Matthew Owens' Paper *Rough Draft* Assignment Part #3

Matthew B. Owens
Mr. Adam Petersen
AP English and Composition
11/5/13

Reading Between the Lines: Odyssey
Conversion in the Odyssey by Scott Richardson, a beautifully crafted article focusing on main and minor characters, to show examples of the true meaning hidden between the lines of spoken word in the Odyssey. Although it may not be apparent to some, dialog in the Odyssey is spoken between the lines, where each individual knows the language that is masked to the reader without careful attention to detail. “This indirect interchange is a paradigm of the distinctive mode of conversation in the Odyssey” (Richardson 3). I firmly expound his position on this matter because he examples are pertinent to his argument.
“Dialogue in the Odyssey is founded on indirection, and the characters success in life, even their survival, owes a great deal to both using and recognizing speech as a means of disguising thoughts and intent” (Richardson 4). In other words, for a characters like Odysseus to survive in their world, and be successful their in lives, they must be a master at interpreting the words within the words, of which Odysseus does proficiently. “Odysseus, of course, an eminently suspicious man, is the champion of all these kinds of indirection and concealment, the consummate manipulator of language to suit his advantage” (Richardson 4). As an example Richardson uses Odysseus's conversations with Nausicaa, Odysseus “flatters her by treating her like an adult, since she is asked to read between the lines. . .” (Richardson 7). With his words Odysseus is saying much more than what's on the surface. He is also telling her that he is a leader, that he finds her marriage respectable, “that he is a great man brought low” (Richardson 7), and that she has no reason to be afraid of him.
Taking another example to help backup Richardson's thesis, when Odysseus meets in Eumaeun's hut he feigns ignorance of the “boy's plight with the suitors” (Richardson 14) and turns the conversation in another direction:
Tell me, do you willingly subject yourself, or do the people throughout the land hate you, following the voice of a god, or do you put any blame on your brothers, whom a man trusts when they're fighting if a great quarrel arises. (Odyssey 16.95-98)
Odysseus creates a hidden message in this passage for Telemachus while at the same time showing Telemachus' shame, hence switching the conversation to elude giving information away.
With these examples it can be clearly seen that conversations in the Odyssey occur within the words, but this skill takes practice. Supporting Richardson's ideas one hundred percent, he expertly takes apart conversations between characters and shows that there is true meaning in the words between the words. Following Richardson's arguments farther with Odysseus, it is apparent that his speaking in indirect conversation is not only limited to major characters, but includes minor characters as well. Richardson crafts the basis of his arguments on examples such as these, with most characters in the Odyssey, including Telemachus.  
As Richardson suggests, Telemachus is but a humble beginner with the world of hidden conversation, “with no apparent awareness of the subtext” (Richardson in anyone’s conversations, that can be seen in this example:
If truly indeed this is Odysseus and he has come home, we two would certainly know each other best of all; for there are between us signs which we know, hidden from everyone else. (Odyssey 23.107-10)
Telemachus clearly gives away his true intention and feelings to his mother instead of speaking between the lines, showing he has not quite mastered the art of conversations when faced with the pressure of a situation. By the end of the Odyssey, Telemachus is still an amateur in the game of language, but is far from the “blunt speaking youth” (Richardson 5) we see that the beginning of the story. “By the time he returns home. . . he has learned the value of telling less than he knows and saying something other than what he means” (Richardson 5). Richardson carefully selects the above passages, to not only tell his readers that speaking with hidden words is a valued skill, but that it can also be learned by anyone with practice and understanding. Though some of his arguments may jump to conclusions, his facts remain the same, and show outstanding accuracy when viewed from his standpoint.
With all of Richardson's findings, is it possible for the average reader to find these hidden words, that dwell so deep in the language that they because harder and harder to find? As the average reader I'd say unequivocally, yes:
"AH, you're back! You're back, Talemachus! Sweeter than sunlight!I thought you would never again bless my sight when I heard you had sailed a night ship for Pylos and without my blessings! But, come now! Tell me! Did you find your father? Did you see him?
Tactful Telemachus avoided her questions, protesting" (Odyssey 17.29-50)
This passage taken from the Odyssey backs up my thesis, as well as Richardson's findings. In it Telemachus has used the art of language once again, as he has almost perfected the art with his fathers help. It helps to illustrate from a third party that Richardson's thesis of reading between the lines to find the true meaning, as well as clever deception is true. Proving that the language of the Odyssey is hidden in it's words.
I believe Richardson is correct in his arguments and examples, in that words in the Odyssey can be overwhelming and hard to understand at times, but with careful grooming the true meaning can be unraveled. The key of language in the Odyssey is deception in words, and or hiding means within words, why would characters with something to hide open up and say it out loud. In conclusion, Scott Richardson beautifully illustrates that in the Odyssey, words can be hidden from the average reader unless picked apart piece by piece. He creates very valid arguments and backs up his thesis very nicely with examples of conversations with hidden meanings, trickery, and deception.

PS. That face is really (Richardson 8 ) It comes up as a face when you don't use a space between the ) and the 8 for some reason -_-