Family relationships have evolved in many places and improved immensely, but not for the entire globe. In Homer's Odyssey, life is a journey full of obstacles. Odysseus has been at war for ten years and has now spent ten years trying to get home. The journey has been long and full of trials, tribulations and obstacles. In the Odyssey, the father and son spend most of their time apart and it is through distance that they develop admiration and love for each other. So this essay discusses why family is important on the example of the Odyssey. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The role of family in the "Odyssey" is the reunification of the family, as Odysseus struggles to return home and reunite with his wife and son . Social interaction is one of the most significant reasons why family is important. Homer emphasizes descriptions of food and drink to celebrate the value of eating together as a family or group and the opportunity it provides for people to engage, interact, and establish new friendships. Homer celebrates the joys of a healthy traditional home life. This helps them understand why he is so eager to return home, preferring to deal with all those problems rather than stay with Calypso. As the lyrics state “I'm home, because I'm him. I have endured adversity, but in the twentieth year I am grounded in my land. I find that you two, alone among my people, eagerly awaited my coming. Prayers I have never heard except yours that I might return” (Odysseus; Book 21). Odysseus denies staying with Calypso, not only because he loves his wife Penelope, but also because he does not want to remain anonymous and lose his social identity. Ulysses defines himself through belonging to his family and his relationships with people. Deriving a sense of belonging to the home and surrounding community, he is willing to go through hell until he is reunited with his wife and son. The first bond between father and son is formed by Poseidon and his son, Polyphemus. As the text states: “Hear me, dark-haired Earth Belt, if indeed I am yours and you my father. Don't let this Ulysses, son of Laertes of Ithaca, return home. But if it is fated that he should see his friends again in his stately home and his homeland, let it be late and miserably, on a foreign ship, having lost all its crews. And let him find trouble there at home” (Homer; Book 21). This shows how Polyphemus shouts angrily at his father. Not because the Cyclops is in danger, but because he needs to satisfy his feelings of revenge. His father, Poseidon, responds to his request and does everything in his power to ensure that Polyphemus' wishes come true. Poseidon's feelings towards Odysseus change, due to the bad behavior shown to Polyphemus. It shows the concern and love that Poseidon has for his son. When Odysseus reveals himself to his son Telemachus, the reaction of both characters is extremely human. This monumental knowledge is a moment of feeling and emotion for both Telemachus and his son. Both characters were there for each other despite his self-confidence with the rest of the community. Ulysses collapses at the sight of his son, as the text says “Then, embracing this wonder of a father, Telemachus began to cry. Salty tears welled from the wells of both men's desire, and cries flowed from both, as high and tremulous as those of the great taloned hawk, whose nestlings the farmers catch before they fly. They cried so helplessly, shedding tears, and they could have continued crying like this until sunset. . . (Odiesso; Book 16). This shows how,’.