?The epic story of the Odyssey begins in medias res with Odysseus being far away from his home, Ithaca, and his family, Penelope and Telemachus. Odysseus has been trying to return home for many years and Telemachus, now a young man, has never seen his father and assumes he is dead. Telemachus thus far has never had a father figure to look up to for guidance or assistance and he is now thrown into a complex adverse situation in which suitors are eating and drinking away their wealth hoping that Penelope will soon choose a man to take Odysseus' place. Although Odysseus and Telemachus have a shared desired goal to reunite their family and rid of the suitors, both Odysseus and Telemachus embark on very different journeys that will enable them to develop and "transform" into mature men.
             Telemachus starts out in the epic story as someone who has very little faith or hope. Everyday the suitors come uninvited and not only do they abuse their hospitality by drinking and eating Odysseus' wealth away, they also clearly don't respect Telemachus and emasculate him when ever they get the chance. He spends his miserable days among the suitors sulking around wishing his long lost father would miraculously return. It is not until Athena comes disguised as an old friend of Odysseus do we see Telemachus' transformation begin. In book I, with Athena in disguise, she puts faith and motivation into Telemachus' heart,
             "With these words the Grey-eyed One was gone, flown up and away like a seabird. And as she went she put courage in Telemachus' heart and made him think of his father even more than before. Telemachus' mind soared. He knew it had been a god, and like a god himself he rejoined the suitors" (The Odyssey, p.339).
             This quote shows how much Athena's words transform Telemachus. He rejoins the suitors like a "god". He does not seem like the boy he did at the very beginning of the epic story being sulky and moody all the time. This is the ...