Beauty, one of a pair of mules that pull Somax’s cart, is a symbol of the pleasures of the incidental and ordinary. Unlike Achilles’s immortal horses Balius and Xanthus, or even the thoroughbreds who pull Priam’s usual royal chariot, Beauty is not particularly strong or majestic; in fact, she might at first seem out of place in a story about kings and demigods. Ransom, however, depicts Beauty as extraordinarily pretty and charming—so much so that the people living amongst Troy’s ruins remember Somax’s connection to Beauty long after they have dismissed his stories about escorting Priam and meeting Achilles as tall tales. This is fitting, given that part of the transformation Priam experiences over the course of the novel involves learning to appreciate the surprises and delights of everyday life. By giving Beauty (and everything she represents) the last word, Malouf implies that it is the commonplace rather than the epic that makes human life important and valuable.
Beauty Quotes in Ransom
It was such a comfort just to hold on to her, and feel the warmth of her, and the scratchiness of her hide against my cheek. But whether it was for grief at my loss, or joy that she was safe, I can't tell you, sir. We're such contrary creatures. Maybe both.
The most remarkable thing about him was that he was the owner of a little black mule who is still remembered in this part of the country and much talked about. A charming creature, big-eyed and sleek, she bore the name of Beauty—and very appropriately too, it seems, which is not always the case.
Beauty Symbol Timeline in Ransom
