The first four books of The Odyssey are known as the "Telemachy," as they introduce us to the voyage of Odysseus' adolescent son, Telemachus. Why do you think that The Odyssey begins with this story, and what are the most important things that we learn about Telemachus?
I think The Odyssey begins with the Telemachy because it clearly shows how desperate people are for Odysseus to return home. Telemachus is being eaten out of house and home by suitors who are constantly pursuing Penelope. Meanwhile, even the gods think it is time for Odysseus to have his homecoming. Telemachus leaves Ithaca, which we can assume he hasn't done so before, just to search for news of his father, Odysseus.
There are a lot of important things that we learn about Telemachus, but the most important things that we learn about him include: he has never met his father because he left for Troy when Telemachus was still a baby; he is not a man yet, since he has not grown his beard and is barely of age; he looks and sounds like Odysseus; Athena is assisting him; and he is repeatedly compared to Orestes, and uses Orestes as a role model to take action, make his name in the world, and take his father's fate into his own hands.
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