In the works “The Odyssey of Homer” and “Kiki’s Delivery Service”, by Homer and Hayao Miyazaki , both Telemachos and Kiki go through a journey where they must transform from adolescents to adults, in a coming of age type of story. These two characters are portrayed by their creators as brave and determined individuals, which helps them along their path. As we go along with both of these characters from “The Odyssey of Homer” and “Kiki’s Delivery Service” we see that although their paths are very difficult, these two characters choose not to fall into conformity as the others around them have done.
Through their development and their journey, both of these characters, let us know that no matter how difficult the journey might be, we can achieve it if we truly work hard. Both of these stories have similar ideas throughout such as the characters’ personalities, the forcing events pushing them to make their transition into adulthood, some obstacles the characters must face, as well as a guide to help make sure these heroes succeed. Both characters are shown as young and naive people who are rather too young to go away from home. The major forcing events that are pushing these characters is the lack of knowledge.
Lack of knowledge of what Kiki truly wants for herself, figuring out who she truly is, and what her motive for flying is. Lack of knowledge of what happened to Telemachos’ father, Odysseus, and his whereabouts. With this pushing force, a challenge must also arise. For Kiki, that challenge is losing her powers due to not knowing who she truly is or believing in herself. Telemachos also faces a challenge, although different, he has to deal with finding his father quickly all while making sure his mother and castle are safe from the intruders.
Even though most likely our heroes would be able to go along their path by themselves, they are giving an aid. For Kiki, that aid is Ursula, a young woman that Kiki meets in the forest while on a delivery that went wrong. Ursula represents Kiki’s older self and is often reliable when Kiki needs advice. Telemachos is also given an aid who doesn’t part ways with him and helps him throughout the story, she is the goddess and daughter of Zeus, Athene. Although both of these characters are on different quests for something great, their journeys have very little in different and much more in similar than one might suspect.
One of the difficult tasks that both of these characters face and makes their transition different from one another is the type of quest they decide to go on. Kiki’s journey is more about an internal factor than it is about an external factor, that is, she is trying to find something within herself, compared to Telemachos who is trying to find his own father. As hard as this journey might be for Kiki, since it’s about finding herself, she has the help that she needs, “We each need to find our own inspiration, Kiki.
Sometimes it’s not easy” (Miyazaki, Kiki’s Delivery Service). Ursula tells her and also invites her to take a break and relax while she is solving her personal problems. Telemachos’ quest is very different since what he is looking for is an actual person to be set free, “But for yourself, I will counsel you shrewdly, and hope you will listen. Fit out a ship with twenty oars, the best you can come by, and go out to ask about your father who is so long absent, on the chance some mortal man can tell you, who has listened to Rumor sent by Zeus” said Athene (1. 279-283).
Both of these characters then leave and go on their way and this is where their stories seems to become more and more similar than one might notice. One of the greatest similarities and challenges that both of these characters face right in the beginning of their quest is that they are both very disliked by others. Kiki has just gotten to a new town to begin her training and soon she notices that no one truly accepts and likes her, she tells her cat, “Jiji, I’ve decided not to leave this town. Maybe I can stay and find some other nice people who will like me and accept me for who I am” (Miyazaki, Kiki’s Delivery Service).
Telemachos also faces the same challenge very early on his quest, when he plans to leave on his quest to find his father, the suitors do not want to leave the castle. Telemachos assembles them and speaks, asking them to leave his home, when they refuse and ask him to calm down, Telemachos speaks, “Antinoos, there is no way for me to dine with you against my will, and take my ease, when you are so insolent. Is it not enough, you suitors, that in time past you ruined my great and good possessions, when I was still in my childhood?
But now, when I am grown big, and by listening to others can learn the truth, and the anger is steaming up inside me, I will endeavor to visit evil destructions upon you, either by going to Pylos, or remaining here in the district…” (2. 310-317). As both of these people endure these minor challenges, they both come to realize that they will need to depend mostly on themselves to go on this challenging passage, where lives are at stake. As we follow Kiki and Telemachos, we notice that their journeys are becoming harder and harder but our characters are also developing new mindsets.
Mindsets that will help them save others around them, this is the biggest similarity in both of these works, both characters must use their newly acquired knowledge to save the lives of others. Kiki, has to save Tombo, a guy who has been trying really hard to get to know her. Tombo went up in the sky on a plane but the weather was bad and he ended up holding on to a cord. Kiki is at a lady’s house when she sees the incident on television, “That’s Tombo! That’s my friend hanging on that rope! ”(Miyazaki, Kiki’s Delivery Service). Kiki then leaves to save her friend.
Kiki is able to gain some of her powers back and does save his life, finally realizing all that she needed to know about herself. Telemachos also has to save a life. Telemachos goes off on his journey in order to save his dad’s life and reunite his father and mother once again. Once Odysseus is home, he speaks of his voyage to his wife, “Dear wife, we both have had our full share of numerous trials now; yours have been here as you cried over my much-longed-for homecoming, while as for me, Zeus and the other gods held me back from my own country, as I was striving to reach it. (23. 350-353). Kiki and Telemachos then return home. After the journey that both of these characters experience, they both learn the same lectures. They have to grow up and can no longer hold on to their childhood, for they must mature and have newfound responsibilities. Although the journey was harsh for the two of them, they were able to succeed and they are still on the way to learning more. What most people can learn out of these two works is that anything can be accomplished if one tries their best, also, some things simply take their own course.
Works Cited
Kiki’s Delivery Service. Dir. Hayao Miyazaki. Perf. Lisa Michelson, Kerrigan Mahan, Edie Mirman, Eddie Frierson. Buena Vista Pictures, 1989. DVD.
Homer. The Odyssey of Homer. Trans. Richmond Lattimore. New York: Harper & Row, 1967. Print.
