Circe’s request that Odysseus fill a vial with blood for her reveals some selfishness. When she reflects on it, she realizes how callous the action was and how it makes her like her brothers—and she regrets it, which demonstrates the importance of self-reflection in personal growth. When looking over her herbs, she spots silphium, an herb that the ancient Greeks used as a contraceptive. The implication is that Circe has been using silphium to prevent pregnancy up until her final month with Odysseus, which suggests that she has been trying to conceive a child with him. By doing so, she is taking her future into her own hands, choosing to have a child so that she no longer feels purposeless and alone on her island. She wants connection with others and makes the decision to have a child to achieve this goal. However, she has also been deceiving Odysseus in the process.