Whose point of view is this told from and what is their motivation in telling this story?
The introductory chapter is told from the point of view of Penelope, someone who has been neglected their whole life and now, only in death, has the will and ability to try and tell her story. She has been lost in the shadows for all her life, so she wants to be able to portray her side of the story, and get it all out there because she never could while she was alive.
She had to suffer so much just because of her husband, and she doesn’t want others to go down the same path of suffering needlessly. She wants to be known as more than just a faithful wife, but her own person. The weaponisation of Penelope’s character not only makes them suffer more, but further excuses the behaviour of the men.
Comment on the tone used here and give an example
The tone of the chapter is very sombre, and and reminiscent. She feels sad that her life never amounted to too much, but she is determined now to tell her story when she can. She says now that no one cares, that it didn’t matter at all, but she’s waited for so long that she can finally find a little bit of motivation because there is nothing left to lose.
She is also almost slightly resentful towards Odysseus. She talks about his characters and how she was played the fool, holding a bit of a grudge but condemning herself for not acting on it sooner. “I turned a blind eye, I kept my mouth shut or if I opened it, I sang his praises”. This rescinded tone, where she sounds so defeated and tired doesn’t see herself as anyone perfect but is rather very self critical. She talks about her blissful ignorance, but in death she realises that she was dragged through the mud, and now she wants to set the record straight.
What is meant by “A stick used to beat other women with”?
People weaponise Penelope’s faithfulness and use that as a measuring bar to compare other women with. So Penelope’s faithfulness, rather than being celebrates, is used to degrade other women and further pushes the status quo that women are defined by their husbands. Keeping that loyalty was actually something that hurt her, and she doesn’t want others to follow her example because it just makes the lives of others worse.