When did you start disliking Covenant?

[Dawngreeter]

This is my second time around the series and for the most part I do not have a problem with TC's unbelief or really his choices. However, come many days later at Soaring Woodhelvin I find this is where I start to dislike him. After the battle, he's all messed up because of all the death around him and says stuff like this,

"He wandered in mist, and his words were wind-torn from him. "Do you mean to tell me that we-that I-we-? For a couple of corpses?"
Mhoram showed no sign of having heard. But a scowl passed like a spasm across Prothall's face, and Quaan stepped to the Unbeliever's side at once, gripped his elbow, whispered into his ear, "If you speak again, I will break your arm."

I wanted to bust up TC at that point too.

Covenant saw his chance, approached the Giant. Foamfollower's manifest pain brought his confused, angry grief to a pitch that demanded utterance. He himself had killed five Cavewights, five-! His ring was full of blood. "Well," he snarled, "that must've been fun. I hope you enjoyed it." From the other side of the camp, Quaan hissed threateningly. Prothall moved to Covenant's side, said softly, "Do not torment him. Please. He is a Giant. This is the caamora, the fire of grief. Has there not been enough pain this night?" I killed five Cavewights! Covenant cried in bereft fury.

This really got me. Sure TC redeems himself later on in the story but this part he seems like such a self served wiener at this point. You would think that after this many days in this "dream" you would start to become at least humane. Then not accepting Tamarantha's staff was more salt in the wound.

[Cameraman Jenn]

Covenant's entire survival in our world has been drilled in his head over and over again. He can't afford to be emotionally tied to anyone but himself or he will lose survival focus. It's hard to switch that gear so quickly. Remember, he has also spent several years living alone and outcast at this point and joining a company and being responsible for other people is terrifying and against all the rules of leprosy survival. I'm not condoning his insensitivity mind you, just explaining it. I didn't like him either at that point but it's part of what makes SRD such a great writer. He can make you come to love a total assmunch.

[High Lord Tolkien]

I always pretty much liked Thomas Covenant.
Sure he was a total bastard initially but........so am I.
So there!

I latched onto his bitterness and what he needed to do to survive.
Maybe coming down with type1 diabeties myself at the same time I started reading tCoTC helped me greatly in that regard.
You do what you have to do sometimes just to survive.

[Dawngreeter]

I've also wondered from here,

Covenant saw his chance, approached the Giant. Foamfollower's manifest pain brought his confused, angry grief to a pitch that demanded utterance. He himself had killed five Cavewights, five-! His ring was full of blood. "Well," he snarled, "that must've been fun. I hope you enjoyed it."

was he referring to the awesome slaying of the giant in general or the fact that he had after the battle then chased down remaining cavewights to tear apart?

Also, do the Giants abide by the Oath? Because the Lords had stopped the Harukai from doing the same as Saltheart at this point because of the Oath.

[Cameraman Jenn]

Giants are NOT bound by the Oath of Peace. The Bloodguard are not either. Only the people of the Land and the Lords abide by the Oath of Peace itself. The Bloodguard are bound by their Vow to the Lords and that's why they obey the Lords when told to stand down. On the other question, I think Covenant was referring to Foamfollower chasing the remaining cavewights down.

[slappy]

That we despise Covenant, yet still read the story is a tribute to SRD's genius. Covenant, to me, is the ultimate anti-hero. I do not like him, not even from the start. I find it hard to sympathize with him, and there were several times he needed the $h*t beat out of him. But I wanted him to succeed, and he did.


I think I didnt like him a lot until he raped lena. Then, i despised him. When Triock attacked him, and Atarian defended him, knowing what he did, yet sacrificing her hatred to save the Land nailed it for me.

[I'm Murrin]

I never actually disliked Covenant. The story was told from his PoV, and as such you see his motivations, his thought patterns, and you get to glimpse at least some of why he behaves the way he does. This knowledge of him denies the labelling of him in that fashion; take the above quotes from Soaring Woodhelven, for example. His words are a venting of anger, at himself as much as anything. His scorn is his mental distancing of himself from what has happened. Rather than confront his anger and fear, he blocks it out, and this makes him unable to react appropriately to the others. He can't accept the staff of Tamarantha from them, because he hates himself for killing, for being powerful (how can he have that power when he is guilty--when he is outcast, unclean? The series is about him coming to terms with that).

