Jeel and Samantha - Telemachus's Growth

Throughout the Odyssey, Telemachus grows physically, mentally and emotionally. In the beginning of his life, Telemachus seems to be just a normal teenager - insecure, sometimes rude, but always following the rules. He followed the code of xenia and could be a bit shy at times. He had lost all hope for his father’s return, thinking “The day of his return will never dawn”. Telemachus as well as his mother grieved constantly, for example, “[Odysseus] left me tears and grief” (Book 1, 85). At the end of the book, he knew how to turn heads. There is a huge difference between how he talked to the suitors and his mother in the beginning of the story versus the end. Odysseus’s return provides him with confidence, pride, and daring. He also learns to shove off all of the many insults thrown at him. When the suitors mock him, “Telemachus paid no heed” (Book 20, 419). Lastly, he musters up the courage to stop his aggressive father from killing an innocent life. All in all, Telemachus gradually transforms from a shy teenager to a honorable man.