“But they never won the heart inside me, never. So nothing
is as sweet as a man’s own country, his own parents, even though he’s settled
down in some luxurious house, off in a foreign land and far from those who bore
him.” (book 9, lines 37-41)
This
passage was reflective of the acute sense of home that Odysseus possessed. He
was unwilling to remain with his suitors even when they offered him a “luxurious
house” or immortality. To him, home was not where riches were, but his origin
and sense of belonging he valued so greatly remained in Ithaca. Odysseus transitioned
almost immediately into the tale of the men who partook in the lotuses. These
crew members that had forgotten their homes contrasted strongly with Odysseus’
devotion to returning. To these men, home was the place where they experienced
the most pleasure and comfort. Their heartbreak at being torn away from that
place was as real as Odysseus’ feelings about being torn away from his home, origin, and
family. Where is home, really? Is home a place of origin as Odysseus believed
or is it of a feeling of belonging that surrounds a particular place (wherever that
place may be)?
I commented on Nate and Dallas' post. :)
I commented on Nate and Dallas' post. :)
In response to your ending question, I think the idea of Home is really a challenging one. I've always been a firm believer in, "Home is where the heart is." However, can we ever really escape our origins? We often see characters running away from a haunted past only to realize that in order to escape that past they have to turn around and confront it head on to truly be free. In this sense, I don't know that it's a matter of, "Where is home?", but, "Who am I"? The idea that when one can be at peace with themselves, Home is wherever.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe Strongly in, "The Home is where the heart is". Someone could be born and raised in the same place for years but feel like a complete stranger to the people in their life and their surroundings. Yet when they move halfway across the world for a job or education, feel like they've always belonged there. I believe the place you call Home is the place that you feel love and belonging.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great question. I agree that in this life, I consider my home to be where I have family and friends who love me. However, I do believe that this can apply to us as Christians. We are going to go to our true home in heaven one day, but are we really striving for our eternal home? Are we following Christ daily and running with endurance the race that is set before us?
ReplyDeleteHome is so much more than a singular place. There are many places that one can call home, and I myself, have many. The deep feelings that accompany events that happen in certain places create a sense of home in varied locations.
ReplyDelete