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Analysis And Reflection Of 'Odysseus'

Decent Essays
Passage
Analysis and Reaction
”I don't know if your father is alive or dead, but I suspect that he's alive. He's a tricky one, Odysseus, and he knows how to land on his feet. He’s very good at looking after his own interests, is your father,” [Mentes said.]
I nodded, my mouth suddenly dry.
“My counsel to you is to go out in search of him. Find out if he's dead, in which case your mother should marry again and you can make your way in the world. Or if you learn he's alive, you can try to bring him home.” Hanging in the air between us was the question: Why wouldn't he come home in his own? We both ignored it, and Mentes went on, “Either way, you're old enough now to take the journey.”
“But where should I go?” [I said.]
“Go to King Nestor,
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Moreover, Telemachos clearly harbors some anger and/or confusion toward his father, as shown when he mentions that he and Mentes both wonder why Odysseus “wouldn’t come home on this own.” (However, this also demonstrates Mentes’s faith in Telemachos since he is nonetheless giving Telemachos this assignment despite that he knows it would make more sense for Odysseus to return to Ithaka on his own.)
Reading this passage also reminded me of a self connection that I bear to this specific situation in the plot. I have never been assigned the daunting task of venturing out and returning my father to his rightful home; yet, I played a big role in restoring my father’s and my relationship. This makes me want Telemachos to be even more motivated and invokes a positive and hopeful feeling inside of me that Odysseus and his son will reunite. For some small chunks of my childhood (which when grouped together don’t seem so small anymore), I lived without speaking to my father or knowing of his whereabouts. My birthplace is New York City, but upon moving to Ohio without my father, our relationship was strained and continued to have highs, lows, and phases you could call “in-betweens.” Finally, several months ago, after concealing my true feelings for seven years, I ended up “brain dumping” my
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