Penelope

Penelope is one of the primary first person narrators of the novel. She is also Odysseus's wife, and Telemachus's mother. Born to King Icarius and his wife, a Naiad, Penelope is the princess of Sparta. When she is 15, Penelope's father marries her off to the mischievous and clever Odysseus, who wins her hand in a staged marital competition. Contrary to tradition, Penelope leaves Sparta and moves to Ithaca with her new husband.

Though Penelope is initially uncomfortable around and reluctant to trust Odysseus, her affection for him grows in their first weeks of marriage. She feels they share a similar form of communication and understanding of the world. Because she is not known for her beauty, she appreciates Odysseus's seeming acknowledgement of her intellect and cleverness.

As time passes, however, Penelope struggles to acclimate to Ithaca, a setting that seems to actively reject her presence. Eurycleia, Odysseus's nurse...