In Defense of Homer by Jacqueline

In Defense of Homer by Jacqueline - October 2021 Scholarship Essay

I have always been drawn to the unconventional. As for my role models, this fact remains true. For example, the cartoon character (who also appears in several books) Homer Simpson is not ordinarily considered an inspirational character, mainly because he is portrayed as a lazy glutton who drinks too much. But his good qualities outweigh the bad, and there is a lot to learn from Homer and his life.

Although he seems to lack intelligence, Homer is quite creative. After Maggie was born, Homer had to leave his new dream job at the bowling alley for a job he hated at the nuclear power plant. His boss, Mr. Burns, hung a sign in Homer's office that read, "Don't Forget You're Here Forever." It was an attempt to upset and humble Homer. But that did not get Homer down. He creatively posted pictures of baby Maggie on the sign so that it read, "Do It For Her." This one moment sums up Homer. He deeply cares for his children, and he is not afraid to reshape his less-than-perfect world from something disheartening into something positive.

Homer had a rough childhood. His mother left when he was very young, and his father was abusive. The emotional trauma led to his less-than-ideal parenting techniques and toxic relationship with food. Yet Homer is a pretty good father considering his upbringing. Instead of being miserable and abusive like his dad was, Homer works to break the cycle of abuse. He is always there for Bart, Lisa, and Maggie, often giving up his dreams for them.

For example, Homer gave up a coveted chance to ride in the Duff Blimp to pay for Lisa's beauty pageant because he believed that it would boost her confidence. In another episode, Bart wanted to compete on the Rumble Robot show. Unable to build an acceptable robot for Bart, Homer disguised himself as a robot. He was beaten and injured by several other robots but kept going. He ultimately won the contest in a roundabout way, and Bart was very proud of his father. Homer is proof that a victim of child abuse can survive and become a great parent.

Homer also lives life without comparison. In earlier seasons of "The Simpsons," Homer spent a lot of time complaining about and comparing himself to Ned Flanders, the perfect next-door neighbor. He was jealous of Ned's ideal family, achievements, and possessions. Eventually, the Flanders fell on harsh times. Homer realized that Ned's suffering did not make him feel any better and that his jealousy came from envy. Homer teaches us that having flaws, like envy, can be okay if we hold ourselves accountable for our flawed actions and work to overcome them.

Homer is the epitome of dancing through the fire because he sees the importance of people instead of money and material possessions. The world could end, and Homer would be happy as long as he had his family. The most important lesson we can learn from Homer is that life does not always give us exactly what we want, but we can be satisfied with what it does give us.