Classical Greek Motif
There are many references to classical Greek in the story, so much so that this becomes one of the book's most enduring motifs. The character of Asterios Polyp himself is a classical Greek reference in that his ancestry is Greek, and he is extremely proud of, and connected to, this. He tends towards classical Greek in his architectural designs, and even his daydreams reference Orpheus and Euridice's story. He is also something of a philosopher and throughout the book grapples with some of the philosophical questions first asked by the Ancient Greeks.
Homer's Odyssey Allegory
The story of Polyp is intended by the author to be an allegory of Homer's The Odyssey. The first hint of this is the location of Polyp's home, Ithaca, New York; Odysseus was King of Ithaca and he too spent a considerable time on a spiritual journey away from his home. Both men experience considerable theological and philosophical turmoil during their journeys and seem to suffer from a similar sense of confusion when it comes to wondering if their lives are already mapped out for them, or whether they can steer their own course using their own free will.
Apollonian and Dionysian Dichotomy Motif
Constantly the book throws up the dichotomy that Polyp struggles with throughout the story, that of creativity, following the heart, and emotion versus logic and only listening to one's head, which is hopefully in possession of cold, hard facts. This is a constant motif not just because it is something that he is pondering but because he is a character who finds it hard to allow his head to rule his heart rather than the opposite.
Orpheus and Euridice Allegory
The story of Orpheus is both recurring theme and allegorical basis for Polyp's philosophical journey, and also the fact that what he was chasing continued to be removed from his grasp, This is something that Polyp also experiences, and in particular is chasing a love within his marriage that remains essentially troubled and unhappy.
Ithaca Symbol
Ithaca is a symbol of Polyp's Greek heritage and the fact that it is his classical Hellenic side that really defines him as a person even though he is quite unaware of this at the beginning of the book.
