“Somax is used in Ransom to provide entertainment and humour” DiscussHomer’s The Iliad was an epic detailing the heroics of the Trojan War, the war between the people of Troy and the Greek invaders. David Malouf’s Ransom deviates from that, focusing more on the human connections, relationships and inner thoughts of the many characters in the novel. One such character is Somax, a commoner that Malouf added to the story. Somax was not haphazardly added to the story for entertainment; rather, Somax shows us, as well as Priam, what it really is to be a human. Malouf provides us with much of his interesting background, including his fatherhood as well as his connections and relationships with his family members, both in which Priam is found to be a bit lacking.
From our first meeting with Somax, we see that he a representation of the common man, or ‘just a villager’, one who takes everything as it is seen and nothing more. This is shown when Somax points out the bird flying in the air is a “chickenhawk” rather than an eagle as proclaimed by Helenus, who is looking for a sign from the gods delivering acceptance of Priam’s actions. Many of Priam’s descriptions of Somax label him as a simple man “So much simple modesty and goodwill in the man” who is not bound by any forms of custom as Priam is “No notion…. of what was proper”. Indeed, Somax is ill at ease with all the customs of the royal family “...wonders what further madness these high folk will demand of him” as, being a commoner, “never in all his life… [He] had to do with any but simple folk like himself”, he has never had any experience with the royal court “...no experience till now of princes”, “...dazzled by the cleanness, the whiteness of everything here”. Malouf modernisation of The Iliad creates a character in Somax to whom the modern audience can relate to, as most people shrug off divine intervention, as does Somax, which may reflect the author’s position on the topic too.
Somax’s incessant chatter during the trip from Troy to the Greek camp gave Priam an insight on the world he was missing out on. In this episode, Somax has to act tactfully to get Priam to take action, as Priam is unused to the world outside his royal sphere and needs help “He’s like a child”. Somax successfully persuades Priam to a number of things, such as getting Priam to waddle in the stream and nibble on some griddlecakes. Somax’s chatter, whether about “[the] little cakes” or his “pretty daughter-in-law” is always intriguing to Priam, for which Priam’s respect for “the old fellow who had revealed these things to him” grows as he learns more and more about the “interesting” world around him, the “prattling world” full of “interest”, suggesting Priam’s world of royal customs and kingship is dull and boring, as he rarely makes decisions for himself “I’ve played my part”. While Somax can be funny at times, that is not his sole purpose in the novel; Somax is more of a teacher to Priam.
When Somax is persuaded to speak of his children, we see the different approaches to fatherhood by Somax and Priam, as well as Achilles. Somax is shown to have deep feelings for his family, remembering events with raw passion “I can see him now. Such a lively little fellow”, making Somax’s relations to his family a personal matter. This is not the case for Priam, who states that his relationship to his sons was merely “formal and symbolic”, all his actions being produced “as custom and the law demands”, showing us Priam is trapped in his roles as a king, which is why he wants to offer a ransom Hector back, as he states that it provides a way for him “to break free of the obligation of always being the hero”. While Somax can remember the time he struck down his son, “big as he was”, Priam cannot remember tempting Trolius with a dog-headed dagger, and much less remember the exact amount of children he has “He could not even be sure of their actual number...Two or three more than fifty? Two or three less?” We also see that Achilles is quire separated from his son, Neoptolemus, as it was “nine years ago, when he last saw him”, possibly due to the heroic role he must play. It is Somax’s experience of fatherhood that allows Priam to appeal both as a mortal and a father to Achilles when he is attempting to retrieve the body of his son.
While Somax does provide himself to be an entertaining and humorous character throughout the novel, he goes further than that. He shows the image of a common man and a father, his chatter and background story teaching Priam much about the “prattling world” he has never noticed before. Also, Somax’s view on fatherhood does much to help Priam face Achilles when asking for the body of his son back.
Words: ~800 (should be longer, but I suck)
Sorry it's so bad, forgive me, English is my most hated and worst subject. I could not be bothered underlining/bolidng all the stuffs, got lots of work to do
Thanks
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