The Dresden Files > DF Reference Collection
Doylist analysis of the Scooby Gang at the climax of Cold Days
Eldest Gruff:
--- Quote from: noquiexis on July 25, 2015, 05:06:16 PM --- If there was some prior involvement of Mab with Mac, shooting him would not only be a slight against Mab's honor, but Maeve would get 'extra points' for hurting one of Mab's friends, and possibly her lover. This would also explain why Mab pulled the bullet out without trying to goad Mac into some kind of bargain. She is good at getting someone over a barrel, then pulling the rug out from under them.
--- End quote ---
More likely that since the Mab was simply balancing the scales by helping someone wrongly injured by a member of her Court.
--- Quote --- Mab wanted Maeve dead, but for some reason could not kill Maeve herself. Harry did not want to kill Maeve, even though as the Winter Knight, he is bound to follow the orders of the Winter Queen. Having Maeve shoot one of Harry's best friends might have given Harry the justification to kill her. Even so, Harry would not have killed Maeve with both Karrin and Molly so close to a loose Winter Lady mantle.
--- End quote ---
Mab couldn't bring herself to kill her daughter. Harry didn't feel he was capable of killing her, and Mac at that point was under a level of mistrust so idk that the idea of him being a 'best friend' comes into play there. And if push came to shove Harry would have killed Maeve, if he could, no matter who was standing there if he had to. Lives were still very much on the line.
--- Quote --- Karrin is still bound by her conscious to protect the citizens of Chicago, and Mac is well known to her. Had Maeve shot Thomas, Karrin might not have reacted so severely. She knows that Thomas can take a few hits and still survive. She might think of Mac as a vanilla mortal.
--- End quote ---
Maeve was about to shoot Harry so Karrin shot first...she didn't do it in reaction to Mac being shot. Quite a fair amount occurred between Mac's gut shot happening and Mab even showing up because Harry hadn't summoned her yet. And if anything Thomas, who is at a minimum 'close' to Karrin if only on a fringe level but immensely close to Harry whom Karrin cares for deeply, would probably evoke more of a knee-jerk reaction whether he could take the hit or not.
--- Quote --- Karrin was also the only one there who might have been unaware of how mantles are transferred. Had Maeve shot Karrin, it is possible that none of the others would have killed Maeve. Karrin may not have been able to return fire.
--- End quote ---
Molly sure as hell didn't. Pretty sure no one there knew really well how mantles transferred with absolute certainly, (or even that they DID transfer until Lily died and they literally saw it move into Sarissa), except Harry and even HE didn't realize till it was too late where Maeve's mantle was gonna go.
--- Quote --- Jim may have written this scene years ago, but could not find a good place in the other books to drop it. He may have had to develop the Nemesis infection more fully before he could allude to the idea (in Harry's mind) that Mac might be infected. This might have been the basis of Harry's mistrust of Mac.
--- End quote ---
Or having a slight bomb of the idea dropped (thanks to Sharkface) that Mac is more than he seems could do that plenty well enough. Couple with Mac's patented tight-lippedness and you've got plenty of reason for mistrust that has nothing to do with N-fection.
Arjan:
I think the doylist purpose of Mac was to show the reader two things:
1) How wrong Maeve had become. The importance of the unseelie accords and the special status of neutral territory was build up during earlier books and the redcap just kidnapped Mac from his pub. It was proof enough to show exactly who was infected and shooting Mac Confirmed that. Nothing is safe or sacred anymore. Everything can be violated. This insecurity leads to point two.
1) it shows how paranoid Harry had become, which shows the influence of the mantle and/or the influence of nemesis infected fairy plotting on his stressed mind.
Andy as a victim is something we are used to though she was probably kidnapped from her own house. All this creates an atmosphere of uncertainty and broken rules. Fairy tricks without fairy rules.
Eldest Gruff:
--- Quote from: Arjan on July 29, 2015, 04:12:50 AM ---I think the doylist purpose of Mac was to show the reader two things:
1) How wrong Maeve had become. The importance of the unseelie accords and the special status of neutral territory was build up during earlier books and the redcap just kidnapped Mac from his pub. It was proof enough to show exactly who was infected and shooting Mac Confirmed that. Nothing is safe or sacred anymore. Everything can be violated. This insecurity leads to point two.
1) it shows how paranoid Harry had become, which shows the influence of the mantle and/or the influence of nemesis infected fairy plotting on his stressed mind.
Andy as a victim is something we are used to though she was probably kidnapped from her own house. All this creates an atmosphere of uncertainty and broken rules. Fairy tricks without fairy rules.
--- End quote ---
That all sounds more like 'in-universe' rationales to my eyes. Neither would have really required Mac at all in any event.
Arjan:
--- Quote from: Eldest Gruff on July 29, 2015, 04:22:45 AM ---That all sounds more like 'in-universe' rationales to my eyes. Neither would have really required Mac at all in any event.
--- End quote ---
But Mac is the strongest way to build that atmosphere. Mac should be in his pub providing a safe place for everyone, that was his function in the story. He is not. It is a strong way to show that everything is wrong and turning into chaos.
That is his function in this story. The same reason his pub was attacked.
Eldest Gruff:
--- Quote from: Arjan on July 29, 2015, 05:08:37 AM ---But Mac is the strongest way to build that atmosphere. Mac should be in his pub providing a safe place for everyone, that was his function in the story. He is not. It is a strong way to show that everything is wrong and turning into chaos.
That is his function in this story. The same reason his pub was attacked.
--- End quote ---
That is rather debatable to just be saying 'this is his function' and have done. Otherwise what is the point of all these theories surrounding who or what he really is to which even the author tells us that there is indeed something more to him that you are ascribing.
And the chaos is already there whether Mac is involved or not. The Accords and so called times when guest rights or neutral territory ought to be upheld have long since gone out the window, that's the whole point of Nemesis in the first place. These events, these hints, these ideas all exists well within the story whether Mac's gets attacked or not. And its his bar getting attacked that is the 'big deal' if there is any, not him. His bar is Switzerland and neutral but he himself is just 'out'. Being 'out' doesn't make you untouchable. Charity set aside her power and she's been tossed around physically and emotionally plenty.
On top of all that anyway, the reasons you give again illustrate Watsonian leanings more than Doylist. Mac being there because JB doesn't wanna be seen as a chauvinist who let a bunch of women get kidnapped so he added Mac in is Doylist reasoning. Mac being there because the DV is in 'chaos' and forces, events or character choices have drawn an otherwise normally uninvolved third party into the mix is Watsonian.
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