In The Odyssey, translated by Robert Fagles, the long lost war hero, father, and husband, Odysseus, has yet to return from Troy and his meager son and wife seem to be held in a lull in their lives. Both still wanting to move forward from the past but to afraid to really put Odysseus out of their minds. Because of this the side plot of the party and temptress mother with the messed-up and cowardly child is used here.
Until Athena arrives Telemachus is trapped in a shell that is bound by the longing and lack of a fatherly figure and the absence of a strong mother. So when Athena arrives, she gives him both bold and brave words like a father and words of encouragement as from the point of a motherly status.
Telemachus believes that he is the unluckiest person in the world because of how his life turned out but Athena says, “Still,’ the clear-eyed goddess reassured him, ‘trust me, the gods have not marked out you house for such an unsung future.” (Book 1, 256-58) Athena turns Telemachus into a strapping and marvelous leader.
Homer, the original writer of The Odyssey, really emphasizes the Gods importance and power over the mortals. For Telemachus, Athena can be credited with his rise to power. She acts as is she is the mentor archetype by getting him to grow and mature into, hopefully, a hero (we must wait to see if this is true).
By continuing to read The Odyssey, we will begin to get a better understanding of Telemachus and his mentors’ interactions and adventures.
