Hidden in the Lies: Odysseus's Ambiguity

This is somewhat of a response to Jackson’s last blog, “Odysseus, the Independent”. I fully agree to what he’s saying, but I also have a slightly different take on the matter.  As much as we look at Odysseus (thus far) as an autonomous, brave, cunning character, there has to be a reason for his lying and cover-ups. It seems to me to be clear that most readers have a similar mind setting that of which is that Odysseus’s persuasion and exaggeration in this section of the epic are the core reasons for why he is welcomed on this land.  But, are his stretching-of-the-truths really necessary to win over the hearts of others ? In my own personal opinion, I believe the answer is yes.  As a class, we haven’t gotten too deep into the good details of the epic, so we don’t yet have the full idea of Odysseus – we don’t exactly know his story quite yet. Nor do the many of the characters in this section. So, Odysseus feels as if he needs to make a great first impression on the island people – one that will last.  His lies could easily be the result of spur-of-the-moment excitement. But, however, I think that there is a deeper reason for his lies. His reason for lying is the fear of potential failure, and rejection. He uses falsehood and exaggerations to mask his uncertainty with his new environment, in fear of if the people would accept him or not. Yet, Odysseus also uses discrete lies and sings his own praises as a way to puff him up.. In essence, he is lying by omission. He’s leaving out minor details, as a way to propagate himself. Just as one does to intimidate their opponents, or, in Odysseus’s case, to impress potential conquests.