Fatal Revenant: Part 1, Chapter 4, A Defense of Revelstone
Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 7:27 am
I had hoped to accomplish this dissection without a plot synopsis. I have nothing personal against them; it just seems a Cliff’s Notes condensation being presented to a group you absolutely KNOW read the material seems a little inefficient. So I set about my task with this in mind and thereby found my first obstacle.
A plot synopsis is absolutely required for this chapter to make the case for the entire premise of this dissection. “What is the point of this chapter?” At thirty one pages it’s the second longest so far and only three pages shorter than the John Holmes of the book. (I had to stop myself from calculating a mean and standard deviation by walking to the kuhlschrank for a bier.) The point is, it’s longish, and what really ‘happens’?
Section I
-Linden thinks about some stuff
Section II
-Linden talks to some people about some stuff
Section III
-Linden closes the caesure the Demondim were using to access the Illearth Stone.
Clearly, not action oriented, plot driven, fast and furious thriller material.
So what was the point? In fact, we have five things that I believe SRD wanted to us to think about.
1. That ain’t Thomas Covenant
It’s all there. She recognizes the fidelity of Mahrtiir’s reproduction of TC when he describes what was said through Anele. I believe it’s even implied that Mahrtiir’s mimic seemed more TC’ish than the TC she was talking to. She convinces herself it’s the strain of being in two places at the same time. Page 87, Linden acknowledges the TC she saw seemed disingenuous. Page 90 Linden fears to dream of TC’s voice as she remembers it rather than how it is now – “she might lose the last of her frayed resolve.” When confronting the Demondim she again questions that TC is telling the truth. She’s walking a line of self-delusion and self-preservation, partly not listening to her heart. My first read through this registered as a head nod to THOOLAH, thinking it was whiny self-questioning hand wringing, but following this depth of analysis (which I haven’t done in oh twenty years) I have a new opinion, to be discussed further along in point number 5. For now we’ll wrap up with the idea that all signs point to TC as being a TC imposter. I do have doubts, but I still believe it’s the genuine article. Millennia stuck in the Arch of Time would make anyone a bit cranky.
2. Ruminations on the Staff of Law
For some reason, and this one I don’t pretend to understand, SRD wants us right now to ponder the differences between the old and new Staff of Law. It’s just a few lines of text, and what follows is basically what I scribbled for notes.
- She knew they weren’t identical (black color, runes)
- Berek’s was crafted by lore and earned wisdom from the a limb of the One Tree
- Hers was formed with urgency and wild magic and Findail and Vain
- Berek’s and Linden’s understanding of Law could be vastly different
- For all she knew the only thing they had in common were the heels, forged by Berek.
- The magic transforming Vain’s forearm may have been the Worm at the World’s End instead of the One Tree.
- Both are tools of Earthpower, formed of love and yearning to sustain the land.
- “Be cautious of love. There is glamour on it which binds the heart to destruction.” Does this mean Linden is destined to destroy the Land?
Make of that what you will. It’s easy enough to take some of these points and speculate if the new and the old staff are the same thing. That maybe the heels are somehow the manacles. The question for me remains, “Why does SRD put this text right here?”
3. Who is “he?”
I brought this one up in a thread shortly after finishing FR, and it got a couple of responses before getting covered up in all the new posts. After Glimmermere, Mahrtir is recounting Anele’s channeling of TC when he says, “I can only say all of this once. And I can’t explain it. As soon as he notices what I’m doing, he’ll stop me. If I even say his name, he’ll stop me before I can finish.” Just who in the hell is “he?” It’s a crucial question. It doesn’t seem to me that Kastenessen is powerful enough to control who talks through Anele, which leaves us with Lord Foul manning the Anele communication channels (which kinda fits, but is also a little too “hands on” for LF.) On the other hand (and I just had this idea) what if Anele is actually just an open circuit available to whoever and that “he” was not threatening to cut off TC from Anele, but from stopping TC at the source. What if the Creator could stop TC due to TC’s existence in the AoT? It wouldn’t technically be reaching through the AoT to change things if he was tweaking something within the AoT itself would it? It’s interesting though, to consider that whoever “he” is, he didn’t want TC to tell them the things he did….. oy, my head is spinning.
4. The power of inadequacy
We know this is a common theme in the Chronicles and why not? It’s right up SRD’s alley with it’s built in paradox. Just before stomping off to deal with the Demondim issue, Linden has a go at Galt who is relaying to her that TC does not think she should attempt the Demondim. She gets in his face and recounts the story of Brinn and how he “became your greatest hero, because he was a failure.” Acknowledging that he did not have the skill to defeat Kenaustin Ardenol, was when discovered the means to achieve it. It’s a fascinating turn of concept, and rings of Truth (capital “T” intentional.) More about this as we wrap up point 5.
