Kevin's Watch

Hi,

I thought I got hints that SRD was implying LF was always part of TC - ie that LF was all the negative hating parts of him.

P522 TLD wrote:"If I'm yours, you're mine. We're part of each other. We're too much alike."

This echos the ideas from the first chronicles that the land has no external reality and is a reflection of TCs psyche. Was SRD hinting that we had come full circle back to that idea?

He makes clear earlier that even if this is the case it doesn't make any difference - but was the merging of TC and LF at the end a subtle confirmation of that interpretation?

Is it just me? I'm not suggesting SRD meant this as the only interpretation - but I think he might have very deliberately hinted at it.

This is a stretch I know - but lets take this idea further... If the big bad monsters in the story can be interpreted as a representation of the characters inner fears - then is She Who Must Not Be Named the representation of Lindens demons? Was the true name of SWMNBN Linden Avery?

Let me know if you think I'm barking up the wrong tree here .

- reddal

Yep, Reddel, IMO you're spot on

Oh yeah, I think SRD is absolutely saying this. He gave another version of it at the end of White Gold Wielder when Covenant literally said that LF was an aspect of him. This time he gave the reverse point by saying he was an aspect of LF. So that's a clear identity statement, a two-way equivalence.

And if that's not enough, in his essay on epic fantasy (found on his website) he says that the Land is a symbolic stage to externalize TC's psyche, where he can meet and confront parts of himself.

Of course, the 2nd Chronicles muddied the waters a little bit by including Linden in this, but that only makes SRD's symbolism more universal. So we all have our own Despiser, and we can also be our own Creator. These are merely the creative/life-affirming and destructive/life-denying aspects of ourselves.

This is why TC could always save or damn the Land. Literally.

Thanks. What about this :

reddal wrote:Was the true name of SWMNBN Linden Avery?

Is that what all the 'true name' and 'MUST NOT BE NAMED' stuff was really about?

i.e. when Linden finally confronted her deepest fears and understood them - SWMNBN realized she was Linden ("I AM MYSELF!") - and Linden was freed of her demons.

Linden gets healed of her monster - but TC gets to keep his (LF). This makes sense - TC needs LF like he needs his leprosy - but Linden can be healed.

So - was the true name of SWMNBN = Linden Avery? Is that what SRD intended us to work out? Why else leave this mystery of the name hanging?

- reddal

There are some here who disagree, but I think you're right. I think SheWho was most certainly a symbol for Linden. But it's also a universal sysmbol, much like Foul.

There's a lot of discusson on these issues in the "Story Purpose of She ..." thread, as well as my own "Entropy and Despite ..." thread.