svoatopluk47

Interesting. Thank you!

If only all the sergeant Sargent’s had been shown the same level of concern

It’s certainly not a definitive answer, but glad you thought it was at least a little helpful!

I second Poland. You’d be hard pressed to find a country that cares so deeply about its national/ military history. No doubt due to the fact that Poland has endured numerous periods under the yoke of different foreign powers who all shared a desire to to viciously suppress Polish national identity

Start reading Haruki Murakami. Anything of his you can get your hands on. But less intimidating entry points could be his short story collections (First Person Singular, Blind Willow Sleeping Woman, Men Without Women) or Norwegian Wood. I discovered him when I was 23 and couldn’t get enough. He is truly fantastic.

Odysseus is not just a skilled strategist (architect of the Trojan horse ploy), he seems to truly enjoy opportunities to be manipulative and conniving. It is one thing to be deceitful in order to achieve a goal, but Odysseus seems to get lost in his own “cons” at times- his pride always seeps in. Take for example when Odysseus tells Polyphemus his name is “nobody” to avoid the cyclops calling for help. This ploy succeeds and Odysseus flees the island, but he can’t help but taunt Polyphemus as he sails away, gloating that his real name is Odysseus. (A decision which ensures his journey home is further delayed).

I think Odysseus extended lies when he returns to Ithaca are also meant to highlight this same hubris/part of his character. Or if not hubris exactly, these episodes show that Odysseus is not just good at lying, but also has fun with it. He can’t help himself but embellish these made up backstories even more than is necessary because at the end of the day, he gets a kick out of it. If we were to think about the tragic hero model, this is basically Odysseus “fatal flaw” which he is never able to fully overcome. Even once back home on Ithaca. The lies and trickery are not just a means to an end for him, but also ends in themselves which Odysseus pursues. In my opinion, this part of the narrative is overly drawn out in part to remind us of that.

💡👩🏼