The avoidance of
war is the main theme Homer illustrates in "The Odyssey". This
paper explains how he uses Odysseus and his
family to reveal the devastating
effects of war on the entire family. These effects are not only present in literature, but they are also true in the lives of real families who must deal with the absence of a father due to war. The paper discusses how there are situations that require warfare to end the conflict and that government officials need to weigh the emotional cost of war before they engage in war for petty reasons.