I chose to analyze an article about the development of Telemachus throughout the first four books of the Odyssey. Before reading the article my view of Telemachus throughout these books was that he was finding himself. As a young man, he is still unsure about who he is. He is conflicted between the son of a great warrior and a young, insecure boy. As the son of Odysseus, he feels like he has to be a brave leader but he also struggles with feeling inadequate. Without ever meeting his father, Telemachus relies on the stories he is told about his father’s adventures. This causes Telemachus to have an unrealistic view of his father; he views Odysseus as a powerful leader without flaws. This puts an immense amount of pressure on Telemachus to lead his crew fearlessly and without imperfection, even though he is young. The article I chose to read reflects the same perception. However the article also points out Athena’s aid throughout Telemachus’ journey and the effect she had on his development. Athena appears as family friends and trusted friends to give advice and knowledge to Telemachus to help with his journey. The article points out the essential part Athena plays in Telemachus’ journey; she gives him the confidence to keep going. This constant support may be seen as a crutch for Telemachus but the article explains that once he gets to Menelaus and Helen, he begins to act for himself. 

The article points out significant points in Telemachus’ development that I hadn’t been able to conceptualize from the Odyssey. For example, I hadn’t considered the fact that because Telemachus had never met his father, that he created an image of his father from stories he was told. This is a significant part of how Telemachus views Odysseus and how he thinks he should act. Growing up without a father figure might have also hindered Telemachus’s development. Without Odysseus, Telemachus was left to become the “man of the house”. However, how could he become this without knowing what this even looks like. Odysseus was never around to show him how to grow into that role. This is reflected in Telemachus’s inability to stand up to the suitors. 

The new narrative I got from this article is that the effect of Odysseus’s absence is more prevalent to Telemachus’s development than I had previously thought. My new found understanding of Telemachus’ psyche helps with my close reading of the Odyssey and empathy of Telemachus. I had previously thought that Telemachus is weak for not standing up to the suitors or leading his crew more fearlessly, but now I understand that Odysseus’ absence affected Telemachus more than I had thought. This article also helped with my understanding of Athena’s influence on Telemachus’s development. I viewed her help as holding Telemachus’ hand throughout his adventure, but now I understand that Telemachus needed to be pushed out of his shell and into the man he showed himself to be at the end of the Odyssey. 

https://www.classicsnetwork.com/essays/telemachus-in-the-odyssey/1201