What do the lotus eaters symbolize?

In the Odyssey, they symbolize Odysseus on his journey home. When the soldiers ate the Lotus, they became lazy and didn’t care about anything. At another point, Odysseus forgot what his goal was. He fell in-love with another woman, Circe, and his goal was to get home to Penelope and stop the suitors from marrying her. So does Odysseus not love Penelope anymore? This is kind of a tough question because if he really truly loved her, he wouldn’t have fallen in love with anyone else. The love he had for Penelope shouldn’t have been shared with another woman. If he still loved Penelope, I don’t think he would have been interested in other women. At the same time, Odysseus hasn’t seen Penelope in a long time, so maybe he forgot how special she once was to him and the love kind of faded out of his memory, and once he sees her again, he won’t want another woman. 

Aside from loving your parents or siblings, the love you have for the person you are with shouldn’t be shared with another person. If you are truly with the one you love you won’t even consider being with anyone else. Love is a stronger word than we think. Its commitment and dedication. It’s doing things for people just because, and not expecting or wanting anything in return. So, I think Odysseus doesn’t love her like he thinks he does. He might say he loves her but, when it comes down to it, he doesn’t.