The Odyssey Books 9- 12 The Fantastic Voyage Introduction: Whereas Telemachus in his wandering discovered the secret to success in the adult world- xenia, Odysseus will discover the secret of to happiness itself. In the course of his journey he is stripped of all the trappings which identify him as a hero at Troy. He loses his identity as a warrior- he relinquishes his ego and in the process gains the world. Odysseus' spellbinding story is told in the form of an apologoi - three years of his life told in retrospect. (He spent seven years imprisoned on Calypso's Island.) Because the story is told in a first person narration, the reader has to carefully question its veracity. To what extent is Odysseus spinning a sailor's yarn? What influence does the presence of the listening Phaecians have on the tale? Remember that he is deliberately entertaining the Phaecians because he wants something from them. Odysseus presents himself pretty sympathetically in the tale, but he does concede his weaknesses. He is foolish to visit the Cyclops' cave against the wishes of his crew. He acknowledges his cowardice when he abandons some of his men to the Laestrygonians. Throughout the whole tale he struggles to control his men. Even so, the focus of Odysseus' story is upon the heroic qualities of his character that enable him to survive and stay on course for home. These qualities are very different from the type of characteristics we associate with a heroic warrior: power, fearlessness, and ruthlessness. Odysseus celebrates his intelligence, his ability to improvise, his flexibility, and his sheer capacity to endure. Through his wise discretion, his patience, and his ability to disguise his true aims, Odysseus achieves his goals. Wisely, Odysseus does not come out and state the central illumination of his journey. That is for the reader to discover on his own imaginative journey with Odysseus as his guide. Athena is kept out of the story, so the emphasis throughout is on the human magnificence of Odysseus' accomplishment. But we have already seen how Athena continuously intervenes in Odysseus' life without his knowledge. Look for moments of good fortune when we can discern her presence. What will be Odysseus' reaction when he eventually learns that she has been with him all along? By openly declaring his name and narrating his adventure, Odysseus solidifies his identity and passes it on. His fame will live as long as his story will be told. This is the highest form of immortality in Greek culture. Telling his story indicates superior knowledge. The journey itself is a tale of the acquisition of knowledge. It is a highly entertaining conclusion to the first half of the poem, and it seems like his story is ending just as he arrives in Ithaca. Really, though, everything Odysseus experiences on his fantastic journey is just a preparation for what awaits him in the real world at home. The world of the adventures can be thought of as the real world refracted through the prism of a dream. The various events of the fantasy adventure all have their parallels in the waking world that awaits Odysseus in Ithaca.  Central Questions: What should the reader be wary of as Odysseus tells his story? What are the waking-day parallels to the dream characters Odysseus encounters on his Fantastic Voyage? What is the secret message that Odysseus teaches us again and again in these stories? What is the secret to human happiness?