he didn't plot the escape and in the later sections he basically just works on adjusting to the outside world, but I think it can be seen as a personal hero's journey. I'm actually surprised at how fast he adjusted. Of course after 3 and a half weeks, he still has to work on some manners and social norms among other things, but it's an incredible change from having to stand in the shower with Ma because the glass divided them too much. Ma's absence made Jack blossom has a hero, and he was able to work on the daunting task of transitioning into a normal life. For that, I think it's acceptable to consider him a hero.

I think the ending of the book showed how they were both heroes. They both were forced to go through a lot of change and emotional trauma, but they were both able to push past it and finally let go of their past. Jack finally stopped longing to live in Room, and Ma was able to accept what happened to her.

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