Esmeralda Santiago is the oldest child her parents have together, although her father has an older daughter she doesn't know about. Her parents' relationship is damaged as her mother suspects her father is having an affair. Amid the drama, one of Esmeralda's siblings, Raymond, gets badly injured in a bicycle accident.
Elpenor was one of Odysseus' comrades, and happened to be the youngest. This was labelled as part of the road of trials for that fact he had to mourn about this, thinking this was his fault. He had to overcome this.