> It's a story about a man trying to get home, and a woman staying faithful in the face of uncertainty. Anything else is reading too much into it.
Of the 24 books of the Odyssey, Odysseus' famous seafaring wanderings account for just 4. Likewise, the narrative focuses on Odysseus in 20 out of the 24 books, and he is at home, on Ithaca, for 12 of them. Clearly, Odysseus trying to get home is not the main point of the story, however memorable some of his nautical adventures are.
If you ask me, the poem is about barbarism versus civilization, revenge versus justice, family, and the nature of heroism.
Of the 24 books of the Odyssey, Odysseus' famous seafaring wanderings account for just 4. Likewise, the narrative focuses on Odysseus in 20 out of the 24 books, and he is at home, on Ithaca, for 12 of them. Clearly, Odysseus trying to get home is not the main point of the story, however memorable some of his nautical adventures are.
If you ask me, the poem is about barbarism versus civilization, revenge versus justice, family, and the nature of heroism.