David Malouf inserts Somax into the Iliad to connect with the 21st century readers of Ransom in a way that would not be possible with the other noble characters. Do you agree?

Somax is brought into the story as the "everyman", a character that we can relate to because even thousand of years later his life is much like our own.... he eats, he sleeps, he works, he raises a family, and he grieves when he experiences loss. The other "noble" characters in Ransom live lives far different than our own, we can envision their lives, but we cannot connect with them personally.