Troy: Immortality in an Oral Culture

There are many differences of thinking caused by oral versus literate cultures, and one that especially struck me is the difference in views of death, longevity, and immortality. I was particularly troubled by the an oral culture’s tendency to forget: “…oral societies live very much in a present which keeps itself in equilibrium or homeostasis by sloughing off memories which no longer have present relevance” (Ong 46). By contrast, in today’s society, people seem to want to prolong every memory as long as possible—digitally remastering old movies, keeping art safe in museums, writing memoirs to keep their legacies alive, etc. Most of these forms of immortality would not be possible in an oral, technologically undeveloped society, where only stories could preserve the past.

This leads me to the movie Troy, which presents the Trojan War, largely through the eyes of Achilles (Brad Pitt). Taking place in 1193 B.C., writing, although it exists, is not very popular, and the culture is still largely oral. After Paris abducts Helen, Greece prepares for war, and Achilles’ participation is sought, as he is a highly respected, if not the most highly respected, warrior of that time. He must decide if he will go to war, effectively condemning himself to death but leaving a legacy, or lead a peaceful life that will soon be forgotten. Thetis, his mother, discusses the implications of this decision with him: “If you stay here, with me, with your family, you’ll have a long, peaceful life. You’ll marry, you’ll have children, and your children will have children. They’ll love you, and when you’re gone they’ll remember you. But when your children are dead, and their children after them, your name will be lost….If you go to Troy, no one will earn more glory than you. Men will tell stories of your victories for thousands of years. The world will remember your name” ( http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/troy_by_david_benioff.pdf, 34). This quote highlights the importance of doing something significant enough to be kept alive in the collective memory. This quest for immortality is much more costly than that of people of the present age; for Achilles, it is a life-and-death decision.

Both during the time of the Trojan War and today, immortality in terms of leaving a legacy is a large concern, and it is interesting to note just how much more difficult it was to create that legacy in the past. In either age it t is unsettling to think that one’s name will be completely forgotten. As we approach the digital age, this will take on even more meaning, because our names and images last almost too long on Internet sources.

**Because we are discussing the importance of orality and also hypermediacy, I have included a link (http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Remember-lyrics-Josh-Groban/B8267ADECA7E588C48256E9D000848DC ) to the lyrics of a song featured in Troy, entitled Remember by Josh Groban. This song discusses the importance of continuing to tell a story in order to keep a person alive. Because this song discusses stories, it is a form of hypermediacy, if you consider story-telling as a form of media, which I think is a necessary consideration when dealing with an oral society, which has no other medium. Also, (if you can manage to get a hold of this song) hearing the yearning for immortality in spoken from may be helpful because “sound incorporates” and creates “harmony, a putting together” (Ong 71) that might better convey the feeling of the idea of existing only through memory. The song recreates the orality of the period, as well as the sentiments.