DOCSLIB.ORG

Telemachus in Jeans: Adam Bahdaj's Reception of the Myth About

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Telemachus in Jeans: Adam Bahdaj's Reception of the Myth About chapter 21 Telemachus in Jeans: Adam Bahdaj’s Reception of the Myth about Odysseus’s Son Joanna Kłos In her book on the reception of the Odyssey, Edith Hall claims that the reason why Homer’s masterpiece is so often rewritten and reinterpreted in many cul- tures, is the wide range of characters appearing in the poem: gods and humans, men and women, young and old, freemen and slaves. With such a spectrum the Odyssey provides contemporary authors with numerous points of reference. As Hall claims in her book: […] the strength of the entire cast means that it has been possible to re- write the Odyssey from the perspective of old men, of teenage girls, of Elpenor, of Circe’s swine, and even of Polyphemus.1 The chapter discusses two young adult novels which retell the Odyssey, setting it in 1970s Poland; they retell it from the point of view of Telemachus—the Homeric character that fits perfectly the purposes of literature for children and young adults.2 First, let us consider some facts about the author. Adam Bahdaj (1918–1985)3 was one of the most popular writers of young adult novels in Poland in the 1 Edith Hall, The Return of Ulysses: A Cultural History of Homer’s Odyssey (London–New York: I.B. Tauris, 2008), 4. See also Geoff Miles, “Chasing Odysseus in Twenty-First Century Chil- dren’s Fiction,” in Lisa Maurice, ed., The Reception of Ancient Greece and Rome in Children’s Literature: Heroes and Eagles (Leiden: Brill, 2015), 213–232. 2 See Maria Nikolajeva, “Children’s Literature,” in Paula S. Fass, ed., The Routledge History of Childhood in the Western World (London–New York: Routledge, 2013), 321: “An actual or sym- bolically abandoned child is the most prominent protagonist in children’s literature. […] the function of parental figures is to be absent, physically or emotionally, allowing the protago- nists to test their independence in a safe mode and the readers to have a vicarious experience of freedom.” 3 For Bahdaj’s short biography, see Ilona Szewczyk, “Adam Bahdaj (1918–1985),” in Katarzyna Marciniak, Elżbieta Olechowska, Joanna Kłos, and Michał Kucharski, eds., Polish Literature for Children & Young Adults Inspired by Classical Antiquity. A Catalogue (Warsaw: Faculty of “Artes Liberales,” 2013), 30 (freely available here: www.al.uw.edu.pl/omc_catalogue, accessed Dec. 2, 2015). © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, ���6 | doi �0.��63/9789004335370_0�3 <UN> 334 Kłos 1960s and 1970s. Many of his books, having become bestsellers, were translat- ed into different languages and had dozens of reprintings in Poland, as well as film adaptations, which are still sometimes aired on Polish television. The plots of the most important of Bahdaj’s works have many common motifs— the main character is usually a perceptive, smart adolescent (in most cases a boy), who with an ironic sense of humour and using witty language tells of an amazing adventure in which he and his friends were involved during their vacation. Wakacje z duchami [Holidays with ghosts],4 for example, is a “Scooby Doo”-style novel about a group of friends who, as a club of “young detectives,” solve the mystery of a haunted castle, finding out that it is not ghosts but a gang of thieves who are staying there. Podróż za jeden uśmiech [A journey for a smile]5 tells of the adventures of two boys who, while travelling to the seaside, lose their way and have to hitchhike across Poland to find their parents. Kape- lusz za 100 tysięcy [A hat worth a hundred thousand]6 