5. Linden’s transformation
This is the big one, the meat, the biggest reason to write this chapter. From the beginning we’ve been reading about a coming storm and storm imagery. “Tumult, torn gusts, confusion, wind-whipped.” There’s clouds a brewing on page 73 and on page 74 we have some lovely imagery – “A light drizzle was falling from the darkened sky: the seepage of leaden clouds.” The weather, which occludes her vision in the beginning of the chapter, is also present the morning she approaches the Demondim. To make a musical analogy, the rain is like a bass note throughout the entire chapter. Melodies and chord progressions move around it, but this rain is the foundation, or perhaps the central pillar around which everything moves.
And in classic symbolism, what is rain and water? Growth, cleansing, and rebirth. With Linden’s view of the Demondim “veiled” by that rain I think we have local symbolism saying that rain is her “inadequacy.” It plays out like this:
- Linden is unable to close the caesure on her own (she's inadequate)
- The urviles and the Waynhim (creatures who loath the inadequate nature of their existence) supercharge Linden’s healthsense
- Linden is now able to close the caesure.
Or in the language of the symbolism, "the rain is a problem, but it is washed away by the rain."
To me, this is a very clear statement to inadequacy enabling strength. It’s a remarkable self-referencing circular metaphor, where water and rain are the problem and the solution, where inadequacy is the disease and the cure. I really struggled with this paragraph, and I hope I got across how profound I found this idea to be. It is I think, the big Kahuna.
There’s lots more to say about this chapter. Linden gets whiny and self-doubty here, a Linden feature I’ve never liked. But I have this to say, while she moans and questions, she does make a decision and pick a path. She takes her doubt and says, “ok, I’ll stick with this TCish guy until I know what he’s up to.” Imagine the strength it takes to make a decision like that, and compare her to our favorite hero who followed the stick in the stream philosophy of “just keep moving” in LFB.
As I said, I haven’t done an analysis like this in twenty years, and I’m sure my rusty tools were strained to their limits. But it was a remarkable experience to turn this strict attention to SRD’s writings. I’m more amazed by his skill than I ever have been. I took several pages of notes, and have at least three more pages I could type, just on this one paragraph. Truly an amazing author.
APPENDIX I - Mantras
I believe in the Gap books, SRD really adopted the use of what I call “mantras.” Short phrases repeated quoted in the mind of the character holding the POV. They serve as mild jolts to remind you of the mental/emotional state of the POV. For this chapter, I noted these
Mantras:
Ask that callow puppy
She can do this. Tell her I said that
There’s no one else who can even make the attempt
It’s hard now, it’s going to get harder
You’ll have to make them listen to you
Do something they don’t expect
Trust yourself. You’re the only one who can do this
Trust yourself
APPENDIX II: SRD Wordy words: (note that Microsoft Word 2003 spell-checker recognized all of these save “lacustrine”)
Condign
fecund
telic
fug
denature
lacustrine
numinous
callow
A plot synopsis is absolutely required for this chapter to make the case for the entire premise of this dissection. “What is the point of this chapter?” At thirty one pages it’s the second longest so far and only three pages shorter than the John Holmes of the book. (I had to stop myself from calculating a mean and standard deviation by walking to the kuhlschrank for a bier.) The point is, it’s longish, and what really ‘happens’?
Section I
-Linden thinks about some stuff
Section II
-Linden talks to some people about some stuff
Section III
-Linden closes the caesure the Demondim were using to access the Illearth Stone.
Clearly, not action oriented, plot driven, fast and furious thriller material.
So what was the point? In fact, we have five things that I believe SRD wanted to us to think about.
1. That ain’t Thomas Covenant
It’s all there. She recognizes the fidelity of Mahrtiir’s reproduction of TC when he describes what was said through Anele. I believe it’s even implied that Mahrtiir’s mimic seemed more TC’ish than the TC she was talking to. She convinces herself it’s the strain of being in two places at the same time. Page 87, Linden acknowledges the TC she saw seemed disingenuous. Page 90 Linden fears to dream of TC’s voice as she remembers it rather than how it is now – “she might lose the last of her frayed resolve.” When confronting the Demondim she again questions that TC is telling the truth. She’s walking a line of self-delusion and self-preservation, partly not listening to her heart. My first read through this registered as a head nod to THOOLAH, thinking it was whiny self-questioning hand wringing, but following this depth of analysis (which I haven’t done in oh twenty years) I have a new opinion, to be discussed further along in point number 5. For now we’ll wrap up with the idea that all signs point to TC as being a TC imposter. I do have doubts, but I still believe it’s the genuine article. Millennia stuck in the Arch of Time would make anyone a bit cranky.
2. Ruminations on the Staff of Law
For some reason, and this one I don’t pretend to understand, SRD wants us right now to ponder the differences between the old and new Staff of Law. It’s just a few lines of text, and what follows is basically what I scribbled for notes.
- She knew they weren’t identical (black color, runes)
- Berek’s was crafted by lore and earned wisdom from the a limb of the One Tree
- Hers was formed with urgency and wild magic and Findail and Vain
- Berek’s and Linden’s understanding of Law could be vastly different
- For all she knew the only thing they had in common were the heels, forged by Berek.
