Homer’s Odyssey is thick with symbolism. From the more obvious—water as a symbol for purification from sin and rebirth, or birds and symbols of the Gods’ will, to the more sublime—Polyphemos’s one eye as a symbol for his limited observation of nostos, or Argos’s death as a symbol for his master’s return and ultimate act of insult, mythology is full of symbols.

The most obvious symbol in our story’s end is the olive tree around which Odysseus and Penelope have build their home, a tree which serves as a bed post in their marriage bed. Having read nearly all of the Odyssey, how do you interpret this symbol?

Write one paragraph that a) follows argumentative structure (claim, context sentence for quote, direct quote, commentary with explanation and additional evidence), and b) provides insight in the epic poem’s theme. Put another way, what do we learn from this Odyssey, and how does the tree illustrate that lesson?

Take 10-15 minutes to write that paragraph right now, and then copy and paste it as a comment into this thread.