is a novel about a girl who, during her holiday at the seaside, meets a friendly pensioner and helps him find a missing hat in which he had hidden a winning lottery ticket; in the course of the novel she also foils a dangerous gang. Thus, at first glance, one can see that for Bahdaj a typical formula for a story that could be entertaining for young readers as well as didactic included travel- ling, experiencing the unknown, solving mysteries, and meeting different peo- ple. The same atmosphere of adventure can be found in the two volumes that are discussed in this chapter: Telemach w dżinsach [Telemachus in jeans] from 1979 and its sequel, Gdzie twój dom, Telemachu? [Where is your home, Telema- chus?], published in 1982.7 These novels also include a new aspect, not present in the books mentioned before, namely, reference to a myth, consisting in the identification of the main character with Telemachus. Before analysing this reference, it is important to consider the plot. Maciek Łańko is fifteen years old and lives in a boarding school near Warsaw. He is an orphan: his father abandoned the family years ago, and his mother died. One day Maciek is watching tv with a couple of workers from the near- by factory—and two of them recognise in a man interviewed on a news pro- gramme Maciek’s father, Waldemar. The man says that he works in the city of Ełk. Maciek decides to set out on a journey and find him there. Unfortunately, 4 Adam Bahdaj, Wakacje z duchami (Warszawa: Nasza Księgarnia, 1962). 5 Adam Bahdaj, Podróż za jeden uśmiech (Warszawa: Nasza Księgarnia, 1964). 6 Adam Bahdaj, Kapelusz za 100 tysięcy (Warszawa: Nasza Księgarnia, 1966). 7 For the first editions of both novels, see Adam Bahdaj, Telemach w dżinsach (Warszawa: Kra- jowa Agencja Wydawnicza, 1979); idem, Gdzie twój dom, Telemachu? (Warszawa: Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza, 1982). <UN>.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • From the Odyssey, Part 1: the Adventures of Odysseus
    from The Odyssey, Part 1: The Adventures of Odysseus Homer, translated by Robert Fitzgerald ANCHOR TEXT | EPIC POEM Archivart/Alamy Stock Photo Archivart/Alamy This version of the selection alternates original text The poet, Homer, begins his epic by asking a Muse1 to help him tell the story of with summarized passages. Odysseus. Odysseus, Homer says, is famous for fighting in the Trojan War and for Dotted lines appear next to surviving a difficult journey home from Troy.2 Odysseus saw many places and met many the summarized passages. people in his travels. He tried to return his shipmates safely to their families, but they 3 made the mistake of killing the cattle of Helios, for which they paid with their lives. NOTES Homer once again asks the Muse to help him tell the tale. The next section of the poem takes place 10 years after the Trojan War. Odysseus arrives in an island kingdom called Phaeacia, which is ruled by Alcinous. Alcinous asks Odysseus to tell him the story of his travels. I am Laertes’4 son, Odysseus. Men hold me formidable for guile5 in peace and war: this fame has gone abroad to the sky’s rim. My home is on the peaked sea-mark of Ithaca6 under Mount Neion’s wind-blown robe of leaves, in sight of other islands—Dulichium, Same, wooded Zacynthus—Ithaca being most lofty in that coastal sea, and northwest, while the rest lie east and south. A rocky isle, but good for a boy’s training; I shall not see on earth a place more dear, though I have been detained long by Calypso,7 loveliest among goddesses, who held me in her smooth caves to be her heart’s delight, as Circe of Aeaea,8 the enchantress, desired me, and detained me in her hall.
