Kevin's Watch

Maybe this has been discussed before, but I haven't seen it.

I've never been very good at identifying the meaning of themes in books that I've read, although once a discussion is going, I'm pretty good at contributing.

There's a theme I see developing, and I'd like to know what you all think it means.

There is obvious significance to descendants in this go-around. Examples:

Roger - son of Joan and TC
Jeremiah - Linden's son (albeit adopted)
Anele - son of Sunder and Hollian
Esmer - son of Cail
Longwrath - son (or grandson, don't have novel in front of me) of The First and Pitchwife

We even see Damelon as a son (to Berek).
I could be wrong, but it also seems that one of the Humbled is Stave's son.

So... what does it all mean?

Yes, this is a strong theme - actions of the parents affecting the lives/actions of their descendants. Taken to the extreme in case of TC & Elena.

TC and Roger, that's a BIG unresolved thing, how it will be reconciled, I am very curious to see.

Definitely. Somewhere in the GI, Donaldson mentioned that the theme of children would be important in the Last Chrons.

Stave mentions that his sons are also Masters, but doesn't specify who they are. We all suspect that at least one of the Humbled is.

I thought it was directly stated that at least one of the Humbled was a son of Stave?

dw

In the Gradual Interview was wrote:Bryan Flynn: ... My question is about the large role that parenthood is playing in the Last Chronicles. Was it part of your original envisioning of the Last Chronicles back in the 80s to use these relationships? And if so has it changed over time?

As a parent I’m having a different reader response to the Last Chronicles than I did to the previous books. It’s more intimate in some way. Are you finding something similar as you write the story? ...

• In some ways, this resembles all the questions I've been getting about the Insequent. You have to let me come up with SOME new ideas. After all, my imagination and I didn't spend 20 years in stasis.
  
  So no, way back in the early 80s I didn't foresee the role that parenthood would play in "The Last Chronicles". (I wasn't a parent myself in those days.) As soon as I started writing on TROTE, however, I realized that something was missing from my conception of the story. Something vital. Something without which I wouldn't be able to go where I intended to go. And after some weeks of mental floundering, my subconscious finally gave me Jeremiah. Who was implied by Roger, and who in turn implied Anele.
  
  As direct consequence, this story has become for me--as it has for you--more "intimate" than the previous "Chronicles".
  
  (12/20/2007)

Also ....

I think Stave admits that he has a son. I don't think it's stated who his son is, or if he is one of the Humbled.

Concerning the father/son relationship, the one that has thrown me off balance the most is TC/Roger.

Before starting the Last Chronicles, I would not have expected Roger to be a totally unredeemable "bad guy." Very messed up, frustrated, led astray, but he seems as evil as LF himself.

And at this point, any doubt or wavering from that path would either lead me to believe he was playing for an advantage or that SRD was violating what he has set up so far if it was "sincere".

Do you expect Roger to be a one dimensional character until the end and how does everyone else feel about that?

I don't think he's one dimensional, in that he's not a simple avatar of evil in the way that LF or even the Ravers are. He has reasons that have been somewhat explained as to how he ended up the way he did - in many ways he's not dissimilar to Linden in that his parents have really messed him up. The point of difference is that obviously LF and Kan. have got their hooks into him and given him what seems like an avenue through which to act out on his pain, and have twisted him to become an evil person. I agree though, that it was a shock when we first discovered just how bad he had become.

I highly doubt that Roger's conflicts won't be an important part of the resolution of his story arc, and of TC's. I doubt SRD will do anything as cliched as a Darth Vader style last minute recanting of evil, but I think the fact that Roger has at least some legitimate beefs with his childhood (even if they are hard to actually blame TC for in the manner that he does) will have to be acknowledged by those opposing him. Prediction - Roger will be the one to 'resolve' (one way or another) Joan's predicament