In this image, we see Athena and Telemachus. This image represents Athena’s story element to help multiple characters, not just Odysseus. Athena could be seen as the rock of this story. She’s a character for others to lean on and receive advice. Athena helping Telemachus means a lot to Telemachus’ well-being. One must put themselves in Telemachus’ shoes. Telemachus’ dad has been gone for years, his mother is depressed and powerless, and all these greedy suitors are drinking the place dry. All the while, Telemachus is just a scared little kid. If he tried to do anything crazy, the suitors would kill him. That being said, Telemachus needs the wisdom of Athena just as bad as Odysseus needs it. One can notice Telemachus’ desperation in the image. Look at his body language. You see how he’s leaning over Athena and you know he’s saying “I really need some help here, ma’am.”? That is saying something about Telemachus’ mental state. Look at his eyes. They remind one of a dog needing some food. Now, one must observe Athena in the image. Her face gives pure calmness to the situation. That’s because that’s how you’re supposed to be as a mentor. You’re supposed to recognize that stressful situations can happen, but cowering behind various shields isn’t going to get you anywhere. You can also see with Athena’s right hand that she’s attempting to guide Telemachus down the right path. At this point, Telemachus’ anxieties are at a maximum. He doesn’t know whether to hide, cry for help, try to kill the suitors himself, or try anything else because it’s looking to him that all options are leading to pain for both him and Penelope. He’s looking in the future instead of the present which is why he’s feeling all this stress. Athena, in the image, is clearly saying “Hey, man, it’s okay to just breathe for a second. Yes, you do have this problem on your hands. That being said, freaking out about everything isn’t going to help anyone. Just chill and assess, my friend.” Furthermore, one must observe the background of the image. They are in nature and it looks like they’re in a more private location. This is because they’re discussing serious matters, so they can’t be in a populated place because walls have ears. This image also has to do with gender in that genders rely on each other for help. There’s a division sometimes where some feel that certain genders carry certain problems that can only be helped via advice from certain genders. However, we’re all human and must rely on each other for help, man or woman. In this situation, Telemachus is seeking guidance from Athena which Athena graciously gives. It goes against the sexist view of “it’s the man’s job to fix everything” which shows that this story is way ahead of its time.

After some extensive research, I can confirm that the meaning behind this image is close to what I was saying about Athena being a master of the wisdom persuasion. As it turns out, Athena in the image is giving Telemachus a pep talk about how he shouldn’t try to live up to his father. This shines a light on a problem that many people face today. Some people have parents who are considered very high in society. This puts the idea in people’s heads that they have to live up to that instead of just embracing their uniqueness. 

This image has a simple background because its intended focus is the characters. Furthermore, one can notice that Athena and Telemachus are wearing similar colors. This shows that Telemachus is warming up to Athena and her wisdom. One changing their clothing to resemble someone else is always a sign of respect and duty to that person. It’s like when Eleven started dressing like Hopper in Stranger Things. This is a powerful image that one should look at with attentive eyes.