    [Show full text]
  • Year of Ulysses
    YEAR OF ULYSSES M VP By Stefan Krecsy and the Modernist Versions Project Team 2014 CC-BY TABLE OF CONTENTS I-III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII the centerpiece for the YoU, this tweets – the actual archive, as well Introduction retrospective affords pride of place as the visualization thereof, leaves I But who are all those people, to the sixteen twitter chats that much to be desired as a reading CHAL- dropped into the text by not these digitial publications inspired. copy. LENGEYOU much more than their names, During these chats, Joyceans of TO MAKE rapidly sketched features, ges- all stripes took to twitter to debate INSTANT tures, appearances and fragmen- and discuss the finer (and, at times, tary reactions? rougher) points of each episode; in SENSE OF THIS the hopes of celebrating as well as continuing the dialogue of YoU, these twitter chats are here pre- sented, with some editorial over- Does this relentlessly paran- Celebrating the 90th birthday sight, for your reading pleasure. tactical listing aggregate into of James Joyce’s Ulysses and its Prior to a brief discussion on anything with a claim to being incumbent Canadian emancipa- the necessity of this editorial understood as a narrative. In tion from copyright, the Year of engagement, I would like to thank #YoU Twitter Viz. Click to Enlarge. their sequence, the terse state- Ulysses (YoU) brought Joyce’s Dr. Jentery Sayer’s for his work in Warning: Bandwith Required ments appear as randomly masterpiece to the greatest possi- setting up an active twitter archive.
    [Show full text]
  • Durham E-Theses
    Durham E-Theses `Dangerous Creatures': Selected children's versions of Homer's Odyssey in English 16992014 RICHARDS, FRANCESCA,MARIA How to cite: RICHARDS, FRANCESCA,MARIA (2016) `Dangerous Creatures': Selected children's versions of Homer's Odyssey in English 16992014 , Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11522/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 ‘Dangerous Creatures’: Selected children’s versions of Homer’s Odyssey in English 1699–2014 Abstract This thesis considers how the Odyssey was adapted for children, as a specific readership, in English literature 1699-2014. It thus traces both the emergence of children’s literature as a publishing category and the transformation of the Odyssey into a tale of adventure – a perception of the Odyssey which is still widely accepted today (and not only among children) but which is not, for example, how Aristotle understood the poem.
    [Show full text]
  • Homer in Virgil
    Anthós (1990-1996) Volume 1 Number 3 Article 5 6-1992 Homer in Virgil Thomas Kerns Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/anthos_archives Part of the Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, and the Ancient Philosophy Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Kerns, Thomas (1992) "Homer in Virgil," Anthós (1990-1996): Vol. 1 : No. 3 , Article 5. Available at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/anthos_archives/vol1/iss3/5 This open access Article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). All documents in PDXScholar should meet accessibility standards. If we can make this document more accessible to you, contact our team. HOMER IN VIRGIL Thomas Kerns fter studying Virgil's Aeneid one can A surmise. that Virgil understood Homer's epics, and that he wanted to incorporate both The Odyssey and The Iliad within The Aeneid. Although Virgil drew upon a large .array of predecessors including Lucretious, Appolonious, Homer, and Plato (to name a few), I believe that the biggest influence was Homer. It can also be said that Virgil did not just imitate Homer, but that he transformed his works to make them the base of his own poem (Knauer 402). In this essay, I will show how Virgil has made use of Homer's epics, their structures and units of action, and a few select characters that Virgil deemed important enough to imitate in a related yet diverse fashion to benefit his own poem and intent.
    [Show full text]
  • Vergil's Aeneid and Homer Georg Nicolaus Knauer
    Vergil's "Aeneid" and Homer Knauer, Georg Nicolaus Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies; Summer 1964; 5, 2; ProQuest pg. 61 Vergil's Aeneid and Homer Georg Nicolaus Knauer FTEN since Vergil's Aeneid was edited by Varius and Plotius O Tucca immediately after the poet's death (18/17 B.C.) and Propertius wrote his (2.34.6Sf) cedite Romani scriptores, cedite Grat, nescio qUid maius nascitur Iliade Make way, ye Roman authors, clear the street, 0 ye Greeks, For a much larger Iliad is in the course of construction (Ezra Pound, 1917) scholars, literary critics and poets have tried to define the relation between the Aeneid and the Iliad and Odyssey. As one knows, the problem was not only the recovery of details and smaller or larger Homeric passages which Vergil had used as the poet­ ical background of his poem. Men have also tried from the very be­ ginning, as Propertius proves, to evaluate the literary qualities of the three respective poems: had Vergil merely stolen from Homer and all his other predecessors (unfortunately the furta of Perellius Faustus have not come down to us), is Vergil's opus a mere imitation of his greater forerunner, an imitation in the modern pejorative sense, or has Vergil' s poetic, philosophical, even "theological" strength sur­ passed Homer's? Was he-not Homer-the maximus poetarum, divinissimus Maro (Cerda)? For a long time Vergil's ars was preferred to Homer's natura, which following Julius Caesar Scaliger one took to be chaotic, a moles rudis et indigesta (Cerda, following Ovid Nlet.
