1. BACKGROUND
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RANSOM is based on Homer’s epic poem, THE ILIAD, which started as an oral tradition about
1100 BC
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An EPIC NARRATIVE, the Iliad is one of the world’s greatest early stories and the precursor of
a long oral and written story-telling or narrative tradition. It is claimed that Homer, in creating
the Iliad, invented literature
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RANSOM is centred around a small, very personal and critical incident in Book 24, involving
a small number of characters
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RANSOM continues many of the essential elements of great narrative: heroes, gods, villains,
war, choice vs. a set fate, human nature put to the test in extreme situations
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While it is important to understand the background to the novel, including the role that the
gods played in ancient society, it is Malouf’s text that we are studying, not the Iliad or any
film version of it
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David Malouf (1934-) is a multi-award winning author who has won universal critical acclaim.
RANSOM was published in 2009
N.B. See Background document on the English 3 Wikispace : http://gscenglish3.wikispaces.com
STRUCTURE
 The text is divided into 5 sections. The Afterword – a note on sources (p. 221224) gives valuable insight into Malouf’s thinking prior to writing the novel.
1. Achilles (p. 3-36)
2. Priam (p. 39-107)
3. The journey of Priam and Somax (p. 111-163)
4. Priam and Achilles : confrontation (p. 167-201)
5. Resolution (p. 205-219)
 Within the central narrative, which relates directly to Book 24 of the Iliad, there
are stories developed within the main story itself, eg. that of Somax, the carter.
These stories within the story are important in developing the meaning of the text
SOME OF THE CENTRAL IDEAS OF RANSOM
 The idea of a ransom is a central metaphor in the text and drives the plot
 Chance and consequence: the notion that life offers a chance that must be
seized and that will incur consequences; challenging the idea of fatalism in
human life
 The true nature of heroism, courage and dignity
 War and its effects on the individual and on society
 Father/son relationships and the bonds between men
 Storytelling and its importance as a social tradition
See Class notes document on English 3 Wikispace for more detail
MALOUF’S STYLE AND USE OF LANGUAGE
 Malouf’s language is poetic and lyrical, at times intimate
 Very little direct speech is used: the authorial voice is reflective and highly
observant
 There is a strong use of imagery through metaphors and similes, alliteration,
strongly descriptive language and reference to the natural world
 The story develops through a strong, controlled narrative voice
WRITING A RANSOM TEXT ESSAY OUTCOME
TASK
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In approximately week 7, term 1, a text essay outcome task for RANSOM will take
place
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Discuss language, structure, characterisation, plot, narrative voice, setting and how
they reveal the meanings of the book
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Refer only to the text, not to the Iliad or to any film version

Use the traditional text response model (TEEL structure) as the basis for your essay
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PRACTICE ESSAYS are essential before your outcome – as many as you can complete
Refer to Class notes document on RANSOM page of English 3 Wikispace for more detail,
as well as the calendar for Unit 3 and the outcome criteria sheets