Allusion paragraph, Telemachus and Jack Burden

Nicole Abinajem
October 25, 2008
Allusion Paragraph
Within the novel All the King’s Men are many subtle allusions to Greek mythology. One such allusion is that of Jack Burden reflecting Telemachus. The two characters have many parallels between them. For example, both Jack and Telemachus are put in the position of caring for their mother because their fathers left them. Also, neither of them recognize their true father right away. While Jack goes through life thinking Ellis Burden was his dad, he discovers later it was Judge Irwin all along. When reminiscing about the tiny catapults Jack and the Judge used to make together, Jack says, “He looked up as I came in, and said, ‘Been looking at our peashooters, huh?’ He put the slightest emphasis upon our. ‘Yes,’ I said. They yellow eyes bore into me for a second, and I knew he knew what I’d found out.” Jack discusses how he came to understand that the Judge was constructing the peashooters for Jack, not for himself. This insight is much like when Telemachus realizes the man he had suspected least of being his father was actually the one who could draw the bow and arrow like only his true father could. Even then, Telemachus does not comprehend the fact immediately, just as Jack Burden does not recognize the judge as his father even after it seemed obvious. For both Jack and Telemachus, the quest they persist through to discover their selves involves discovering who their father is. Although they both struggle with realizing their true kin, they eventually recognize someone who has been in front of them all along.