    [Show full text]
  • The Return of Ulysses ‘Only Edith Hall Could Have Written This Richly Engaging and Distinctive Book
    the return of ulysses ‘Only Edith Hall could have written this richly engaging and distinctive book. She covers a breathtaking range of material, from the highest of high culture to the camp, cartoonish, and frankly weird; from Europe to the USA to Africa and the Far East; and from literature to film and opera. Throughout this tour of the huge variety of responses that there have been to the Odyssey, a powerful argument emerges about the appeal and longevity of the text which reveals all the critical and political flair that we have come to expect of this author. It is all conveyed with the infectious excitement and clarity of a brilliant performer. The Return of Ulysses represents a major contribution to how we assess the continuing influence of Homer in modern culture.’ — Simon Goldhill, Professor of Greek Literature and Culture, University of Cambridge ‘Edith Hall has written a book many have long been waiting for, a smart, sophisticated, and hugely entertaining cultural history of Homer’s Odyssey spanning nearly three millennia of its reception and influence within world culture. A marvel of collection, association, and analysis, the book yields new discoveries on every page. In no other treatment of the enduring figure of Odysseus does Dante rub shoulders with Dr Who, Adorno and Bakhtin with John Ford and Clint Eastwood. Hall is superb at digging into the depths of the Odyssean character to find what makes the polytropic Greek so internationally indestructible. A great delight to read, the book is lucid, appealingly written, fast, funny, and full of enlightening details.
    [Show full text]
  • Characters, Names, Places in Homer's the Odyssey
    MAIN CHARACTERS, NAMES, PLACES IN HOMER’S THE ODYSSEY * HUMANS (& other mortals) Agamemnon Menelaos’s brother, head of Greek forces in the Trojan War; met by Ody. In the Underworld; killed by his wife and her lover Akhaians most common Homeric name for the Greeks (also called Danaans, Argives) Akhilleus greatest Greek warrior in the Trojan War; met by Odysseus in the Underworld Alkinoos king of the Phaiakians Antinoos “ringleader” of Penelope’s suitors Argos Odysseus’ old hunting dog Attika region of mainland Greece where Athens is located Death (Hades) God of the Underworld; husband to Persephone Demodokos blind minstrel of Phaiakia Elpenor Ithakan; companion of Odysseus, who dies falling to from the roof of Kirke’s house Eumaios swineherd; faithful servant of Odysseus Eurykleia faithful old servant of Odysseus and his family Helen half-immortal (daughter of Zeus); wife of Menelaos Iros beggar in Odysseus’s palace at Ithaka Klytaimnestra half-sister of Helen, mother of Orestes, who kills her to avenge her murder of her husband, Agamemnon Laertes Odysseus’s father; lives in seclusion in the country Lotos Eaters peaceful people; their land contains an herb that, if consumed, kills one’s will to return home Menelaus ruler of Pylos; one of the Greek leaders in the Trojan War; visited by Telemakhos Mentor Ithakan; fighter at Troy; advisor to Telemakhos; his form is assumed by Athena Nausikaa daughter of King Alkinoos; rescuer of Odysseus Nestor king of Pylos; fought at Troy; visited by Telemakhos Odysseus fighter in the Trojan War; king of
    [Show full text]
  • The Odyssey in Space Series Bible
