James Chu

E3EL-European Literature

Period 4

November 1, 2010

Women’s Statuses in Changing Times

The relationship between women and men is often portrayed in The Odyssey with the

woman remaining true to one single man, while the man is able to exploit any woman he favors.

It clearly sheds light upon the patriarchal society of the Greeks. However, Dorothy Parker’s

“Penelope”, describes a different society; a society where men and women are equals. These two

time periods, the antiquity and the 1930’s, are both represented through the entity called

Penelope. While, Homer’s Penelope is often displayed as weak and tearful, Parker’s Penelope is

represented as strong and patient, an independent woman. Dorothy Parker’s use of poetic devices

and the overall structure of the poem enable us to shed a whole different and unique light on

Penelope, one that does not undermine the status of women.

At first glance, it is easy to mistake the interpretation of “Penelope”, as one that runs

parallel with the ideals of Greek society. It merely states that a woman should stay home, while

the man provides for the family. However, it is Dorothy Parker’s ingenious use of poetic devices

that displays the true form of her poem. The structure itself provides an interesting interpretation

of Penelope. The poem is divided into two sections, the first concerning Odysseus, and the

second concerning Penelope. It is quite noticeable how Odysseus’ section and Penelope’s section

differ greatly. Odysseus’s section is wavy and has more “feeling”, due to the numerous

indentations in his stanza. However, Penelope’s section has more solidity, shown by the shape of

her stanza, resembling a wall. This may represent how Penelope is solid and strong, while

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Odysseus wavers. The Odyssey however, portrays Penelope as weak, since she “fell to weeping

for Odysseus, her beloved husband” (19.680). Parker’s image of a strong, independent Penelope

differs greatly with the weak, dependent Penelope. Another structural device utilized by Dorothy

Parker is the rhyme scheme. Odysseus’ rhyme scheme is “a, b, a, b”, while Penelope’s rhyme

scheme is “a, a, b, b”. Penelope’s rhyme scheme is referred to as a “heroic” rhyme scheme,

which conveys Dorothy Parker’s message that Penelope is the true hero of The Odyssey.

The content of “Penelope” also shows a different perspective of Penelope than The

Odyssey. Odysseus’ section offers euphony, while Penelope’s offers cacophony. Odysseus’

euphony may imply a softer and gentler life than what Penelope has to experience, undermining

Odysseus’ heroism by falsifying Homer’s portrayal of Odysseus. In The Odyssey, Penelope was

described as being unfaithful and devious, described as a “callous women, / too faithless to keep

her lord and master’s house/ to the bitter end” (23.166-168), after Odysseus rung the bells to

indicate that Penelope was being wedded to a suitor, when in truth, she was not. This shows how

Greek society often thought of women as being treacherous and cunning, taking any attempt to

betray their husbands. It is also shown in the case of Atrides Agamemnon, who was betrayed by

his “accursed wife” (24.106). However, this sexism is clearly not shown in “Penelope”, as

Dorothy Parker displayed Penelope having to “Bleach the linen for my bed” (Parker 9).

Bleaching, is a symbolic gesture, one that signifies purity; a purity that shows the Penelope has

not slept with any other man, which contrasts greatly to the Homeric ideal that women are the

“evil” ones.

“Penelope” also offers a twist in the concluding line of the poem; “‘They will call him

brave” (Parker 10). The usage of “they” refers to the fact that Penelope does not include herself

in “they”. In this, it implies that Odysseus, in fact, is not the true hero, but merely seems heroic.

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In Penelope’s eyes, it was she, herself, which had to endure more. Women were the ones that

held the foundation of Greek society, as well as modern society. Often times in Greek and

modern society, men spent the entirety of the day working, while women stayed at home. In

“Penelope”, Penelope would “heed a neighbor’s knock” (Parker 7), which would imply that she

must be the one that provides Xenia, an important aspect of Greek life, as it keeps order and

creates “god-fearing men.” Since such an important task is given to women, Penelope’s heroism

is far greater than that of Odysseus’. Another interesting aspect in Dorothy Parker’s poem is the

repetition of the word “shall”. Shall, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “used to

express what is inevitable or seems likely to happen in the future”.  Because of this, “shall” may

imply the Fates, the goddesses who have the power to determine a man’s destiny. Penelope

having “snip my thread”, has two meanings. One meaning, which refers to The Odyssey, where

Penelope “weave at her great glowing web” (24. 153), in order to keep her suitors at bay; a

cunning and strategic move by Penelope, further deepening her heroic traits. The other meaning

refers to the Fates. Having snipped her own thread, she has control over her own life, displaying

the independence of women.

“Penelope” displays the differing views of women compared to The Odyssey. The poem

displays women as strong and independent, due to the women’s rights movement sweeping

across the world, while The Odyssey reveals the sexism women had to encounter during

antiquity. “Penelope” was successful in creating a symbolic meaning, hidden within the poem,

while staying true to the Homeric epic. All in all, the comparison between The Odyssey and

“Penelope” reveals the great achievements women have accomplished throughout these two time

periods stretching thousands of years.