What are some ideas for a thesis statement that makes a contention about the similarities and differences of father and son in The Odyssey, Book 5?

To begin work on your thesis, I would begin by brainstorming ways in which Odysseus and Telemachus are similar and ways in which they are different. For example, they are both very brave, they both care a great deal about one another, and they are both fearing of the gods and pious. There do not seem to be as many significant differences between the father and son as there are similarities. Any differences seem pretty superficial: they are different in age, their marital statuses are different, their relative positions in the word are different, and so forth. Obviously Odysseus has more experience, but this is really an effect of his age. In fact, this disparity might be a good source for a claim: you could say, There are many important qualities shared by Odysseus and Telemachus; they are both brave, pious, and interested in protecting the honor of their family.
For each topic sentence, then, you should focus on one of these shared qualities. For example, you could say, Odysseus and Telemachus are both pious and beloved by the gods, and the gods help them both as a result of their piety. Try to apply this for your other topic sentences: name the quality that they share, and then briefly explain its importance.