    © Freshly Squeezed Pulp The Odyssey in Space Series Bible Developed by: Nicole Lindbergh Jonathan Sandohval Pranav Athimuthu Victoria Wang Shreya Hurli Lily el Naccash In association with Freshly Squeezed Pulp © Freshly Squeezed Pulp 2 Table of Contents General Series Concepts Introduction Major Motifs Surpassing, Heroism, and Greatness Success through Anonymity Techno-Anxiety Divine Vs. Human Nature Imperialism and Colonialism Fatherhood Sensitivity Warning Women and Sexism Writing Style and Structure Humor Guidelines Universe History Mechanics Technology Magic Major Settings NOT INTENDED FOR OUTSIDE CIRCULATION LAST UPDATED 09/09/2020 © Freshly Squeezed Pulp 3 The Ithacan Confederation The Greek Constellation Trojan Star System Nestor’s Palace The Planet Sparta The Chaos Dimension The Planet Gaea Character Biographies Main Characters Point of View (POV) Characters Odysseus Penelope Telemachus Oracle of Delphi Supporting Main Characters Athena Pisistratus Antagonists Antinous Poseidon Minor Characters Pantheon Zeus Ares Dionysius Hermes Non-Olympian Deities Gaea Episode By Episode Summaries NOT INTENDED FOR OUTSIDE CIRCULATION LAST UPDATED 09/09/2020 © Freshly Squeezed Pulp 4 General Series Concepts The adventures of Odysseus, space warrior, will incorporate the essential overarching plot of Homer’s iconic Odyssey in a far-future ​ ​ galactic science fiction setting to better explore its timeless themes. Our 10-episode series of half-hour radio plays will have a light and comedic feel with deep and occasionally dark themes involving generational trauma and healing. Introduction Homer’s Odyssey, initially told through the oral tradition, predates forms of media we now take for granted: the bound book, the radio drama, the movie, the television show. Even applying a historical lens to the epic is comparatively a new innovation; Homer predates Herodotus, the first historian, and Aristotle, the first true orator and father of rhetoric itself, by at least three centuries.
    [Show full text]
  • Ajax and the Arms of Achilles Michael Kelley
    Art, Words, and War: Ajax and the Arms of Achilles Michael Kelley ’18 The following story of the contest between Ajax and Odysseus over the arms of the fallen Achilles takes place after the events of the Iliad. The events and the details of the story, however, were likely circulated through an oral tradition that thrived long before the Iliad began to interact with writing. While the earliest sources for the story are lost to us, three written reconstructions remain from antiquity: Ovid’s in Metamorphoses 13.1-13.398, two speeches from Antisthenes1, and from Quintus of Smyrna’s Posthomerica.2 In writing my own version of the story, I looked to Ovid and Antisthenes for inspiration, and based some of my decisions on the characterization of the Greek heroes in the Iliad. I also wanted to make mine differ from those of Ovid and Antisthenes in order to give a sense of the variety of versions, both within the oral tradition and in other written sources that would have existed in antiquity, but are lost to us now. The advantage Ovid and Antisthenes had over me, however, is that they likely had these written sources from which to construct their version. In order to make up for my lack of 1 For commentary on Antisthenes’ speeches, I used the essay “Odysseus the Athenian: Antisthenes, Thucydides, and an Homeric Hero in an Intellectual Age” (O’Sullivan and Wong). 2 For good commentary on Quintus of Smyrna, consult James and Lee’s A Commentary on Quintus of Smyrna Posthomerica V.
