Somax Vs Priam (David Malouf's Ransom)

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In the novel Ransom, by David Malouf we are drawn into the world of two men who on the surface seem so different. They come from completely different backgrounds yet we will see that their aspirations are the same. They have endearing feelings for their family members and both know the feeling of loss of a loved one. Somax is the common man who accompanies Priam on his journey to a meeting with Achilles. Priam is the King of Troy who has led a royal life behind the walls of the city of Troy and he is now forced to give up that comfort so that he may retrieve the body of his dead son for proper burial. Somax is a perfect character difference for Priam. Somax is a plain and simple man which contrasts greatly with Priam’s royalty. Priam and Somax are only alike in the respect that they both have had many children and they are both aging men otherwise they are very different. Priam has been the leader of Troy for many years and he identifies himself with being a king, not a father or husband. As he ages though, he realizes that being a king is not how he wants to be remembered. The death of his son Hector has shown him that he wants to be remembered as a father. The journey to obtain his son’s dead body is also a journey to find out who he is. Somax, on the other hand is confident and prideful in his name and who he is. He is not happy when Priam gives him another name to go by. The unfamiliar name makes him uncomfortable. Somax is very talkative about his life which is the opposite of Priam who anticipates and thinks about every word that he says. He has always lived with people who spoke for him and he is somewhat apprehensive when speaking whereas Somax chats freely about things. When Somax is describing his everyday life to Priam it seems foreign to him. Priam does not know what it means to eat “griddlecakes”, or even what they are. Somax can

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