Odyssey Book 9 and the Importance of the Story in Human Civilization

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Odyssey
Part 1
From book 9, Odysseus’ character is established further from his recounting of his experiences with Polyphemus and his escape. From his retellings, Odysseus was established to be strong, courageous, and confident. His keen mind, though, is what sets him apart most. The fast thinking of Odysseus gets him out of some really difficult circumstances. Additionally, he is an effective public speaker who can easily persuade or sway his audience (and his enemies). However, he is also prone to desires for grandeur and getting credit for his heroic acts. In his interaction with Polyphemus, his escape is anchored on this success in tricking Polyphemus by naming himself as “Nobody.” Despite the crucial need to keep with the task and escaping undetected by remaining as “Nobody,” Odysseus’ character of being glory-seeking pushed him to reveal his real identity, which allowed Polyphemus to appeal to Poseidon for revenge. It is likely that Odysseus did this because he wanted to Polyphemus to know that he was bested and that he wanted him to know exactly who bested him. In truth, they already escaped and there was no need to do anything further for his “Nobody” gambit already worked. His decision to throw back his own name out there was likely solely motivated by his nature. They were successful and he saved some of his men from his cunning and ability to use deception to be victorious in his pursuits. This single act caused further delays on his return to Ithaca, just because he wanted more recognition, appreciation, and admiration than he was already getting.
Part 2
The story of Odysseus’ journey in the first ten b...