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Hannah Baumgartner
English 9
Gardner
11/28/18
A Discussion of Wealth, Authority, and Morality

More than a contradicting narrative of The Odyssey, The Penelopiad is a striking and

poignant view on modern society and the means in which the lowest members are abused by the

socioeconomic establishment. The story and setting of Ancient Greece is a mere platform to

convey the social issues that stand at the core of human nature, while vehemently calling

attention to the dire affair idea of entitlement over ethical morals and the effect of socioeconomic

status on social dominance. The story of the maids is symbolic of the oppression of the

powerless members of modern society and the integral role wealth plays into authority and

morality. authority and wealth play in daily life.

Since the origins of civilization, there has been distinct social classifications that mold

human communication and interaction. Despite the great progress made by mankind in other

areas, the oppression of the poor and powerless has remained has remained relatively constant in

the face of time. When discussing their early life with the reader, the maids state that “We were

set to work in the palace, as children; we drudged from dawn to dusk, as children,” (Atwood 13).

The maltreatment of the maids at such a young age is indicative of a social class that performs

the jobs looked down upon by society, yet play a tremendous and vital role in a functioning

establishment. Similar to the 21st century era, the stigmas surrounding lower class jobs

perpetuate unfair perceptions of workers who are indispensable to providing services taken for

granted by others.
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More than just stigmas, the powerless are oppressed through the actions of a changing

world in which success is increasingly difficult to acquire. Like many people today, the maids

were born into a lifestyle that left them in a position in which the goal of obtaining wealth and

hope for a future was relatively obsolete. While in ancient Greece the limitations were forthright

and literal, those in modern society function as a chain reaction, with each obstacle inhibiting

one’s attainment of the next. Whether these hindrances present themselves as indentured

servantry or college tuition, the effects are similar in limiting social classes from working

towards a better life.

Whether or not it is acknowledged, socioeconomic status governs the way we interact

with one another. The wealth gap creates a similar effect to that of authority, as the two are often

intertwined with one another. This correlation between wealth and authority is shown in The

Penelopiad as the relationship between Eurycleia and Odysseus’ father, Laertes, is discussed.

“[Eurycleia was] so highly valued that he hadn’t even slept with her. ‘Imagine that, for a slave-

woman!’” (Atwood. 60). Regardless of the act itself, the main idea is that Laertes stood in a

position of power, created by his wealth, that allowed him to make decisions for Eurycleia

without her consent. A common instance of authority and wealth occurring today is the fact that

congressman, who are responsible for making laws for the general population have a median net

worth of $1.2 million, while the average net worth of an American household is only $97,000

(Kopf). In this instance the congressman are considerably more wealthy than those who they

make the laws for. Both of these cases demonstrate how closely net worth and authority are

intertwined with one another in modern and ancient societies.

In addition to the limitations presented to the symbolic “powerless”In addition to the idea

that affluence leads to social dominance, The Penelopiad examines the key role way wealth
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plays into moral decisions making on a daily basisin daily life. A quote by Freakonomics author,

Steven D. Levitt, forces his readers to consider the possibility that wealth gives people an

entitlement over morality. He states, "Morality, it could be argued, represents the way that

people would like the world to work, whereas economics represents how it actually does work,”

(Levitt & Dubner). Essentially, the economic factor plays a larger role in the realistic decision-

making process than most care to admit. Essentially, economics plays a larger role in ethical

choices than most care to admit. In the case of Odysseus and PenelopeThe Penelopiad, there are

multiple instances in which their power is reflected in the manipulation of others who stand

below their socioeconomic status. For instance, when the suitors were at Penelope’s house they,

“helped themselves to the maids in the same way they helped themselves to sheep and pigs and

goats and cows” (Atwood 116). This blatant abuse of the maids is indicative of people who

believe they have the right to treat others in a certain way only because of their economic

standing. Scrutinization of Penelope’s time with the maids “spying” on the suitors shows a

relationship that functioned as . In more recent news, the college admissions scandal which

involved wealthy parents bribing schools to admit their children is a current example of how

socioeconomic status gives people a perceived entitlement over ethical rules. In each instance,

wealth gave people a false sense of superiority in which widely accepted moral guidelines did

not apply to them.

In a society that is constantly working to become more egalitarian and less elitist, The

Penelopiad is a reminder that regardless of the time period, affluence and a wealth gap will exist.

With the ubiquitous presence of social class in modern times, parallels to an ancient world show

that with it comes perceived moral superiority and the basis of authority. However flawed this

may be, it has governed human existence since the earliest societies began, and only now are
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people beginning to truly question the ideologies on a greater scale than ever before. Despite the

radical movements for change, the question remains: because socioeconomic status will never

truly disappear, can thousands of years of human behavior regarding the adverse effects of

skewed morality and heightened authority, ever be permanently changed?

that of a young girl playing with her dolls, for in Penelope’s eyes, that is all the maids

were; invaluable and replaceable, yet fun to play with.

With these mindsets stems the roots of authority, which essentially governs the way we interact

with one another. The authoritative perceptions of one another are omnipresent and have been

since the earliest of civilizations. Built upon 5 core relationships, each clearly defining the

superior and inferior, or teacher and student, connections to the Confucius philosophy represents

the idea of power and a figurative hierarchy that has withstood the test of time. This widespread

and accepted notion of authority is ubiquitous in life, from the Penelopiad to early Confucius

values.

Despite the seemingly bleak imminent outcomes that will occur as a result of these

issues, for the first time in history the progression might be changing directions for the better.

With the correlation of wealth and philanthropy growing increasingly strong, the ancient idea of

separated worlds is shifting into one of society supporting one another. Although one could

argue against this idea, it is critical to remind oneself of the progress made in the past century

alone. Never before in history has the notions of service and giving back to the community held

such a prominent role in our daily life. While many parallels drawn between Margaret Atwood’s

Penelopiad and our modern world provide relevance and deeper meaning to the text, the key idea

of change and progress is the fissure that will forever divide the two.
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Works Cited

Levitt, Steven D, and Stephen J. Dubner. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of
Everything. New York: William Morrow, 2005. Print.

Atwood, Margaret. The Penelopiad. Great Briatin: O.W. Toad, 2005. Print.

Levitt, Steven D, and Stephen J. Dubner. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of
Everything. New York: William Morrow, 2005. Print.

Kopf, Dan. The Typical US Congress Member is 12 Times Richer Than the Typical American
Household. Quartz. February 12, 2018. https://qz.com/1190595/the-typical-us-congress-member-is-12- Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman, 10 pt
times-richer-than-the-typical-american-household/
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