In the story The Odyssey by Homer, the constant interference of suitors delays Odysseus' return to his home land Ithaka. These suitors represent Odysseus' desires which prevent him from obtaining his prime directive. Desires interfere with the pursuit of identity. There are three types of desires that are shown. Firstly, desire for physical objects which is shown by Odysseus' shipmates; secondly, lustful desire which is shown by Penelope and Odysseus' suitors, and thirdly, the desire …showed first 75 words of 1130 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1130 total…to recover his identity. Although Odysseus desires to be in his homeland, his desire for wealth, for love and for knowledge overwhelm his desire for home and hold him back from gaining his identity. It is not until Odysseus has lost everything he had gained as a result of greed and lust that he was granted possession of his identity. Identity is obtained only when the desire for earthly possessions has been destroyed.