Kevin's Watch

One of the most effective tools SRD uses in TCTC is his shifting of POV from one character to another. From a particular character's point of view, we are exposed to his or her thoughts and feelings. Internal processes that are otherwise less clear to the reader.

Aside from TC, Linden, Hile Troy, Mhoram and perhaps few others, what characters in the chronicles would you like to have known what they were thinking? Would it be cool to really get into Lord Foul's head and get his perspective on what transpired? Drool? An Ur-Vile or Cavewight?

"Lord Foul strode into the massive hall eyeing the craven beings that comprised the group that silently waited for his arrival. Gibbon stood alone a few feet away from the others, his bald head was bowed and glistened with beads of sweat in the torchlight. Foul sensed the fear and loathing that radiated from the gathering and was pleased. He deliberately stretched out the aura of his power as he moved so that each creature was bathed in the icy force of his presence.
“You have summoned us, Master?” Gibbon’s voice wavered as the Raver’s composure was shaken. He slowly raised his head but could not bring himself to meet the Dark Lord’s gaze.
Foul paused, savoring the moment. He had withheld his wrath long enough. The time had finally come to reveal his plans for Gibbon and his followers. The idea of what he meant to do secretly thrilled Foul. The anticipation of the coming slaughter was almost too much to bear. "

I'm not sure I would enjoy Drool's perspective - "Crush! Crush!"

The characters that I would most enjoy learning more about would be Bannor and Cail.

Sunder--his reaction to the lies he's been given--thoughts on Linden, TC, Vain, Hollian, Haruchai, the Clave...etc...

dllbpharmd wrote:

The characters that I would most enjoy learning more about would be Bannor and Cail.

I second that.

I'd also be interested in hearing Tull's thoughts. Even when he is briefly the de facto narrator, he (particularly his internal experience, as opposed to actions) is less "present" in the story than other characters. Even among his own compatriots he's mostly eclipsed by his elders.

Memla goes through a transition of world view similar to Sunder's in much less time than he took. The voltage on hers would have been much increased by her being in such a responsible position in the inner circle of the Clave, and then finding out that the truth was the backwards of what she'd been taught and had taught others. I'd be curious to see all that from the inside, though I'd undoubtedly need to start a fire before reading it!

Nom

But seriously, Findail's take on things might be intriguing. I'm not sure about a Foul's-eye-view though... I think it would detract from him. Foul has always genuinely chilled me, and I think seeing things from his perspective would negate the sense of his pervasiveness. Not to mention, I doubt he sees things the way we do - it possibly couldn't be written in a way we'd understand.

Good question, Tom C

I happen to agree with you, CJ. My little attempt at writing from Foul's perspective is an example of your point. I'm curious what is going on in his mind, but like you I don't think it can be properly articulated in a narrative. Unless of course SRD decided to do that in the Last Chrons in which case I have to say that if anyone can do it justice he can.

Tom, have you published your writings from LF's perspective? I'd be interested in reading that.

dlbpharmd, there is a paragraph that I've added to my first post at the beginning of this thread. Its not much but I gave it a quick shot

CovenantJr wrote:Nom

But seriously, Findail's take on things might be intriguing. I'm not sure about a Foul's-eye-view though... I think it would detract from him. Foul has always genuinely chilled me, and I think seeing things from his perspective would negate the sense of his pervasiveness. Not to mention, I doubt he sees things the way we do - it possibly couldn't be written in a way we'd understand.

Good question, Tom C

yes i have to agree .. good question

I agree .. I think it would negate Foul's power to see inside his head .. then we'd just be abel to rationalise his perspective and find him petty .. as all evil nemeses are

or end up being .. once they have elaborated on their evil plans .. which so often the bad guy does - once confronted with the protagonist

only to be outwitted by - the protagonists clever utilisation of the missing pieces

I like not knowing too much about Foul .. makes him more of a visceral threat ..

and as it is .. Foul's not worst antagonist out there .. divulge all his mental secrets .. and it would deface his position in the grand scheme of evil dudes imo

but yes Bannor and Cail definately .. and I would love to get into Mhoram's head .. spend a few days in there .. and visit with Foamy some more

It would be troubled but i would like to see more from Atiaran's perspective .. after she delivers TC to Foamy ..

what went through her mind on her long journey home to her family? what thoughts affected her goal for the loreseraat? while she was there? prior to her misguided summoning of TC?

