"what's the deal with Jeremiah's red car?"

[Orlion]

I like the idea for the car being a literary device ( a McGuffin, pues), however I favor the theory that the Creator is TRAPPED IN THE CAR!!!! AHHHH!!!! BUY MATTEL PRODUCTS, OR THE LAND IS DOOMED!!! As far as Jeremiah's special abilities, it seems that a lot of abilities in the Land are a reflection of the characteristics of the character. Jeremiah, being extremely traumitized at an early age, seeks to withdraw and escape the world around him. Left to his own devices, he probably would just build a construct and hide in it for all time, hence the necesity of the croyel to kinda force him to use his unique power for Despair!

[wayfriend]

That's a real interesting point that I hadn't thought of. That Jeremiah's abilities (or apparent abilities) are a natural extension of his self-preserving mental withdrawal. In a way, when he entered his autistic-ish state, he fled reality, built a box around himself, and escaped.

But if that's true, we may be in trouble. Such self-preserving escapism is only a short term fix, not a long term solution.

[shadowbinding shoe]

That's a real interesting point that I hadn't thought of. That Jeremiah's abilities (or apparent abilities) are a natural extension of his self-preserving mental withdrawal. In a way, when he entered his autistic-ish state, he fled reality, built a box around himself, and escaped.

But if that's true, we may be in trouble. Such self-preserving escapism is only a short term fix, not a long term solution.

But wouldn't it be a long-term solution in a place like the Land where there's magic to make his talent reality?

I like the idea that the race-car would be used by Linden to break his catatonia.

[earthbrah]

Could be that the racecar is the key to unlocking the boy's mind, setting him free from his possibly self-imposed mind box.

Could be that the racecar is the key to allowing Linden to find her son without the aid of the Harrow.

Could be...

[rusmeister]

Perhaps we will learn in the third and fourth books that there is something more powerful than white gold - RED LEAD/TIN ALLOY!!!!!

Fear the wrath of the Chosen as she wields the awe-inspiring powers of both the Staff of Law and red lead/tin alloy, using the krill of Loric to channel them to create a new Arch of Time shaped like a Mattel toy car.

Thranathiril

But he that wields the red lead sixtysix shevi impala magic
Is everything and more
Hero and butt-kicker
Potentially helpful
And with one twist of mainspring or wheel
Will save or damn the Land
Because he is Mad and Max
Pole and position
Lost and...waitaminute? Whaddyamean "under the sofa"?

[sweetbread]

Could be that the racecar is the key to unlocking the boy's mind, setting him free from his possibly self-imposed mind box.

Could be that the racecar is the key to allowing Linden to find her son without the aid of the Harrow.

Could be...

Linden will use the Staff of Law and Wild Magic to combine the "essence" of the Ranhynyn with Jeremiah's red car, turning the great horses into automobiles.

Throw a few gallons on unleaded Elohim into the mix, and viola! the Land has "Vroom!"

[rusmeister]

Could be that the racecar is the key to unlocking the boy's mind, setting him free from his possibly self-imposed mind box.

Could be that the racecar is the key to allowing Linden to find her son without the aid of the Harrow.

Could be...

Linden will use the Staff of Law and Wild Magic to combine the "essence" of the Ranhynyn with Jeremiah's red car, turning the great horses into automobiles.

Throw a few gallons on unleaded Elohim into the mix, and viola! the Land has "Vroom!"

Have you thought about calculating the 'horsepower' of such a fusion?

[Fullmetal660]

Hasn't jeremiah been to the land before (in mind/spirit) and spoken to the insequent, the vizard IIRC. Maybe he learned some stuff from them and his car has the same significance as the mahdoubts gown/harrows beads etc.

[sweetbread]

Jeremiah as Insequent...oooooh!

I kinda like it. PJ's and Toy Car could have as much significance as the Harrow's beads....

[hamako]

I'm re reading Runes atm and I think Jeremiah is going to have a very big role in the next 2 books.

I think he is the designer and builder of Foul's Creche.

He built a 2 towered castle in Linden's house: I reckon it's fouls creche.

I also reckon his mind's been in the land for over 10 years. He could be the key to lots of stuff.

seperately - howdy all, it's been a long time

[AjK]

seperately - howdy all, it's been a long time

Greetings and a warm welcome back, hamako!

[dlbpharmd]

I think he is the designer and builder of Foul's Creche.

Good idea but not true. SRD said last year at Elohimfest that Lord Foul built the Creche.

