Themes+and+Values19

__//Themes://__

**Teamwork**: In Book 18, there is a situation in which the suitors attack Odysseus. When the fight starts, Telemechus comes in and diffuses the situation. This happens at the end of Book 18. In Book 19, Odysseus works together with Telemechus to remove the weapons and to create tranquility. With both working together they made the suitors leave for the night and both were now safe from the attack of the suitors. This was nice because it was a way for Telemechus to work together with his father that has been away for many ways. In other words they both protected there backs.

**Hospitality**: In the novel, hospitality is a frequent theme found in almost all books. Hospitality in Greece at this time is a very important characteristic that one should have. The Greeks are well known for the way there give hospitality to people. The way we find hospitality in this book is that when Odysseus talks all about himself to Penelope, she off course believes everything he says. The one problem is that she doesn’t know it’s her husband. Believing everything this man said, Penelope offers him a bed to sleep. Giving a visitor a bed in order for him to sleep comfortable is a way of showing hospitality. Odysseus even though he had a bed for his own, he declines the offer and sleeps in the floor. The reason he sleeps in the floor is that he is now used to it. Another reason for showing hospitality, is that Eurycleia offers him to wash his feet. To this, he does accept and it’s a way of showing hospitality.

**Family**: In my opinion, I believe the theme of family reuniting is a very important one is this book. Odysseus comes back and sees his son for the first time after many years, as well as his home and wife. The way this three people interact is a weird one because they don’t know who is who but just for the fact that they are together once again, makes it a very important theme.

__//Values//__

**Curiosity**: In Book 19, Penelope is filled with curiosity. She hasn’t seen her husband for twenty years and now that there is this visitor who claims he has information about Odysseus. This man is really Odysseus but he doesn’t want to say it. The curious Penelope asks the visitor that if what he claims is true, he should describe Odysseus. Odysseus starts describing himself to Penelope that it just makes her burst into tears. Odysseus describes himself so perfectly in detail that it makes Penelope so sad and nostalgic. He also tells Penelope the story of how he met Odysseus and this story is very similar to the one he told in Book 13 and 14.

**Loyalty**: From the theme of hospitality, the value of loyalty comes along. The way this happens is that if Eurycleia wasn’t so hospital with Odysseus, she would of never find out by her own that the man who she is washing her feet is Odysseus. The way Eurycleia notices that this man is Odysseus is by an old scar he had in his feet. Eurycleia recognizes this scar and immediately hugs Odysseus very hard. Odysseus tells Eurycleia that she can’t say a word even thought she might be the only one to know this secret. In other words, loyalty comes from Eurycleia not saying a word about her secret with Odysseus.