- The magic transforming Vain’s forearm may have been the Worm at the World’s End instead of the One Tree.
- Both are tools of Earthpower, formed of love and yearning to sustain the land.
- “Be cautious of love. There is glamour on it which binds the heart to destruction.” Does this mean Linden is destined to destroy the Land?
Make of that what you will. It’s easy enough to take some of these points and speculate if the new and the old staff are the same thing. That maybe the heels are somehow the manacles. The question for me remains, “Why does SRD put this text right here?”
3. Who is “he?”
I brought this one up in a thread shortly after finishing FR, and it got a couple of responses before getting covered up in all the new posts. After Glimmermere, Mahrtir is recounting Anele’s channeling of TC when he says, “I can only say all of this once. And I can’t explain it. As soon as he notices what I’m doing, he’ll stop me. If I even say his name, he’ll stop me before I can finish.” Just who in the hell is “he?” It’s a crucial question. It doesn’t seem to me that Kastenessen is powerful enough to control who talks through Anele, which leaves us with Lord Foul manning the Anele communication channels (which kinda fits, but is also a little too “hands on” for LF.) On the other hand (and I just had this idea) what if Anele is actually just an open circuit available to whoever and that “he” was not threatening to cut off TC from Anele, but from stopping TC at the source. What if the Creator could stop TC due to TC’s existence in the AoT? It wouldn’t technically be reaching through the AoT to change things if he was tweaking something within the AoT itself would it? It’s interesting though, to consider that whoever “he” is, he didn’t want TC to tell them the things he did….. oy, my head is spinning.
4. The power of inadequacy
We know this is a common theme in the Chronicles and why not? It’s right up SRD’s alley with it’s built in paradox. Just before stomping off to deal with the Demondim issue, Linden has a go at Galt who is relaying to her that TC does not think she should attempt the Demondim. She gets in his face and recounts the story of Brinn and how he “became your greatest hero, because he was a failure.” Acknowledging that he did not have the skill to defeat Kenaustin Ardenol, was when discovered the means to achieve it. It’s a fascinating turn of concept, and rings of Truth (capital “T” intentional.) More about this as we wrap up point 5.
5. Linden’s transformation
This is the big one, the meat, the biggest reason to write this chapter. From the beginning we’ve been reading about a coming storm and storm imagery. “Tumult, torn gusts, confusion, wind-whipped.” There’s clouds a brewing on page 73 and on page 74 we have some lovely imagery – “A light drizzle was falling from the darkened sky: the seepage of leaden clouds.” The weather, which occludes her vision in the beginning of the chapter, is also present the morning she approaches the Demondim. To make a musical analogy, the rain is like a bass note throughout the entire chapter. Melodies and chord progressions move around it, but this rain is the foundation, or perhaps the central pillar around which everything moves.
And in classic symbolism, what is rain and water? Growth, cleansing, and rebirth. With Linden’s view of the Demondim “veiled” by that rain I think we have local symbolism saying that rain is her “inadequacy.” It plays out like this:
- Linden is unable to close the caesure on her own (she's inadequate)
- The urviles and the Waynhim (creatures who loath the inadequate nature of their existence) supercharge Linden’s healthsense
- Linden is now able to close the caesure.
Or in the language of the symbolism, "the rain is a problem, but it is washed away by the rain."
To me, this is a very clear statement to inadequacy enabling strength. It’s a remarkable self-referencing circular metaphor, where water and rain are the problem and the solution, where inadequacy is the disease and the cure. I really struggled with this paragraph, and I hope I got across how profound I found this idea to be. It is I think, the big Kahuna.
There’s lots more to say about this chapter. Linden gets whiny and self-doubty here, a Linden feature I’ve never liked. But I have this to say, while she moans and questions, she does make a decision and pick a path. She takes her doubt and says, “ok, I’ll stick with this TCish guy until I know what he’s up to.” Imagine the strength it takes to make a decision like that, and compare her to our favorite hero who followed the stick in the stream philosophy of “just keep moving” in LFB.
As I said, I haven’t done an analysis like this in twenty years, and I’m sure my rusty tools were strained to their limits. But it was a remarkable experience to turn this strict attention to SRD’s writings. I’m more amazed by his skill than I ever have been. I took several pages of notes, and have at least three more pages I could type, just on this one paragraph. Truly an amazing author.
APPENDIX I - Mantras
I believe in the Gap books, SRD really adopted the use of what I call “mantras.” Short phrases repeated quoted in the mind of the character holding the POV. They serve as mild jolts to remind you of the mental/emotional state of the POV. For this chapter, I noted these
Mantras:
Ask that callow puppy
She can do this. Tell her I said that
There’s no one else who can even make the attempt
It’s hard now, it’s going to get harder
You’ll have to make them listen to you
Do something they don’t expect
Trust yourself. You’re the only one who can do this
Trust yourself
APPENDIX II: SRD Wordy words: (note that Microsoft Word 2003 spell-checker recognized all of these save “lacustrine”)
Condign
fecund
telic
fug
denature
lacustrine
numinous
callow