I can't hate him, because I understand him.

[Dawngreeter]

I think I just can't really understand him. Kinda like how I can't really understand women. This line,

"Do not torment him. Please. He is a Giant. This is the caamora, the fire of grief. Has there not been enough pain this night?" I killed five Cavewights! Covenant cried in bereft fury."

Amid all this bloodshed that everyone took place in at great lengths, the only thing he can think of is "I killed five cavewights!" c'mon you little freaking pansy, man up! You've been in this land for what 20-30 days now, witnessed quite a few pretty darn incredibly tragic and beautiful things - it ain't ain't no flippin dream man! I'm not dissing the books at all here just so you know, I totally love them. But for the most part, TC should be wearing panties.

You're right Jenn, TC is an assmunch. You're also right of SRD's ability to bring me to this point & still make me want to keep reading.

[I'm Murrin]

That seems more to me as Covenant making a point: He knows there has been pain, because he has been the cause of some of it. He has killed, he feels it, and because of this you cannot accuse him of not understanding how much pain there has been. He does not express himself well in words, but the ways in which he does express himself make the underlying feelings clear.

[Cameraman Jenn]

Hey now! I wear panties and I am NO wuss. My friend Canaan even refers to me as "The Don." I don't read TC as being a wimp even though we portray him that way on our show. He's conflicted. Basically everything in the land is in direct conflict with everything he knows and thinks and feels and believes. Furthermore, it's not so much a choice of whether to believe or not at this point for him. It's a conflict of the very foundation on which his survival depends as well as a moral issue of not killing. Think of it along these lines. What if you are suddenly put in a situation where something you KNOW will kill you is presented to you as your only way to survive. How do you reconcile that?

[drew]

I really dissliked Covenant when Triock had first accosted him...and Atiaran was all upset, and he was sjust standing there bragging about how he could feel his cut fingers.

[wayfriend]

I never disliked Covenant, although I winced at all the things that are mentioned. It was all too easy to imagine the times I made people wince.

[dlbpharmd]

I never disliked Covenant either. Linden, on the other hand.....

[Dawngreeter]

I know conflict, conflict, disbelief, preservation, etc. I just have a problem with him at this point in the story because I think I would have caved in to the reality of the Land by this time.

This first book always makes me crazy, I'll get over it. But I must say that I'm getting gobs more out of it this time around. Thanks assmunchers - Jenn, I'm stealing your word!

[Ur Dead]

I figured if you disliked Thomas then you would have never finished the books or wait for the next book comming out.

[Turiya]

I never disliked him. Linden and Hile Troy (pre-tree) made me angry, though. . .talk about wimps. . .*shakes head*

How anyone could dislike TC is beyond me. Put yourself in his situation and see if you do any better.

[drew]

I never really liked Covenant until he saved the day at the end of TPTP/

I thought he was was an arogant selfish prick with a Poor-Me syndrome.

I enjoyed the book s totally..I was just waiting for Covenant to come around.

Now, I did like him in the 2nd Chrons.

[Cameraman Jenn]

Honestly, I don't think Donaldson wrote TC to be liked in the beginning. His charactor is written to provoke emotions and he's supposed to be an ass so that you feel conflicted about him as TC feels conflicted in the story. If you like him in the beginning then it lessens his journey of redemption and reformation. Pity him maybe but like him? I don't think so. Not in the beginning anyway, but by the end of the second chrons I found myself loving and respecting him. Something I never imagined I would do in the beginning. Now THAT's good writing folks.

[Tjol]

I never really liked Covenant. Until about the end of The Power that Preserves when he encourages the Lords to laugh at Foul. Well maybe in the middle of The Power that Preserves, when he finally recognises all of the hardship that he is putting other people through, and finally realises it's time to pull his own weight.

I understand Covenant, but that doesn't make me appreciate him. It is the people of the land that I am more fond of, because they are so noble even when having to wait for Covenant to start contributing to, rather than taxing, their efforts.

I like Covenant much better in the second series.

[drew]

When I introduce the series topeople, I warn then that they may not like the Protaganist...I let them know his character is very well written...but not a nice guy.

Instead of cheering for him: "Go Aragorn GO!"
I find myself more along the lines of, "You'd BETTER fix things, bub!"