    [Show full text]
  • Odysseus & Penelope
    Odysseus & Penelope: The Long Journey Kari Halker-Saathoff Ceramist and illustrator Kari Halker-Saathoff presents the classic story of Odys- seus with a reimagined characterization of Odysseus’ wife Penelope. Graphite illustrations are layered with white paper cut outs, backed in black to mirror the ceramic glazing on low fire red clay vessels. Odysseus occupies framed illus- trations, capturing images inspired by Homer’s Greek poem. Penelope’s story, carried on ceramic vessels, is inspired by her courage and resistance against un- wanted suitors as well as current events, including the Women’s March of 2017. Their stories alternate and connect as the viewer travels through the exhibition, titles of the illustrations are inspired by the text of the Odyssey while Penelo- pe’s draw from current events. Viewed together, Halker-Saathoff illuminates the many parallels between the present and 650 B.C.E. Halker-Saathoff describes Penelope’s situation, “Suitors invaded her home, ate her food, threatened her son, assaulted her servants, and pressured her to remarry. In resisting the suitors Penelope had to use all her resources, showing herself to be as courageous, wily, and brilliant a figure as Odysseus. The courage of her resistance is the inspiration for my interpretation and the struggle of women’s persecution and The Unseen Universe of the Human Heart The Man of Twists and Turns | Image 1: Portraits of Zeus, Athena, Hermes, and Muse Homer opens The Odyssey with an invocation to the Muse of epic poetry. He asks for guidance in telling this story of a man who has experienced many twists and turns of fate.
    [Show full text]
  • Book 1: Athena Inspires the Prince
    Form III (Grade 9) Summer Reading Assignment : The required summer reading for all incoming ninth-graders is Books 1-12 of The Odyssey by Homer (Robert Fagles’ translation). In order to enhance your understanding of the text, we are also requiring all incoming ninth- graders to complete the following study guide on Books 1-12. Your response to each question should be approximately 3-5 sentences and should be typed. We have provided a sample response below (to question #1) so that you have a clear idea of the expectations. You are required to bring your completed study guide to English class on the first day of school, and it will be counted as the equivalent of three homework assignments. The study guide provides important notes, summaries, concepts, and focus questions which are intended to help you know what to look for in the text and to aid your understanding of important themes and passages. Please note that your reading begins with Book 1 on p. 77 (you are not responsible for reading Fagles’ Introduction) and ends on p. 285 at the completion of Book 12. The rest of the text (Books 13-24) will be covered in class at the start of the school year. Finally, we ask that you do not use SparkNotes or other study aids as you complete your reading and your study guide. We are interested in your ideas and your insights, and teachers will go over Books 1-12 in class to make sure that you have a strong and clear understanding of the text before moving onto Books 13-24.
    [Show full text]
  • Odysseus in the Poetry of George Seferis Kostas Myrsiades West Chester University of Pennsylvania, [email protected]
    West Chester University Digital Commons @ West Chester University English Faculty Publications English 3-2000 Odysseus in the Poetry of George Seferis Kostas Myrsiades West Chester University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/eng_facpub Part of the Byzantine and Modern Greek Commons, and the Poetry Commons Recommended Citation Myrsiades, K. (2000). Odysseus in the Poetry of George Seferis. Journal of the Hellenic Diaspora, 26(1), 65-70. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/eng_facpub/27 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the English at Digital Commons @ West Chester University. It has been accepted for inclusion in English Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ West Chester University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Odysseus in the Poetry of George Seferis by KOSTAS MYRSIADES The new vitality in modern Greek poetry, which has resulted in several nominations for the Nobel Prize in literature (all for poetry) since the early fifties and the awarding of two Nobel Prizes—in 1963 to George Seferis and again in 1979 to Odysseus Elytis—has had several beginnings. The movement we call modern Greek poetry begins with the vernacular Akritic epic cycle, composed between the ninth and eleventh centuries and handed down from generation to genera- tion until it was finally committed to writing in the nineteenth century. But it was not until the poet Kostis Palamas (1859-1943) that a completely new kind of life was infused into Greek poetry. It was Palamas who rejected the romantics and the "purist" form of Greek (katharevousa), to lead his contemporaries and younger poets (George Seferis among them, along with Odysseus Elytis and Yan- nis Ritsos) into a fresh world of literature in which the full possi- bilities of the modern Greek language and its rhythms were explored.
    [Show full text]