what character is being referred to as father in line 19-21. what is the characters role in the novel. why is he referred to as father

I believe these lines refer to Alcinous (father). Unfortunately, I'm not sure we have the sdame lines.

Might be Eumaus - some translations refer to him with that title since he is older than Odysseus.

I looked at the lines in question....... I didn't see Eumas' name mentioned. I will check back once more.

Odysseus is there, but it seems to be the swineherd who greets Telemachus as a father would his son.

Textual evidence:

"And as a loving father greets his own dear son, who comes in the tenth year from a distant land—his only son and well-beloved, for whose sake he has borne much sorrow— [20] even so did the goodly swineherd then clasp in his arms godlike Telemachus, and kiss him all over as one escaped from death; and with wailing he addressed him with winged words: “Thou art come, Telemachus, sweet light of my eyes. I thought I should never see thee more after thou hadst gone in thy ship to Pylos. "[25]