CovenantJr wrote:

Nom

To make sense of the inside of Nom's head you'd have to

Spoiler

understand Haruchai as spoken with an extremely nonnative accent...Cail's half-suppressed reaction to his first mind-hearing of that voice is one of the great comic moments of the mythos.

On the topic of a point of view other than the said characters (such as TC, Linden, Mhoram, etc..), If I'm not mistaken, I believe we do get to see the point of view of a raver (Samadhi?) during..

Spoiler

the siege of revelstone

Perhaps I'm mistaken in that way, and it was just Donaldson doing more third person omniscient, but I thought it did mention some of his contempt and such for Mhoram and well, humans in general.

Kevin, always Kevin...I'd pretty much be interested in his entire story, really, as told from his point of view. My own imaginings of his life have grown more and more elaborate of late, and the more I think about it, the more interesting I think his story would be. You know, so many people here seem to be hesitant about a TC movie that covers the main storyline, but what about Kevin's story in movie form? I think that could be done fairly well...hmmm...

I think SRD tries to maintain some sense of normal context for his characters. In this way he can play with the 'fantastic' (meaning fantasy). To write of the mind of LF or a Raver would disrupt that process.

I've been interested to notice the differences in word choice when different characters are speaking. Covenant and Linden, alone among the characters, speak straight Modern American English, contractions and all. The contrast both with the ornateness of SRD's style in general and with the more formal speech of the various peoples of the Land stands out.

This is one more way SRD establishes the collision of worlds.

Speaking of our two favorite neurotics, why does Linden address Covenant as Covenant, not Tom? Is this a literary device SRD uses to distinguish between Linden and Joan? Only Joan calls Covenant "Tom." I just find it curious, because I don't go around calling my colleagues by their last names, unless I was the CEO of some corporation talking down to an employee: "Anderson, you're late again!"

It would be interesting, and maybe a little disturbing, to see things from the ancient perspective of a Forestal. Talk about taking the long view: humans would be mere blips on a Forestal's consciousness, though the consequences of human actions would live long in his memory--e.g., Kevin's Ritual of Desecration (mind you, Kevin was pretty long-lived himself). There must be great melancholy and anger in his thoughts. Can you imagine the towering rage a Forestal emits whenever he comes across a Raver? (oh, wait, we saw that in The Illearth War--from Mhoram's perspective). I would think a Forestal's hate for Ravers runs almost as deep as Foul's hate for the Creator. And Forestals are allowed to hate: they didn't swear any silly Oath of Peace!

LOL Matrixman! "Anderson you're late again!"

Good points, MM. It would be amazing to see a Forestal's perspective!

I've noticed that it seems to be somekind of convention in fiction that male characters are referred to in the narrative by their surnames, while female characters are generally on first-name terms with the author. I'm mystified as to why though. And I can't imagine why Linden would call Covenant Covenant rather than Tom, other than because we are all used to thinking of him as Covenant. I can't think of any reason within the story for the character of Linden to continue calling him by his surname, even after they have become..."close"

I'll admit Linden still calling him 'Covenant' is strange, but there are some people who always get called by their surnames rather than their given names - I have a friend that everyone calls 'Guy', instead of his first name 'Andrew'.
Although, I can't see why everyone else calls him 'Covenant' either - he introduces himself as 'Thomas Covenant', and the people of the Land tend to call themselves by the name that comes first....

Maybe they all call him Covenant because they all seem to have something invested in him--a pact, a Covenant. Maybe it's a device Linden uses to keep herself from going crazy-or maybe it's just more fun to say than Thomas

I think it depends on time and culture. I personally hate it when somebody calls me by my last name (but I live in Hungary); but I find it equally strange that in the US everybody is called by diminutives - not Thomas Cruise, but Tom Cruise; not William Clinton, but Bill Clinton etc.