As one reads The Odyssey, Genesis and Job, one comes to recognize that the roles of the human being or beings are dependent on the roles of the divine. The gods emphasize humanity’s understanding of an individual’s sole importance differently over time in all three of the books, as seen through the changes of ideals of selfhood in the Odyssey, from personality to family, the story of Abraham, from family to righteousness, and the book of Job, from understanding to righteousness. Through passages in each book, it is clear that the gods' presence and actions throughout each story dictates and affects the changes of the characters' sense of self at different points in each of the narratives.
In The Odyssey, Odysseus understands himself to be alone and, at some points,…show more content… Odysseus changes from being devastated with no energy to create strategic plans to being rejuvenated and meticulous. Odysseus immediately formulates a plan to reclaim his house by first disguising himself and then regaining support, first from his son and then from the swine herder and the cow herder. Additionally, Odysseus stealthily speaks with his wife, Penelope (Od. 17.650-652). Finally, Odysseus investigates the suitors and the maids that work in the house in order to decide if any of them were not guilty. The two portrayals of Odysseus vary greatly and depict very different meanings for life. While the first suggests that Odysseus cares solely for himself, once the gods intervene, Odysseus suggests that it is important to fight for the people and things one likes. Such priorities can be seen as a direct contrast to previous actions of Odysseus. The activity of the gods had a strong impact on Odysseus’s change of self as seen through his personality at different key points in the