The Intergenerational Conflict - Essay Example

?Intergenerational conflict has long been an aspect that artists, and stakeholders within society have discussed and analyzed. The intergenerational conflict that takes place between the young and the old is oftentimes representative and indicative of the process of maturation and/or the differential that exists between time periods or cultural norms. Whereas it may seem as something of a new constructs to compare the differentials between a father and a son, this has in fact been ongoing since the written word and spoken language have been able to compare individuals. Naturally, one of the most effective means of comparing and contrasting the intergenerational conflict that takes place is with respect to the inter-generational differential that exists between a father and a son. This intergenerational differential is perfectly evidenced with respect to the way in which Odysseus stands somewhat in contrast to the son Telemachus. Accordingly, the following analysis will analyze the way in which the intergenerational conflict between these two characters helps to represent the similarity and contrast between their respective journeys/struggles and the means through which the characters came to grow and accept these challenges and allow them to impact upon the way in which they grew as a result. The story of Odysseus journey is one riddled with hardship and failure. After engaging in 10 years of an unimaginably horrific war, a bruised, war weary Odysseus seeks to make his way home. However, his hardship has only just as it begun. Upon his journey home, he lost his fleet, his men, his own ship, his clothes, and ended up going to the afterlife and denying the memory of his own mother. As if this were not enough, Odysseus within the faced a Cyclops and even had to give up his own name; referencing himself as “no man”. As a result of all of these unbearable struggles, and the sacrifice that he gave to Poseidon, Odysseus came to understand the core of who he truly was. Philosophers, theologians, and scholars alike have oftentimes denoted the fact that only once an individual’s place within the cauldron of difficulty can the true determinants of their character be made known. Not only was this evidenced with regards to a discus, it was also evidenced with regards to the fact that he came to understand who he was through these hardships and trials. Yet, the most market comparison that can be made with regards to Odysseus as compared to his son is with respect to the fact that when Odysseus left to engage in battle, he was already a full grown man who was at least somewhat self-aware with regards to the was, how we should behave, and what was expected of him. Although his son bears many of the same qualities that the father engenders, this self identification and understanding of innate qualities is fundamentally lacking. By comparison, Odysseus son, Telemachus is only a lad of 21 years of age. Whereas it must be understood that 21 years of age is sufficient to develop a self identity and come to grips with regards to one really is and what they wish to represent within this life, homework presents Telemachus as something of a lost soul. Due to the fact that his father has been gone for nearly his entire adult life, Telemachus does not have the self identity for life experience with which to understand the world as compared to his father. Additionally, by comparison, Telemachus has only traveled to neighboring Athens and has very little, if any, overall life experience. Whereas it might be easy to come down hard upon Telemachus and judge him based upon his failures and relative lack of experience, the fact of the matter is that Homer ultimately uses this inter-generational differential to set Telemachus as the foil of Odysseus. Whereas the father is a capable man and can exist within himself and upon his own means in nearly any and all environments, Telemachus is young, petulant, inexperienced, and in need of a great many lessons upon the way in which the world works and the way in which people should be treated. A further differential that must be noted is with regards to the role that suffering plays within the Odyssey. Whereas Odysseus undergoes an unimaginable amount of suffering and horrific instances/occurrences, each of these work together to provide Odysseus with an understanding and renewed appreciation for the way in which his character is defined and the lessons he is able to draw from them. However, by comparison, Telemachus is only able to suffer with regards to the hardships that he is faced with. However, unless it be misunderstood, Telemachus is not without honor. Rather, his speech to the sutures is evidence of the fact that he is willing to stand up and make himself a vulnerable target as a means of protecting the weak and frail. Says Telemachus, “See to your feasting elsewhere/devour your own possessions... (You are) destroying one man’s goods and going scot-free” (Puchner 97). Yet, before one goes too far in comparing the positive character traits that both Telemachus and Odysseus share, it must be noted that one market differential is with regards to the way in which Telemachus habitually and perennially disrespects women. Whereas Odysseus displays a great deal of respect and even in situations where mere survival is not guaranteed, Telemachus is unable to represent a level of respect even within his own house, and to his own mother. Evidence of this can of course be seen with regards to the way in which Odysseus approaches Arete and seeks her help. Says Homer, “(Odysseus) flung his arm around Arete’s knees as Odysseus pleaded and day for mercy” ( Puchner 184). Not only is Odysseus capable of showing respect, he also evidences the fact that the situational requirements for respect do not go beyond his comprehension. Although it cannot be definitively said that Odysseus would perform such a maneuver in each and every situation, he had the good sense, respect, and understanding to delineate the situations that required it as compared to those that did not. However, on the other hand, Telemachus was incapable of showing respect even with his own house and to his own mother. Says Telemachus, “Mother go back to your quarters. Tend to your own task/the distaff and the loom and keep the women working hard as well. As for giving orders, men will see to that, but I most of all:/I hold the reins of power in this house” (Puchner 89). This disrespect that Telemachus shows to his own mother is not only indicative of the fact that his life experience is limited and the lack of a father figure in the home has made it difficult for him to adjust to his own gender role, it also points to the fact that without hardship equating to personal growth, the value of the hardship and difficulty itself is nonexistent. Whereas Odysseus is able to integrate with the hardship, struggle, suffering, and pain that he must face each and every day, with the understanding that he has made him into a better human being, Telemachus has no such degree of personal growth that is evidenced. Ultimately, the intergenerational conflict and the comparison and contrast between these two characters lens one to understand that even if an individual from the same family, from the same genes, experiences many of the same hardships as does another, the end result is not by any means guaranteed. As such, Homer attempts to point the reader to the fact that even though Odysseus is able to grow and make use of the lessons that he has learned, Telemachus is little more than a petulant youth who, although strong in some aspects, does not engender the qualities of manhood that Odysseus is capable of representing. Work Cited Puchner, Martin. The Norton anthology of world literature. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2012. Print. Read More