Identity In The Odyssey

Things are not always what they seem. Magritte’s famous pipe painting suggests that the image of the pipe is not really a pipe. An image of an object is not really the object itself. The same can be said of disguises and appearances. Both the Odyssey and Genesis contain significant episodes of recognition. Odysseus unmasking himself to Telemachus along with Joseph’s interactions with his brothers in Egypt both carry a heavy undercurrent about the themes of familial ties, acceptance, and identity, all of which impart the idea that certain things or people are infallibly unrecognizable. Family is central to a person’s identity. They are the first people with whom one interacts and they are the people that one, generally, knows best. Because

He sees his father in disguise and says, “Stay where you are, stranger” (Od. 16.49). Divine intervention plays a significant role in this scene. Telemachus’s inability to identify his father is solely a consequence of Athena’s influence. Familial ties are strong and in order to keep others from identifying Odysseus, Athena conceals him. Even when Odysseus reveals himself, Telemachus does not believe that it is his father. He exclaims, “No, you’re not Odysseus! Not my father! Just some spirit spellbinding me now-to make me ache with sorrow all the more” (Od. 16.220-222). The strength of Athena’s influence is that powerful. Odysseus reassures Telemachus, and their emotional reunion takes place. This story is not unlike Joseph’s story with his brothers. Joseph is sold by his brothers because they are jealous of him. Joseph is clearly the favorite of the twelve brothers and claims, “Suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright; then your sheave gathered around it, and bowed down to my sheaf” (Gen 37:7). Joseph’s dreams that he shares with his brothers make them increasingly jealous and angry. At this moment they decide to sell him after

Recognition can only occur when one’s true identity is known. Identity is something that is entrusted upon a person. This trust allows for omniscience in regards to one’s character. Odysseus’s and Telemachus’s character is shown when they “cried out, shrilling cries, pulsing sharper than birds of prey…Both men so filled with compassion, eyes streaming tears” (Od. 16.246-249). Odysseus and Telemachus let their character shine through when they recognize each other and their love. The relationship between a father and son is quite special and exemplary of the trust that comes with knowing one’s identity. Recognition cannot occur without having an identity to relate to. Odysseus’s explanation to Telemachus when he fails to accept his father’s return characterizes his identity. Because Telemachus knows Odysseus he can compare this characterization to the identity he has of his father. The words that Odysseus speaks resonate with Telemachus and he definitively recognizes Odysseus. Character and identity play an alternate role in Genesis. Joseph’s character is tested when he sees his brothers again in Egypt. They are the ones who sold him off. It would be normal for one to have bitter feelings in regards to that situation. However, Joseph does not react in the “normal” manner. He, at first, speaks harshly to them, but sequentially treats them like his own. Joseph in no way berates them for what happened. He trusts that it was fate and