Ovid and the Mythological Origins of the Car that Hit Jack
The Night Tourist is based on a story from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the book Jack is reading when he is hit by a car. In an early version of the scene, I included the model of the car that hit Jack. Any guesses, mythology buffs? Hint: It’s based on the mythological Eurydice’s fate (depicted in the print above). Answer at the end of this section!
The Metamorphoses is a series of myths about change—just when you think people or situations are one way, they change and become something different. Nothing lasts forever. This is one of the frustrating things about life. But it’s also what makes it bearable and even, at times, magical.
Publius Ovidius Naso lived from 43 B.C. to 18 A.D. (So during the time of Jesus Christ.) Ovid was a popular Roman poet until he got into trouble with Rome’s emperor Augustus and was exiled to a small town in present-day Romania. It’s a bit of mystery what Ovid did to offend the emperor but he was never allowed to return to Rome and died in exile. If you want to learn more about Ovid and his poetry, I recommend this site.
Oh, and that car model?
A Dodge Viper, of course.