The meaning of The Last Dark

Book 2 of the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant

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thewormoftheworld'send
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Post by thewormoftheworld'send »

Savor Dam wrote:Welcome back, Worm; we've missed you during your hiatus.
Thanks! :rockband: :twirl: :yeehaa:
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Remillard
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Post by Remillard »

TheWormoftheWorld'sEnd wrote: The act of creation will serve as LA's atonement for her mother's death. Remember that LA's soul is centered around death and darkness, her father's by his own hand (which she believes she should have done something to prevent), and her mother's by LA's own hand. Death is LA's personal karma, no matter how hard she strives to prevent it, it always lies right around the corner.
Sounds like a good theory. Also recall that Jeremiah is Linden's adoptive son. She hasn't been creative in the procreative sense.
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thewormoftheworld'send
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Remillard wrote:
TheWormoftheWorld'sEnd wrote: The act of creation will serve as LA's atonement for her mother's death. Remember that LA's soul is centered around death and darkness, her father's by his own hand (which she believes she should have done something to prevent), and her mother's by LA's own hand. Death is LA's personal karma, no matter how hard she strives to prevent it, it always lies right around the corner.
Sounds like a good theory. Also recall that Jeremiah is Linden's adoptive son. She hasn't been creative in the procreative sense.
I haven't mentioned Jeremiah. Of course it is theory, something to do during the three-year dark periods between novels. Jeremiah is not interested in his adoptive mother LA. I don't know what false promise LF made to sucker him in but I imagine it had to do with somehow rejoining with his real mother or whatever it is he wants in life. Consider the fact that Jeremiah's autism began right at the point where LA adopted him. We don't even know if it's really autism or some kind of self-imposed mental darkness reflecting the darkness within LA's soul.
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thewormoftheworld'send
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Post by thewormoftheworld'send »

TheWormoftheWorld'sEnd wrote:
Remillard wrote:
TheWormoftheWorld'sEnd wrote: The act of creation will serve as LA's atonement for her mother's death. Remember that LA's soul is centered around death and darkness, her father's by his own hand (which she believes she should have done something to prevent), and her mother's by LA's own hand. Death is LA's personal karma, no matter how hard she strives to prevent it, it always lies right around the corner.
Sounds like a good theory. Also recall that Jeremiah is Linden's adoptive son. She hasn't been creative in the procreative sense.
I haven't mentioned Jeremiah. Of course it is theory, something to do during the three-year dark periods between novels. Jeremiah is not interested in his adoptive mother LA. I don't know what false promise LF made to sucker him in but I imagine it had to do with somehow rejoining with his real mother or whatever it is he wants in life. Consider the fact that Jeremiah's autism began right at the point where LA adopted him. We don't even know if it's really autism or some kind of self-imposed mental darkness reflecting the darkness within LA's soul.
I think SRD wants his readers to assume that Jeremiah was kidnapped by LF and held in check by a Croyel. The fact that LF "has" her son signifies nothing more than possession, it doesn't indicate kidnapping per se, it's more along the lines of winning him over - and then using him as bait at any rate while Jeremiah inwardly smiles at his mother's inept foolishness.

Something always seemed strange about the Melenkurion Skyweir scene, it's almost as if the whole event were planned in advance. Giving LA even more power than ever before can surely only hasten the Earth's destruction. The unmasking served to reveal only some superficial answer, something she should have known all along if she weren't so busy living inside her own skull, or being bedazzled by "TC" who is, in actuality, the most powerless character in the entire Third Chrons. Even moreso now...

The SRD character most reminiscent of LA would definitely have to be Atiaran.
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Mighara Sovmadhi
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Post by Mighara Sovmadhi »

Linden creating a new Earth sounds possible and even plausible, but even then, the darkness between the worlds I doubt is so easily what the Last Dark is supposed to be. Her inner darkness *isn't* the Last one inasmuch as *that* was inside Covenant when he triumphantly surrendered to the Despiser. And the Last Dark is also the heart of the true night, true here making it right (as opposed to the sinful shadow inside Linden—the contrast between hers and Covenant's and the relevant wording pointing this out). Now if the transworld void is the essence of creation, and Donaldson wants to teach his characters—and himself, and us, the readers—about the morality of creation, then of course that's entirely reasonably satisfied by the phrase "the Last Dark." Personally, however, I'll wait some time until I reach any strong conclusions about this enigma aside from its moral force.
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Mighara Sovmadhi wrote:Linden creating a new Earth sounds possible and even plausible, but even then, the darkness between the worlds I doubt is so easily what the Last Dark is supposed to be. Her inner darkness *isn't* the Last one inasmuch as *that* was inside Covenant when he triumphantly surrendered to the Despiser. And the Last Dark is also the heart of the true night, true here making it right (as opposed to the sinful shadow inside Linden—the contrast between hers and Covenant's and the relevant wording pointing this out). Now if the transworld void is the essence of creation, and Donaldson wants to teach his characters—and himself, and us, the readers—about the morality of creation, then of course that's entirely reasonably satisfied by the phrase "the Last Dark." Personally, however, I'll wait some time until I reach any strong conclusions about this enigma aside from its moral force.
I wouldn´t go that far, and anyway, I don´t see the Chrons as any kind of morality play. There is a certain a-moral karma behind the creation/destruction or death-begets-life theme. I'm not saying that the Last Dark represents any one particular thing in the Chrons, although it is more readily related to death than to evil in the sense that death begets life whereas evil is merely death's handmaiden.
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jonnyredleader
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Post by jonnyredleader »

I think the Last Dark will have several connotations but i think you're all looking at this too philosophically. The Last Dark is more likely a reference to the phrase..The Last Dark before the dawn. This is mentioned in the books and certainly at the end of AATE there is much emphasis on the dawn not rising. Its about the fight to keep the worm at bay and a new dawn for the land. perhaps.

An end that fits with the redemptive message throughout the chronicles. Maybe the land ..will..be saved :wink:
Last edited by jonnyredleader on Sun Aug 11, 2013 11:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Krilly
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Post by Krilly »

There's a lot of references to blindness in the final chronicles, so to me "The Last Dark" has an eye-opening feel to it. Like, finally a lot of blindnesses will be lifted, both literal and metaphorical. Anele, Mahtiir, Kevin's Dirt, just to name a few.
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