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Homer's The Odyssey introduces us to a wide variety of characters. Two of the younger characters in The Odyssey are Telemachos, the son of Odysseus, and Nausikaa, the daughter of King Alkinoos. Both Telemachos and Nausikaa are taken to be approximately of the same age, although the book is not specific about Nausikaa's age. More importantly, we know that they are both teenagers. Almost all adolescents share two central traits, the wish for independence and …

…certainly is not one of rebellion, as both the parents are quite content with it. Regardless of upbringing or family circumstances, adolescence is always a stage in which pent-up frustrations manifest themselves as acts of rebellion. These manifestations may vary in magnitude, but it would be extremely hard to find an individual in whom they don't exist at all. Telemachos and Nausikaa are different people with different backgrounds, but the basic situation remains the same.