fbpx

“Harmonious Household”: Homer’s Odyssey on the Breakdown of Marriage and Family

Although we tend to think of the Odyssey as a story of homecoming, it has just as much to say about the terrible cost of homewrecking. Homer’s ancient book offers a timely lesson for readers living in an age when so many forces are working to erode the institutions of marriage and the family.
As we approach Memorial Day, we have an opportunity to reflect on how and why we remember the dead. Walt Whitman tried to restore individuality, dignity, and personhood to those “hundreds, thousands obliterated” by the violence of war.