McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
The Author is NOT the Character.
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: Thrythlind on November 05, 2010, 06:31:53 PM ---That only happened after his initial plan failed and he was caught in his escape with the hoards of vamps between him and escape. It's not ends justifies the means if you're reduced to one means.
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I can avoid the free will argument any time I like.
--- Quote --- Plus, it is implicit in Dresdenverse that vampires are callous, evil monsters,
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Some readers see it that way, sure. Harry does not in SF where he gets upset about making Bianca cry.
--- Quote --- That was more specifically a sacrifice, he gave up his own interests for the larger interest of his daughter and then the world. The world was somewhat secondary, but still, his own interests were placed well back on the list.
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That does depend on counting prioritising his daughter above the world as an unselfish choice, seems very much the opposite to me, in that he's valuing someone he knows over other people whom he has no reason to believe are of less worth.
Paynesgrey:
--- Quote from: the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh on November 05, 2010, 09:59:15 PM ---To my mind, this depends on a lot of numbers we don't have for the number of people the reds actually kill - which I am inclined to read fairly low; and even for fairly high figures of that, it seems preferable to me to bear with that than to get into a war with a serious risk of getting the Council annihilated and ensuing Vampire World, as Harry figures out the Reds and Whites are planning on in WN.
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What in the books leads you that inclination to believe that the Reds actually kill a low number of people?
Their appetites seem rather large, as do their numbers. As for preventing a Vampire World, it's clear that the Council underestimated them, and intended to continue to do so. Allowing them to gain even more strength and numbers while the Peace In Our Time Faction of the Council ensured complacency would have positively guaranteed the extermination of the Council.
--- Quote ---Having the author on one's side is a wonderful thing, but it seems a little bit off to me to judge Harry's actions in the situation at the end of GP based on information he did not have and no means to get.
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Unless one cares to argue that the "author wrote it wrong", then it seems that the author's view on the actions his characters take is pretty much a clincher.
Well, Harry did recognize that the Reds were aggressive predators, and Harry is bright enough to realize that when you show such creatures weakness that they are more, not less, likely to attack. If the arguement that the Reds have no free will is in fact true, then they'd be compelled by their nature to attack beings showing such cowardice and weakness. As representative of the WC, Harry would have also been demonstrating weakness on the WC's behalf, showing them as well to be nothing more than weak, vulnerable and cowardsly Food Animals... further encouragement for war. Nothing screams "weak prey animal" more than meekly walking off while one's mate is killed.
Harry understood that any peace offering was false, something even Langtry finally admitted. Although that pompous buffoon Cristos simply would not accept either fact regardless of how frequently and clearly it was demonstrated. While Harry was indeed motiviated by his emotional attachement to Susan, he was also motivated by an accurate understanding of the nature of the Reds. An understanding the Council's leadership clearly did not have.
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: Paynesgrey on November 06, 2010, 02:56:44 PM ---What in the books leads you that inclination to believe that the Reds actually kill a low number of people?
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Ortega talking about essentially farming humans as a sustainable activity.
--- Quote --- Allowing them to gain even more strength and numbers while the Peace In Our Time Faction of the Council ensured complacency would have positively guaranteed the extermination of the Council.
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I think we may be at axiom lock on this one.
--- Quote ---Unless one cares to argue that the "author wrote it wrong", then it seems that the author's view on the actions his characters take is pretty much a clincher.
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I don't see that the consequences that an author presents an act having are necessarily indicative of approval of said act.
--- Quote ---Well, Harry did recognize that the Reds were aggressive predators, and Harry is bright enough to realize that when you show such creatures weakness that they are more, not less, likely to attack. If the arguement that the Reds have no free will is in fact true, then they'd be compelled by their nature to attack beings showing such cowardice and weakness. As representative of the WC, Harry would have also been demonstrating weakness on the WC's behalf, showing them as well to be nothing more than weak, vulnerable and cowardsly Food Animals... further encouragement for war. Nothing screams "weak prey animal" more than meekly walking off while one's mate is killed.
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How does this argument, form the other side, not apply to the Reds meekly not starting a war after harry burns down Bianca's party ?
--- Quote ---Harry understood that any peace offering was false, something even Langtry finally admitted.
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I see no reason to believe he is right in doing so.
Spectacular Sameth:
I should hope I'm not my character. She's a teenage girl with a strange curse on her.
OZ:
I have been avoiding the "is Harry a hero or an anti-hero" debate because it seems to totter on the precipice of religion, politics, or some other sticky topic. I have to say however that the only thing he's done that I might classify as anti-hero would be the the manner in which he set Susan up. I have no problem with his attempted rescue of Susan. I do not believe that the greatest good for the greatest number is always the only heroic path. Sometimes what is good for one may ultimately be what is best for all. Since we can't read the future, we have to do the best we can in the moment. I think that is what Harry has done.
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