<< Madness, then. ;p *corrects terminology and hides from you*
Dammit, am losing coherency. It is interesting that over the course of this, Gerald's attitude has shifted from smug to disturbed... I have a handle on how to screw with his head, now. You know. << ...whether I'm actually ruthless enough to do something like is debatable. >>;
Gah. Am totally getting sidetracked onto Gerald. Although there is a certain sense in that... the way the main religious system is a sort of conglomerate, Christianity-type setup. And what you've said about looking at the world as a scientist being remarkably similiar to some of Gerald's thoughts... or the actions that infer those thoughts have taken place?
And then there's the fact that to begin with, he does seem to be that too-shiny, all smooth-surfaced and unreachable. Only, story progresses and does take a lot of the rug out from under him, and that definition of a scientic view of the world? I know what it is, it's that he has a scientific view of control. Actually can understand the idea that sometimes you have to give it up to keep it. ..which is not to say that he's gracious about it. The sudden short tempered vicious hissingness. *snerks*
Also, because I might as well continue now I've started - I remember once, a Sistermagpie post about Harry and Draco being essentially the same boy, just on different sides and with different upbringings? And how that seemed to be a pattern, she'd noticed in other things? There's something of that in Gerald and Damien too... the biggest differences I can point out are 1. a kind of inborn power that Gerald has and Damien doesn't 2. seriously different upbringings 3. the biggest one - Damien does not have that fear of the Other. I mean, Gerald I think has learned to sublimate and deal with it to a large degree - and also there is this thing, I can't remember where I've seen it mentioned, but something about a person's greatest fears and desires being entangled together? Flip sides of the same coin? So to a certain degree, he's had to deal with it... but Damien just doesn't have it. Period. I think his biggest fear might just be not mattering, not being able to affect the Fate of the World. ...Helplessness? Not-sure... but I know it's why he went into the priesthood. Belief that that was the only way to change the world.
As for forgiveness, ^_^ But that is always the hardest thing to do - building up instead of tearing down, and espcially the skipping to the Saving part? Approached that way? Is tearing down the other person's Otherness in order to make them be just like you. >.< Which is not salvation, it is brainwashing. >:/
Read to the current end of the Vorkosigan series and you just might. That will be sooo cool! *.*
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Date: 2005-02-12 07:06 pm (UTC)Dammit, am losing coherency. It is interesting that over the course of this, Gerald's attitude has shifted from smug to disturbed... I have a handle on how to screw with his head, now. You know. << ...whether I'm actually ruthless enough to do something like is debatable. >>;
Gah. Am totally getting sidetracked onto Gerald. Although there is a certain sense in that... the way the main religious system is a sort of conglomerate, Christianity-type setup. And what you've said about looking at the world as a scientist being remarkably similiar to some of Gerald's thoughts... or the actions that infer those thoughts have taken place?
And then there's the fact that to begin with, he does seem to be that too-shiny, all smooth-surfaced and unreachable. Only, story progresses and does take a lot of the rug out from under him, and that definition of a scientic view of the world? I know what it is, it's that he has a scientific view of control. Actually can understand the idea that sometimes you have to give it up to keep it. ..which is not to say that he's gracious about it. The sudden short tempered vicious hissingness. *snerks*
Also, because I might as well continue now I've started - I remember once, a Sistermagpie post about Harry and Draco being essentially the same boy, just on different sides and with different upbringings? And how that seemed to be a pattern, she'd noticed in other things? There's something of that in Gerald and Damien too... the biggest differences I can point out are 1. a kind of inborn power that Gerald has and Damien doesn't 2. seriously different upbringings 3. the biggest one - Damien does not have that fear of the Other. I mean, Gerald I think has learned to sublimate and deal with it to a large degree - and also there is this thing, I can't remember where I've seen it mentioned, but something about a person's greatest fears and desires being entangled together? Flip sides of the same coin? So to a certain degree, he's had to deal with it... but Damien just doesn't have it. Period. I think his biggest fear might just be not mattering, not being able to affect the Fate of the World. ...Helplessness? Not-sure... but I know it's why he went into the priesthood. Belief that that was the only way to change the world.
As for forgiveness, ^_^ But that is always the hardest thing to do - building up instead of tearing down, and espcially the skipping to the Saving part? Approached that way? Is tearing down the other person's Otherness in order to make them be just like you. >.< Which is not salvation, it is brainwashing. >:/
Read to the current end of the Vorkosigan series and you just might. That will be sooo cool! *.*