The Penelopiad: Chapter 27 Summary & Analysis

This chapter returns to Penelope’s first-person narrative as she describes a recent look into the world of mortals after a medium opened up a connection between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Penelope says that it’s “amazing” how the living will not leave the dead alone, and mentions how, in her own time on earth, Sibyls were the ones who messed with fate and the dead, but at least they had more manners than modern magicians.

According to Penelope, modern people only want to know about the economy and world politics and converse with people like “Marilyn” and “Adolf,” who Penelope does not know. Through using these windows opened by magicians, however, Penelope can keep track of Odysseus.

Penelope then explains how spirits can be reborn by drinking from the “Waters of Forgetfulness,” wiping their past lives from their memories. Penelope notes, though, that this does not work especially well, and lots of people remember everything. According to Penelope, Helen has used this option a lot, and when she returns she tells Penelope all about the changes in fashion trends, and then about how many empires and men she ruined.

Penelope informs Helen that interpretations of the Trojan War have changed—now everyone thinks Helen was a myth and the war was really about trade routes. Helen tells Penelope not to be jealous, and says that Penelope should come with her to the world of the living so they can take a trip to Las Vegas. She then remarks that Penelope would probably rather stay at home like a good wife since she, unlike Helen, is a “homebody.”

Penelope admits that she is right, and that she will never drink from the Waters of Forgetfulness because she cannot take the risk. After all, the next life may be even worse. Penelope thinks the modern world is just as dangerous as the ancient one, and human nature is as bad as ever.

Odysseus, Penelope notes, drinks the water very often. When he comes back to the afterlife, he acts happy to see Penelope and tells her that home life with her is all he ever wanted. They take walks and tell stories together as Odysseus tells her what Telemachus, also living next lives, is up to. Then, just when Penelope is starting to believe she can forgive Odysseus and they can be together, Odysseus goes and gets reborn again.

Penelope thinks that Odysseus means it when he says he wants to be with her, but that “some forces” always tear them apart. Penelope believes this force is the Maids, who will not leave him be in the afterlife. In his rebirths, Odysseus has lived all kinds of different lives, with each of them ending badly. Penelope yells at the Maids, asking why they will not leave Odysseus alone, and what more they want from him. In response, they only glide away with their feet twitching like they did in death, not touching the floor.