The Symbolism Behind Parents and Children in Mythology Essay

The bond between parents and children is something that was created soon after the first man was created. Unlike certain animals, whose children go off and fend for themselves right after birth, the care given to children by human parents is different. As humans, parents care and provide for their child until he/she is ready to live on their own. It is during this process of caring, that the true relationship between parents and their children form. The antiquity of parent child relationships is seen through Greek/Roman mythology. At first, myths seem to be an ordinary story, but when carefully looked at, they have a far deeper meaning. Understanding the deeper meaning of the myth is key in understanding the purpose of the myth. The†¦show more content†¦Demeter’s motherly love is tested when she realizes that Persephone has been taken away by someone. Once Demeter realizes that Persephone is gone she starts searching for her. Demeter’s deep desire to find Perse phone is illustrated when it mentions, â€Å"So that the darkness of night would not slow her search, the Great Goddess kindled two pine torches in the fiery crater of Mount Aetna† ( Homer 96). Demeter is determined to do whatever it takes to find Persephone. After Demeter’s failed attempt at searching for Persephone, she goes to Helios asking, â€Å"I heard my daughter scream as though someone had seized her against her will, and yet I have been unable to learn what hass happened to her. Since your chariot takes you high above the grain-giving land and the swift-flowing sea, did you see who took my child?† (Homer 96). Once again, this plea from Demeter to Helios shows Demeter’s love for Persephone because she is willing to ask another god for help in order to find her missing daughter. Demeter’s violent actions and thoughts in the story also show Demeter’s motherly love for Persephone. 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