This last quarter we read the book Cold Mountain. We also read the epic poem The Odyssey. Through both of these stories we find a multitude of similarities between the journey of Odysseus and the journey of Inman.

Both Inman and Odysseus begin their journeys in the same way. The two main characters are returning from very important wars for their home. Inman is returning from the Civil war. Although he fought for the losing side in the end Inman still fought in a war that is very important for his nation. Odysseus fights for the winning side in The Trojan War and it has an equal importance for his homeland. This sets the scene for both of their journeys home.

Meanwhile both of our main characters have a lover who is struggling without them at home. Odysseus’s lover is penelope who must deal with all the suitors who think that Odysseus is dead because he has been …show more content…
To begin Odysseus starts his journey with an entire army of men and he ends it with a much different number of men. Odysseus loses boatloads (literally) of men along the course of his journey as he is the only survivor of his journey home as it is prophesied. His men die in a multitude of different ways as he makes his way home some of those deaths are at their own ignorance. In all of those men there has to be at least some of them that are friends with Odysseus although the epic poem does not mention any specifically. Inman doesn't lose near as many men as Odysseus does along his journey. However he does lose the life of Veasey a character that Inman bonds with until his death. Inman and Veasey were both expected to die but they somehow escaped except they were both shot at. Inman escaped with only minor wounds Veasey wasn’t so lucky and died. This factor probably made the death much harder on Inman. Losing men or friends makes this journey home harder emotionally for Inman and