The Journey of Odysseus and Telemachus - Essay Example

? The Journey of Odysseus and Telemachus The father and son had their own sets of challenging and painful journey in life. Odysseus and Telemachus had different approaches and effects to these challenges. Telemachus grew up without a father. He was forced to learn things without the influence of Odysseus. His father left leaving behind a well respected reputation and Telemachus had a hard time living up to Odysseus' name. He did not actually know who and how his father was when he was there but surely, he must have been a very tough and great warrior and leader to be given high reverence by the community. Because he did not have his father beside him when he was growing up, he suffered and endured more hardships than any other child should have. The journey of Telemachus was very painful. Being left with his mother Penelope, they were always troubled by numerous suitors who took away his possessions and court his mother persistently. All these suitors believed that Odysseus was long dead. Without his father, at an early age, he was forced to protect himself and his mother. At the age of fourteen, he was courageous enough to face and stand up against the suitors to protect his family. He stood up and said "See to your feasting elsewhere,/ devour your own possessions…(you are) destroying one man's goods and going scot-free" (97). However, all these hardships made Telemachus ill mannered and disrespectful to women. Even to his own mother, he did not respect her opinions and even ordered her to let him be and never bother his decisions such that saying "Mother, go back to your quarters. Tend to your own tasks, the distaff and the loom and keep the women working hard as well. As for giving orders, men will see to that, but I most of all:/ I hold the reins of power in this house. (89). " Because Telemachus was forced to grow up and became head of the household, he had to assume the responsibility even before he was ready and he did not have any chance to learn how to handle such duty. It can be said that Telemachus had a cruel childhood. Despite being a child of a very well respected and powerful leader and warrior, Telemachus never gained the full respect of those around him. He was not even looked up as a person with power or authority. Because of this, he never gained faith of himself and his capabilities. In Book II, he was even mocked by the suitors as someone who is weak and indecisive. The lack of father figure and guidance from someone who is highly respected father greatly affected his faith and confidence. This fact had a huge impact with Telemachus' character and life. He himself did not believe his abilities as a person and as a warrior. When they were planning to take down the troublesome suitors, he said "How on earth could two men fight so many and so strong?" (346). If it was described that the son Telemachus had a challenging and painful journey in life, Odysseus was not also lucky himself. He spent twenty years away from his family, his life. He did not neglect his wife and son, but he spent a decade to fight in the Trojan war and another decade to get home. He left Penelope and Telemachus against his will. Two decades of physical and emotional pain, Odysseus had proven himself to overcome all these trials. He fought with numerous strong monsters that wanted to make him as prey as well as those subtle ones who wanted to keep him and force him into a long term relationship. Some of the monsters that Odysseus and his team encountered are the Lotus-eaters, the giant Cyclops Polyphemus, and the cannibals known as Laestrygons. They also fell into the traps of the sorceress Circe. All the men were turned into pigs while Odysseus, armed with the powerful herb from Hermes, saved him and everyone. In the end, Circe helped them to there long journey and gave them a helpful information not to listen to the the sirens. Along the way, everyone excepted Odysseus died. But he was then stuck in Calypso for years. The Phaeacians took pity at Odysseus and helped him go back. Of all the misfortunes that happened to him, Odysseus also received help from different Gods and Goddesses in his journey towards home. He used the helped he got to fight every trial to get home. The journey seemed endless as well ad the troubles, but he did not give up and lose hope that he can see his family again. But the Goddess Athena helped Odysseus and Telemachus reunite. Despite the troubles that happened in Odysseus' life, he remained to be well-mannered and respectful especially to women unlike his son. In the midst of his journey back home, he showed huge amount of respect and equal treatment to women such as Arete. He even bowed down and begged for Arete's help jn the story. Odysseus "flung his arms around Arete's knees/…as Odysseus pleaded 'Queen,/ Arete,…I come to beg for mercy'" (184). Unlike Telemachus, Odysseus' showed to face his challenges in a very brave and wise manner. He was courageous enough to succeed in all his conquests and proven himself to be a hero. He had a lot of faith that he will reach home to his family. Despite the distance and the time, Odysseus' remained to be faithful to his wife Penelope and loving to his son Telemachus. Although he was not present to protect them, he had all the faith in his son to protect his family. If there was one thing in common between Odysseus and Telemachus in the story, it is that hardship was a vital part of their lives. Living without a father made Telemachus' life full of pain and challenges. Odysseus on the other hand suffered twenty years without his family. But in the end, though the father and son may have been in different journey in life but they were both strong to overcome every challenges they faced. They both have strong faith about each other, Odysseus knowing that his son will do good and Telemachus believing that his father will return. In the beginning of the story, Telemachus was very immature. However, he matures along the way that Odysseus began to treat him as an equal human being despite being young. Like Odysseus, Telemachus fought at a high level of skill and killed Amphinomus from behind. But Telemachus still cannot string a bow like his father, careless that he left and forgot to close the door where the weapons are stored, but he had done his best in fighting and did well. Odysseus stating in Book 23 “But you and I, put heads together. What’s our best defense? When someone kills a lone man in the realm who leaves behind him no great band of avengers, still the killer flees, goodbye to kin and country. But we brought down the best of the island’s princes, the pillars of Ithaca. Weigh it well, I urge you" proved that he had high regard to his son as an equal. He wanted his son to be courageous and trust himself. But the passage proved that Odysseus was encouraging his son to think and decide. Odysseus had faith that his son has the same thinking as him and that he will be likely be as good as him or even better. Decision making was one struggle that Telemachus faced in his early age. When the two were planning their tactics against the suitors, Telemachus doubted their chance to survive, but his father encouraged "Think: will Athena flanked by father Zeus/ do for the two of us?"(346). It was something that made him feel that they can win. The challenges that Telemachus faced in his journey helped him become the person he is. He was shaped and molded into the kind of person he was due to the absence of his father Odysseus. He did not know his father and he did not know if he was even alive. As a child, he was forced to grow and mature fast without having him enjoy childhood like the normal young ones would do. It can be pointed out that deep inside, Telemachus was striving whether to be grateful to have such a heroic father or to hate him for making him feel like he was nothing like his father. As what his mother told him, a few sons will end up like his father, some get worse and few even better. These words may have pushed Telemachus to choose whether he can be as great as Odysseus, worse or even better. But the real question was how. No one was there for him to train him to become as expert as his father, nor guide him as he grow up. It was as if he was left with his own to choose his own fate. Struggling, Telemachus managed to live a life like his father. He was there to protect his family in ways he can. He may not be as good as his father but he always look up to him with greatness. Even without Odysseus, his son Telemachus was able to pull himself together and become someone like his father. Although he was not good as Odysseus, he defended his family until Odysseus was back. His character had flaws such that he was stubborn and disrespectful, but this was basically due to the hardships he'd been through growing up without a father and assuming his responsibility when he was not even ready. In the story, it is very evident that family was very important. Growing up without a father will affect the life of the children. Thus parents have very crucial role in molding and shaping the children's personality and future. If only Odysseus was there for Telemachus, he might have been a better person, warrior and leader. He may become a confident and stronger person. But whatever hardships and pain Telemachus have been through, they made him stronger than any other children. Read More