Examples Of Familiarity In The Odyssey

The Value of Familiarity

“Familiarity is the thing - the sense of belonging. It grants exemption from all evil” (E. B. White). This quote is something to live by, because even though familiarity is not always as exciting as the unknown, it gives a person a sense of belongingness and purpose and is usually far more satisfying. At its surface, The Odyssey, by Homer is a story about a war hero battling beasts and entering the underworld to prove to the Gods that he is worthy and deserves to live, however, but more than that, it is the story of a husband who has to battle various temptations to get home to his faithful wife. In The Odyssey, Homer demonstrates that long term contentedness is more fulfilling than short term bliss through the portrayal

After a while and he just wants to leave the beautiful goddesses and return home to his wife. For example, when Calypso is about to tell Odysseus that he could leave the island, Homer reveals Odysseus’s anguish, “...Odysseus [was] in his stone seat to seaward -- tear on tear brimming in his eyes. The sweet days of his lifetime were running out in anguish over his exile, for long ago the nymph had ceased to please” (Homer 85). What stands out first from this passage is the sense of pity that the author is evoking for Odysseus. This is most evident in the juxtaposition Homer gives between “the sweet days of his life” and “running out in anguish over his exile”. It is also evident in the phrase “tear on tear, Homer uses repetition to accentuate the distress that Odysseus is feeling. This is made more impactful because Odysseus is such a brave and powerful warrior so the act of him crying shows his discontent. Another example of this is when Odysseus tells Circe that he and his men want to leave, “Help me make sail for home. Day after day my longing quickens, and my company gives me no peace, but wear my heart away pleading when you are not at hand to hear” (Homer 180). In this passage, the use of words that imply something that has been prolonged. For example, Odysseus uses

After Penelope tells Odysseus that he should not be mad at her, Homer reveals Odysseus’s tremendous love towards Penelope, “Now from his breast into his eyes the ache of longing mounted, and he wept at last, his dear wife, clear and faithful, in his arms, longed for as the sun warmed earth is longed for by a swimmer spent in rough water where his ship went down under Poseidon’s blows, gale winds and tons of sea,” (Homer 436). There two aspects of this passage that stand out. First of all, the extended analogy comparing Odysseus’s situation to that of a swimmer who had just reached land. It not only demonstrates how much Odysseus missed Penelope, but also reveals that Penelope is a sign of home and what is comfortable to Odysseus. When a swimmer finally reaches land, they feel at home and comfortable, similar to how Odysseus feels when he finally returns to Penelope. The second part of the passage that stands out is the vivid image the passage creates, it is almost as if one can truly see the embrace between the two lovers, and it illustrates that Odysseus is finally happy and content after twenty long years of being away from his faithful wife. In conclusion, Homer shows how what is comfortable and familiar can be enjoyable even if it is not as flashy as the