The Dresden Files > DF Reference Collection
Discontinuity = clue? [GS sample ch spoilers]
LogicMouseLives:
--- Quote from: itari on July 05, 2011, 08:30:15 PM ---and
20-30 pounds overweight is not self-destructively obese in my book, even if he's short (a little bit below 5'6" - that would be 166-167 cm).
Let's do the math 'cause I'm a nerd.
The normal/overweight threshold (according to body mass index wikipedia page) is around 70 kg/155 lb for someone who's Morty's height. If we assume that he's 30 lb overweight (83 kg/185 lb), he's still in the "overweight" range, and not "obese".
--- End quote ---
Yeah, that bit really bugged me too! In Death Masks as well, Mort was described as "...A dumpy, balding man in his late forties..." which also does not translate to "self-destructively obese." Could it be that Harry was just trying to be nice in his descriptions of him before, and that now that he's dead he doesn't care as much about the potential for offending someone with an honest description? Or maybe now that he's dead he's seeing and remembering things with less self delusion. (Of course that doesn't in any way cover the house changes, but whaddaya do?)
Here's another thing: Every person that Harry has encountered since he died seems to have become a sort of idealized version of themselves. Take a look at the descriptions of Carmichael and Captain Jack, as well as Mort. (Obviously, since we've never met Sir Stuart before we have nothing to compare him with.) It made sense to me when we were just dealing with the dead guys; you've got that whole frozen at 30 thing going on and all. But it seems like he's seeing Mort (and Mort's yard, and Mort's house and its furnishings) in idealized forms as well.
If it isn't just one huge continuity flub (and it seems as if it's much too big to be one) then I'm guessing it's a 'dead' thing.
LML
Sydna:
--- Quote from: LogicMouseLives on July 05, 2011, 09:08:21 PM ---Yeah, that bit really bugged me too! In Death Masks as well, Mort was described as "...A dumpy, balding man in his late forties..." which also does not translate to "self-destructively obese." Could it be that Harry was just trying to be nice in his descriptions of him before, and that now that he's dead he doesn't care as much about the potential for offending someone with an honest description? Or maybe now that he's dead he's seeing and remembering things with less self delusion. (Of course that doesn't in any way cover the house changes, but whaddaya do?)
Here's another thing: Every person that Harry has encountered since he died seems to have become a sort of idealized version of themselves. Take a look at the descriptions of Carmichael and Captain Jack, as well as Mort. (Obviously, since we've never met Sir Stuart before we have nothing to compare him with.) It made sense to me when we were just dealing with the dead guys; you've got that whole frozen at 30 thing going on and all. But it seems like he's seeing Mort (and Mort's yard, and Mort's house and its furnishings) in idealized forms as well.
If it isn't just one huge continuity flub (and it seems as if it's much too big to be one) then I'm guessing it's a 'dead' thing.
LML
--- End quote ---
Even though he is out of Chicagotory, he may not be seeing the world like it really is. Or his memory might be mixed up.
Shecky:
Or it could be a result of Harry's evolving self-image as it overlays his views of others; he's thin to begin with, plus he's spent a LOT of time exercising and getting into better shape, so it's entirely possible that his view of others has been narrowed down by his expectations for himself.
Just theorizing here.
LogicMouseLives:
--- Quote from: Shecky on July 05, 2011, 09:15:56 PM ---Or it could be a result of Harry's evolving self-image as it overlays his views of others; he's thin to begin with, plus he's spent a LOT of time exercising and getting into better shape, so it's entirely possible that his view of others has been narrowed down by his expectations for himself.
Just theorizing here.
--- End quote ---
That's possible. But Harry's been running for exercise since before Death Masks. It seems like kind of a big jump in attitude from Dead Beat to the present. Plus, the phrase he used, "Self-destructively obese," is way more judgmental and unkind than the sort of descriptions Harry usually gives us.
It's been mentioned many times before how consistently--and even self-contradictorily--positive Harry is in his descriptions of women. Georgia makes a prime example of someone he flat out describes as being essentially unattractive, but then flip-flops in the same description to call her 'appealing' almost as though he simply can't stand to make an even vaguely negative statement about a girl's looks.
It just makes me wonder if that sort of self-editing was actually far more universal in his previous tales than we ever guessed.
Of course, that still doesn't touch on the hair thing. Or the house thing. Etc. Just have to wait and see.
LML
Shecky:
--- Quote from: LogicMouseLives on July 05, 2011, 09:34:43 PM ---That's possible. But Harry's been running for exercise since before Death Masks. It seems like kind of a big jump in attitude from Dead Beat to the present. Plus, the phrase he used, "Self-destructively obese," is way more judgmental and unkind than the sort of descriptions Harry usually gives us.
It's been mentioned many times before how consistently--and even self-contradictorily--positive Harry is in his descriptions of women. Georgia makes a prime example of someone he flat out describes as being essentially unattractive, but then flip-flops in the same description to call her 'appealing' almost as though he simply can't stand to make an even vaguely negative statement about a girl's looks.
It just makes me wonder if that sort of self-editing was actually far more universal in his previous tales than we ever guessed.
Of course, that still doesn't touch on the hair thing. Or the house thing. Etc. Just have to wait and see.
LML
--- End quote ---
Harry's kind of harsh on Mort, all because he thinks Mort has wasted a talent in something Harry holds to be supremely important - magic. That's most assuredly coloring his perception... and Harry has never been one for understatement. ;)
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