The Theme of Homecoming in Homer's Odyssey (Essay Sample)
Homer's The Odyssey has many themes, such as Justice, Temptation, and Homecoming. The theme that stood out to me the most is Homecoming: Odysseus’s wish to return home to his family's love and to the stability of his palace. When he returns home, he expects everyone to be thrilled to see him. But no one recognizes him because he was put under this spell to be seen as a beggar. The only person that recognizes him is the nurse because of the scar on his body. Penelope put a test on Odyssey to see if it was actually him. She tells one of the servants to move their bed, and Odyessy get's mad because the bed is unmovable. Once she knows it's him, she falls into his arms, and they both tell each other their stories.
The theme - is further explored in one of the books, in which - Odysseus is shown to be at the mercy of the Phaeacians. He doesn't want to stay there. He doesn't want to marry Nausicaa. He wants them to help him get home. The way he speaks shows his great affection for his homeland and his desire to return - he misses both his wife and his homeland.
Another example “ is the scene of Odysseus’s actual arrival back to Ithaca”. He's been looking forward to coming home for 20 years, and at first, he doesn't recognize his island! That's partly because Athena has cloaked it all in mist. But it's still very touching: Odysseus has been dreaming about getting home but, after 20 years away, he cannot even be sure what it looks like anymore. The theme of homecoming begins to manifest itself on the Island of Calypso. "Calypso is a beautiful immortal who has fallen in love with Odysseus and is giving him everything he wants; she is even offering him immortality. This is the first of many temptations Odysseus faces on his way home. Odysseus, however, is unhappy and turns down Calypso's offer. But he does insist that he wants to go home. He wants to go back to his place.". This shows that Odysseus misses his hometown so much that he is willing to turn down immortality just to go back home.
The quest to return home, and the complex emotions that accompany it, is not unique to Odysseus. For example, the recent article called “What to Know About Homesickness and Mental Health”states that students who have moved both temporarily and permanently are affected by the same emotions:" Being in a new place and missing your home, family, friends, and pets is normal. It means that you have a healthy attachment to your loved ones. It will take a while to adjust to your new surroundings. " In addition, the article cautions that , "Moving away from home means your routines and lifestyle are interrupted, which can lead to anxiety and distress." Now, these college kids have no choice but to stay at their school. They can't go back home even though they want to because they're going to have to wait till the end of the semester or the end of the school year to go back home.
As you can see in this article called What Happens To Your Mind And Body When You Feel Homesick. It states, "When we feel homesick, we're feeling insecure or uncomfortable with where we are, physically and emotionally." It means that you miss your home and are not used to being in a different environment. In addition, it states, "Homesickness has been described as a grief reaction, similar to having lost a loved one, but what the person is grieving is the loss of the familiar place." I could relate to this because all I would do was cry day and night when I went to Mexico. All I wanted to do was go back home. Lastly, the text states, "Homesickness is associated with feelings of depression and anxiety and oftentimes difficulty coping with the new environment,". I could relate to this because not being with my family caused me to have depression. I lost a lot of weight when I was in Mexico. There were days when I would barely eat because all I wanted to do was cry. There were days when I would lock myself in the room because I didn't want to talk or see anyone.
I can relate to how Odyssey was feeling because when I went to Mexico in January, all I wanted to do was go back home. I would cry every day at night because I missed my family. I counted the days until it was time to go back home. Even though I stayed with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I still felt alone because everyone spoke perfect Spanish except for me, which made it hard for me to talk to my relatives. Before going to bed, I made sure to call them every night. Every day, I would tell my mom, "please let me come back home early." Due to the high price of my plane ticket, my mother said no. So, I had no choice but to stay in Mexico until the end of January. I still counted the days till it was time to go back home. I missed the hugs my mom used to give me before going to work and telling me to have a good day; I missed her home-cooked meals. I missed how my dad used to say, "how's my princess doing on this fine afternoon" and I missed the late-night talks I had with my brother. We would stay up till three in the morning to spill the tea. Not being able to be surrounded by family caused me to be depressed. There were days when I wouldn't eat anything, and if I did, I would only take three bites. Not only that, but I didn't fit in Mexico. When I first got there, I was like, At last, my people, but this was a reminder that no, you don't belong here either.
