Theme: Women
About: Specifically, the role of the “maidservant” throughout The Odyssey and how these characters assist, or direct in steering and influencing the plot.
Potential Thesis:
The female servants of The Odyssey may not be considered more than side characters, but it is their very power of invisibility that enables them to indirectly drive the plot.
Passages:
Passage 1: (17.92-96).
“They went inside and laid their cloaks on chairs,
And then went into polished tubs and bathed.
When the maids had bathed them and rubbed them
With oil, and flung upon them fleecy cloaks and tunics,
They came out of the baths and sat on chairs.”
Maids are constantly described as bathing the men, and rubbing them down with oil. They are responsible for making the men look clean and attractive, and for adorning them. So when a hero is described as godlike and handsome, it makes me wonder how much of that should be attributed to the work of the women who supply them with the pampering they need to glean. If beauty is indeed considered a significant feature of a Greek hero and seemingly demonstrates the favor of a god, then this role is an overall important one in Greek society. (Especially when one needs the respect of the people around them.)
We have seen that beauty and physicality, often enhanced by Athena, are what allow men to respect Odysseus again and again in each new place he arrives as a stranger.
Passage 2: (14.162-168).
“Every day I would weave at the great loom,
And every night unweave the web by torchlight.
I fooled them for three years with my craft.
But in the fourth year, as the seasons rolled by,
And the moons waned, and the days dragged on,
My shameless and headstrong serving women
Betrayed me.”
One of the biggest conflicts in Telemachus’s life is the suitors who are eating him out of home and inheritance. They are why Penelope carries extra sorrow, and why Odysseus must be disguised when he comes home. It is fascinating to see that this was all because of the serving women. These ladies obviously knew what was going on under the darkness of night, and because they knew these secrets, they were able to manipulate the scenario. They have no names, and they are not gods or heroes, but they helped steer the Fate of the suitors, Telemachus and Odysseus.
Passage 3: (14.518-521)
“Tears filled her eyes, and her voice
Was choked as she reached out
And touched Odysseus’ chin and said:
‘You are Odysseus, dear child. I did not know you
Until I laid my hands on my master’s body.'”
Even the disguise of a god cannot fool the hands of an old nurse maid. Eurycleia plays a pivotal role demonstrating the capabilities of a servant. She is the one who raises both Odysseus and Telemachus, who keeps account of the servants loyal to Penelope, and who helps Telemachus on his journey to find news of his father. She also helps Odysseus by keeping his identity hidden. If it were not for her, the heroes could not have achieved everything they accomplished. It is the acts of women like her that enable the bigger events in the story to actually occur.
Hi JoMaris,
The maidservants are certainly influential and drive the plot. Your second passage was especially convincing. Penelope, cunning like her husband, trusted her maidservants and did not hide her night activities from them partly due to how invisible and insignificant she thought they were. I thought the other two passages were less convincing as evidence. It is true that maidservants bathe heroes and appearance play an important role, but the invisibility characteristic of maidservants are not directly contributing to it. Along the same lines, Eurycleia’s involvement drove the story, but she could have very well been a significant and visible character and still play the same important role.
@c.chen8 Hi, Chao. Thanks for your advice, I see what you mean. I also didn’t think the “invisibility characteristics” was overt in the other passages, but I wanted a topic similar to this idea and I tried to warp this as much as possible. Do you have any ideas about what I could possibly do, or use?
Also, I think the point you made about Eurycleia totally makes sense. I originally figured it was precisely because of Eurcyleia’s time behind the scenes that she could do what she does. Someone in the limelight like Penelope is eventually caught because she has eyes on her. Eurycleia can help Telemachus secretly because no one is watching over her. This is probably a little far stretched, so maybe what I mean is how the plot moves because of “minor” characters versus invisible ones? Do you think that would work better?
Hi JoMaris! I really like the direction that you’re going in with your paper. As I was reading it, I was reminded of the quote ‘Behind every great man is a woman’. The female servants can be considered to an invisible driving force of The Odyssey.
The ‘god-like’ appearance of Odysseus is attributed to his servants and how they pamper him. His appearance would not have such a worldly reputation had it not been for the female servants.
I really like the second passage that you chose. It gives the servants a new dimension, as they were once silent carriers of the plot – and now they showed that they have a voice.