What is a theme for "The Wandering, Part 1: I am Laertes' son?"

I believe this question refers to the ninth book of
Homer's Odyssey. In this book, Odysseus finally reveals his
identity to the Phaeacians. As with much of the epic, a major theme for this part of the
Odyssey is embodied in the Greek word nostos,
which can mean "homecoming."

In Odyssey
9, Homer presents the audience with three significant events in the course of
Odysseus' efforts to return to his native land of Ithaca. First, Homer describes
Odysseus' encounter with the Cicones. Second, we hear about Odysseus' adventure in the
land of the Lotus-Eaters. Finally, Homer spends most of this book relating Odysseus'
encounter with the Cyclops Polyphemus.

The first two
encounters show Odysseus' men as being reckless. They defeat the Cicones, but then do
not leave promptly, which results in the Cicones regrouping and making a counter-attack
that costs several of Odysseus' men their lives and thus prevents them from realizing
their homecoming.

Similarly, in the land of the
Lotus-Eaters, Odysseus' men who eat the lotus forget about their
homecoming:

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Those who ate the honey-sweet lotus fruit
no longer wished to bring back word to us, or sail for
home. (A.S. Kline
translation)

Whereas
Odysseus' men show their recklessness in the land of the Cicones and the land of the
Lotus-Eaters, Odysseus himself becomes careless in the land of the Cyclopes. Odysseus'
men want to leave the Cyclopes' island, but Odysseus' curiosity compels him to stay and
eventually costs him not only the lives of six of his crew, but also ends up earning him
the hatred of Poseidon after Odysseus blinds his son
Polyphemus.

When Odysseus reveals his identity to the
Cyclops, this allows the monster to curse him, a curse which aims to prevent Odysseus
from ever reaching home again:

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...let Odysseus...never reach his
home on Ithaca: yet if he is destined to see his friends and his fine
house in his own country, may he come there late and in sore distress...and let him find
great trouble in his
house.

Thus, much of the tale
of Odysseus' wanderings focuses on the theme of nostos
("homecoming").