During social interactions it is necessary to choose and relay information carefully in order to properly convey a message. Things like body language, tone, and word choice all affect the message being relayed. In the epic novel Odysseus, Odysseus and his men find themselves at the mercy of a powerful cyclops. Odysseus realizes that in order to escape he has to carefully choose what he says to the beast. When the cyclops first addresses Odysseus and his men the cyclops says to them:
“'Strangers!' he thundered out, 'now who are you? Where did you sail from, over the running sea-lanes? Out on a trading spree or roving the waves like pirates, sea -wolves raiding at will, who risk their lives to plunder other men?' Homer makes it clear that…show more content… Odysseus realizes that him and his men are in serious danger so it is necessary to try to get on the giants soft side. He tells the Cyclops that: " We're at your knees in hopes of a warm welcome, even a guest-gift the sort that hosts give strangers. That's the custom. Respect the gods, my friend". Just from this quote it can be derived that hospitality is a big part of greek culture and that Odysseus has a sense of entitlement and expects to be accommodated. Odysseus tells the Cyclops that they are on their knees in hope of a warm welcome, because he expects the Cyclops to see them as a friendly force and to treat them with respect. He also refers to the Cyclops as a “friend” and asks him for a “guest-gift” which shows the Cyclops that Odysseus respects him and that the Cyclops should respect them back and treat them with hospitality. He makes it clear to him that they are “suppliants-at your[his] mercy”. This is done in order to decrease the giants aggression and let him know that they are friendly and are willing to comply with him.
The last thing Odysseus does to try to take advantage of the situation is he tried to lay down a few subtle threats to let the Cyclops know not to mess with them. Once Odysseus asserted himself by stating that he comes from a powerful nation, he then followed through by saying “But since we've chanced on you, we're at your knees in hopes of a warm welcome”. The…show more content… It is necessary to analyze the words, style, and syntax of the story to get a better picture of the overall situation. Without close reading empathizing with how the author’s style of writing affects the story would not be as possible. Through close reading Homer’s The Odyssey a closer insight was revealed on the mechanisms of Odysseus’s mind and how the world has shaped him and how it has impacted his decisions. Close reading is critical for truly understanding the motives of a character because it helps unravel the thought process of both the characters and the author and it allows the reader to get a deeper sense of understanding in the story. The only way to truly immerse oneself in a story is to rip it apart word by word and consume it from