A Question from a Student!

A former student asked - "What are they doing when they sail to the other island? What is the goal of their journey?"

First, when asking a question, please be specific, using characters' names. Knowing that the student had read the first four books, I can surmise that he was asking about Telemachus' voyage to Pylos, where he consults with Nestor, then heads to Sparta to speak with Menelaus, another important ruler in the Greek world.

The Odyssey is an epic, and epics contain many storylines. Telemachus becoming a man is one of them. Telemachus' voyage was suggested by Athena, the Greek Goddess of Wisdom. She plays a very important role in this epic poem. In this instance, Athena is helping Telemachus to become an adult male, heir to the throne of his father, Odysseus, on the Greek Island of Ithaca. Telemachus is asserting himself as a man with the aid of Athena. By speaking with Nestor, and then Menelaus, Telemachus is no longer acting as a child, a child who has been suffering not only the absence of his father, but also the greed and insolence of the many suitors seeking his mother's hand in marriage (Penelope). As a child, Telemachus was unable to confront the suitors. As he grows during his travels and gains the confidence of an adult male through his interaction with important ruling figures in the Greek world, Telemachus is becoming the man he needs to be in order to take his rightful place as a ruler in Ithaca.

Now is the time to begin thinking of text-to-text, text-to-world, and text-to-self connections with this storyline in The Odyssey and every where else you are familiar with a child achieveing adulthood. Please share your connections in the comment section.

KEEP ASKING ME QUESTIONS!!!

Thanks,

Mr. Matluck