Telemachus, son of Odysseus, does not appear in The Odyssey for a large expanse of time. However, he makes a huge impact by showing how he grows up. His father has been away at war and lost at sea for twenty years. Odysseus’s exciting journey spans the majority of the book. He spends time in many strange islands with monsters, Cyclopes, and Godlike beings. Never losing hope in his father’s return, Telemachus has to mature quickly to keep the house in order. Telemachus makes this epic poem not only an adventure story, but a classic example of Bildungsroman. Telemachus typifies Bildungsroman in The Odyssey through his actions of taking part as leader of the house, dealing with the suitors, and taking responsibility for finding information about his father.
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It is obvious from the beginning that Telemachus misses his father. Telemachus’ mood is “... sad, morose - sat with the suitors. In his reverie, he saw his sturdy father, would that he, returning suddenly, might banish these intruders from his palace, and restore the rights and rule that had been before” (Homer 7). Despite wishing his father was there, Telemachus tries to control the house. He is young, about 21, hence, he is having trouble keeping order. An example of Telemachus running the house is, “... he rushed towards the outer door ashamed no one had got up to greet her” (Homer 7). While everyone is enjoying parting, Telemachus is trying to keep a desirable reputation of the house. It is obvious he is becoming grown due to the fact that he was the only person who noticed the visitor at the door when everyone else is older. Older people should hold more responsibility and sophistication, but in this situation, Telemachus is acting older than his years. He decides to try to hold the house together over partying is a clear sign of his
It is obvious from the beginning that Telemachus misses his father. Telemachus’ mood is “... sad, morose - sat with the suitors. In his reverie, he saw his sturdy father, would that he, returning suddenly, might banish these intruders from his palace, and restore the rights and rule that had been before” (Homer 7). Despite wishing his father was there, Telemachus tries to control the house. He is young, about 21, hence, he is having trouble keeping order. An example of Telemachus running the house is, “... he rushed towards the outer door ashamed no one had got up to greet her” (Homer 7). While everyone is enjoying parting, Telemachus is trying to keep a desirable reputation of the house. It is obvious he is becoming grown due to the fact that he was the only person who noticed the visitor at the door when everyone else is older. Older people should hold more responsibility and sophistication, but in this situation, Telemachus is acting older than his years. He decides to try to hold the house together over partying is a clear sign of his