[SkurjMaster]

Posters,

It is likely correct that the car is a literary device or represents Jerry's psychological safety. But, that car was originally made to run on a track. And that track was used to build a representation of the Arch of Time (wasn't it?). Could the car be a message that there is a way to time travel without the Ceasures? Remember, Jeremiah built the arch in the form of a Mobius strip, so that the car could not travel it without falling off. Do we really know what a true representation of the Arch would look like? An arch doesn't sound like a Mobius strip. Is is possible that Jeremiah has done something to the Arch already? Changed it's shape and nature? An arch is a simple construct meant to span something. A Mobius strip is a topological construct with only one side that has no beginning or end.

Hmmmm.....

[danlo]

awesome idea Skurj!

[Auleliel]

I am intrigued by your idea, Skurj. It has interesting implications...

[Borric]

I think you are on to something here.
Although exactly what it represents is hard to say.

What clues are we given (stephen always gives us the information, although its hard to see it for what it is until the books conclusion).

The clues I see so far are.

The car was dropped during the fight under Melenkurion skyweir.
And what happened when the car was dropped?.
The fight was lost and both Roger and the Croyel withdrew.
We where distracted from this clue by lindens internal battle to master Earthpower via the Words of power, and the use of the earth blood. (this is stephens usual way to hide important clues I’v found)

The next clue, is the Croyels absence from the huge battle we saw at First Woodhelven.
Why was roger fighting alone there?.
Roger and the Croyel are stronger as a team after all.
Could it be due to the absence of the racecar?

I had not really considered the car, (thanks for the tip) ill be sure to keep an eye out for it next time I read fatal Revenant.

[Stylez1877]

Krilly, the tuna-slapping emoticon is, I believe, in tribute to that immortal Monty Python classic, "The Fisch Schlapping Dance."

I love the lead/tin alloy thing. Too funny! But now I'm worried that at the end of The Last Dark, Jeremiah is going to somehow make that little crumpled car expand in size, and everybody's going to pile into it -- like a clown car! -- and that's how they'll all escape the last dark! Or -- no, wait! I know! -- he won't make the car get big, he'll make himself and Linden and TC get reeeeeal smallllll.....

Nah, probably not.

See, the thing is, the toy car is a DeLorean.
They enlarge it, kick it up to 88 MPH, get hit by lightning, and get the hell out of the land back to the future with Jeremiah and Co. Happy Ending!!

[ninjaboy]

Come on!!!! I've already thought of a few ways the end of this series would go down (when following previous literary models) Ie. in the style of the end of Narnia in CS Lewis' 'the Last Battle', and I had an odd thought also about how TC and Linden, together with all the Heroes of Arrakis - wait, the Land, would be bought back to like and fly around in a space ship with a cargo hold full of Earthpower, the water from Glimmermere and Ranhyn.

And now it's all going to end 'Back to the Future' style??? No way! way! No, no way!

I had thought that if we knew exactly why the Croyel (w/ Jeremiah in tow) didn't show up at the EITKS battle we would know a lot more about the universe than we currently do.

If anything, the Car is a symbol of power - like the White Gold ring is a symbol for White Magic. The bearer of that power (say Jeremiah) wouldn't actually need the object to unleash such power.. But we've come through 2 books and still so much information is kept from us..

We still don't know if any other people are in the Land, and I would criticise SD for including a character in the Land (say Sandy or the Sheriff) with only 2 books to go..But I'd also get over it.

Jeremiah has some powers, and I'm hoping they will help preserve him against the Croyel..

[Reisheiruhime]

Could be that the racecar is the key to unlocking the boy's mind, setting him free from his possibly self-imposed mind box.

Could be that the racecar is the key to allowing Linden to find her son without the aid of the Harrow.

Could be...

Linden will use the Staff of Law and Wild Magic to combine the "essence" of the Ranhynyn with Jeremiah's red car, turning the great horses into automobiles.

Throw a few gallons on unleaded Elohim into the mix, and viola! the Land has "Vroom!"

Have you thought about calculating the 'horsepower' of such a fusion?

Transformers... robots in disguise!

[Relayer]

The car was dropped during the fight under Melenkurion skyweir.
And what happened when the car was dropped?.
The fight was lost and both Roger and the Croyel withdrew.

I think the reason the croyel dropped the car was that it no longer needed to control Jeremiah, and use his power. Somehow it seems to represent a link to him.