Elizabeth WeissLeopold Bloom: The Journey of a Modern HeroIn contemporary society, a hero is generally considered a person greatly admired for his illustrious deeds or distinguished personal qualities. But by literary standards, the term hero encompasses a broader, broader definition. In literature, a hero can be a mythological or legendary figure, sometimes of divine origin and blessed with great strength – as in Greek mythology – or a man admired for his impressive achievements and noble qualities. In his modernist masterpiece Ulysses, James Joyce creates an atypical hero featuring a character who leads an otherwise conventional life. But by examining the similarities between the modernist novel and Homer's Odyssey, I will prove that Leopold Bloom can be called a modern hero. Heroes traditionally possess traits that society deems admirable, such as courage and chivalry. They are strong in both physicality and values, and they are presented to the public as people who have honest and highly moral character and who pursue righteous actions, often in the face of insurmountable obstacles. In literary works, the hero is the main character and the center around which the story revolves. The characteristics of the hero generally reflect the cultural values ​​of his or her time because, as the world changes and society's attitudes toward it change, different forms of heroes emerge. In Ulysses, Leopold Bloom is this modern hero. Although he doesn't fight Poseidon or a Cyclops, he instead faces the injustice of anti-Semitism and defends a young man who is drowning because of his lack of fatherly guidance. In Greek mythology, the hero is frequently favored by the gods and is, in a sense, semi-divine, very much alive... middle of paper ......ysseus. As a typical "good guy", Bloom embodies all that is right and decent, protecting the innocent and, in his own way, fighting for justice. He may not have superpowers like Spiderman, he doesn't have the Greek gods on his side, nor does he possess the internal motivation to make the world a better place like Katniss. But Bloom, like all such heroes, still embodies these heroic characteristics. This doesn't mean he's the same as Odysseus, but Kenner suggests they all have similar goals. In our modern world, our heroes are firefighters and police officers, human rights activists and children willing to stand up to bullies. We no longer fight sea monsters or mermaids; instead, we fight our own demons and try to right the wrongs by victimizing others. Through this connection, it is evident that Leopold Bloom stands as a modern hero of epic proportions..