Unresolved Issues in The Odyssey.

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Rachel Doyle

Unresolved Issues in The Odyssey

Homer would never have willingly chosen to end the Odyssey at book 23, line 343. The Odyssey cannot be concluded here because Odysseus has not finished everything he set out to do and the reader is left hanging. At this point in the book Odysseus is still facing the threat of repercussion for his actions. Until Odysseus's rule is secure, the ending is unsatisfying. It is also not possible for the Odyssey to have an entirely happy ending if Odysseus isn't brought together with his father, Laertes, who has mourned him throughout his long absence.

One of Odysseus's main incentives for returning home is that he wishes to be reunited with his father, Laertes. Odysseus learns to appreciate the value of home and family even more during his long journey. When speaking of his desire to go back to Ithaca while he is still in Phaiakia, Odysseus asks, ""Where shall a man find sweetness to surpass his own home and his parents?" (book 9 line 34-36). If the book ends before Odysseus has reveals himself to his father, then Odysseus's goal of seeing his family again has not