An analysis of the theme of war in Homer’s “The Odyssey”.
Abstract
The avoidance of war is the main theme Homer illustrates in “The Odyssey”. This paper explains how he uses Odysseus and his family to reveal the devastating effects of war on the entire family. These effects are not only present in literature, but they are also true in the lives of real families who must deal with the absence of a father due to war. The paper discusses how there are situations that require warfare to end the conflict and that government officials need to weigh the emotional cost of war before they engage in war for petty reasons.
From the Paper:
“Penelope attempts to use trickery to avoid accepting that her husband is dead and that she needs to remarry. In the 1940s, women faced the same problem. Is my husband dead? Should I remarry? Should I find my children another father? These are very important questions that women must ask themselves too often. Women know that it is important for their children to have a father figure in their lives, so should they accept their husband’s death and remarry? “After years of denial, I finally accepted my husband’s death and set out to find my children a respectable father-figure” (Ursano 286). This mother knew that her children needed a father and after years of denial she finally found her children a father. In this situation a woman would find it hard to have to try to love a man while she is in love with someone else.”