Theme Of Loss In The Odyssey

Essay

In Homer’s novel, The Odyssey, his main character, Odysseus, is regularly grieved and honored by the people who believe he has died. Despite their belief that he has passed, they still remember him for the man that he was before he left on his excursion. A passage in book nine introduces Odysseus’ swineherd and the conversation that takes place exemplifies the mourning process that Odysseus’ people have been suffering through. Ironically, the swineherd is actually revealing his grief and sense of loss to his own master; Odysseus was disguised thus preventing his identity from being discovered by his swineherd as well as the rest of his household. During the exchange that occurs, the swineherd describes the hope that Odysseus’ wife, Penelope,

is holding onto and how opposite her feelings are in comparison to his own. While describing these contrasting emotions, the swineherd illustrates Odysseus’ honorable character by way of short, in depth, descriptions of the man that he was before he went missing. This exemplification allows the reader to gain an even more developed understanding of Odysseus’ character as well as recognize why his disappearance is being so severely grieved by those whom he left behind.
The opening segment of the swineherd’s passage introduces the grief that Penelope has been experiencing.

Despite the number of years that have passed since Odysseus left home, his loyal wife is still clinging onto the hope that he will return. Many “random drifters” come by Odysseus’ house where Penelope is residing and “lie through their teeth,” saying that they of know news regarding the long lost Odysseus. Before even welcoming the “wanderer[s]” into her home, Penelope knows deep down that the truth that they claim to know is a lie. However even with her knowledge, her hopeful heart drives her to tolerate and hear everything that the travelers have to say. She “[presses] for details” and “ushers [them] in” believing that one day, some traveler will come uncovering the truth instead of generating lies. After every falsehood is revealed to Penelope, “warm tears of grief come trickling down her cheeks” and it is as if her heart is breaking all over again after she hears each voyager’s dishonest story. This “loyal wife” is not the kind of woman to give up hope easily, especially in regards to her beloved

husband.
The swineherd is completely aware of Penelope’s loyalty to Odysseus however he does not share her feelings of hope.

Rather than be anticipative, it seems that the swineherd has become hopeless. When conversing with the cloaked Odysseus, he expresses how convinced he is that Odysseus is “dead and gone.” Even though the swineherd has developed this belief that Odysseus is dead, it is evident that he is still grief-stricken despite the number of years that have passed. While understanding that Odysseus’ departure “left a broken heart for loved ones left behind,” the swineherd believes that it hurt him “most of all.” The swineherd knew Odysseus incredibly well and knows that Odysseus “so deeply loved [him and] cared for [him].” Odysseus was clearly involved with every person that lived on his land so, when he left, not only did his disappearance affect his family but also the rest of his workers. Regardless of the distance that the swineherd believes to be between Odysseus and him, he still “call[s] him Master” and specifically “brother.” Even though the swineherd portrays himself as hopeless, it is obvious that he still contemplates whether or not is hopelessness is valid. Because Odysseus’ death was so uncertain, it is easy for the swineherd to contrast on whether or not to be optimistic. In this passage, the swineherd sincerely grieves his master, even after the time that has passed since his

vanishing.
While the feelings of both the swineherd and Penelope are being revealed, Odysseus’ character is also being elaborated on. When one is able to grieve another mortal man so deeply, it is obvious that the man who passed on was noble. People often do not grieve those who were completely evil therefore, when the swineherd and so many others are grieving Odysseus, it gives the reader a better understanding of who Odysseus was. It is unknown whether or not the swineherd had worked for other masters previously, but despite this uncertainty, the swineherd still remarks that there was “never another master as kind as” Odysseus. The swineherd truly believes that he “will never find one” similar to his great leader. Socially, the swineherd would have been viewed as less than Odysseus due to their place in social ranking. However, due to the kind of man that Odysseus was to his inhabitants, the swineherd is comfortable referring to him as an “old friend.” One’s true character can be revealed very evidently when one is grieving him and this is what occurs in this referred passage.
This passage occurs in book nine, when Odysseus has returned home to Ithaca and is preparing to overcome his household once again. He has not yet revealed his true self to his family for he is trying to devise a plan to get rid of the suitors who have been occupying his house. The grief that is revealed by way of the swineherd is incredibly important to the plot of the story for it intricately explains what some people have been feeling since Odysseus left home. The majority of The Odyssey is very focused on Odysseus’ feelings and sorrows rather than the people who he left behind. Although the swineherd’s character is not specifically relevant to the plot of the story, his feelings are. Homer uses casual characters, like the swineherd, to give the reader a different perspective about Odysseus. In his novel, Homer narrates Odysseus to be a man of great honor and this is why he is so incredibly grieved by his wife, his swineherd, and many other people when he does not return home for a long period of time.