"Changes" post-ep fic.

[lit_luminary]

Title: Remade Regrets
Author: lit_luminary
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Chase; past Chase/Cameron; implications of Chase/various women and House/Chase friendship/mentorship.
Summary: A study in remorse and might-have-beens, attempting to reconcile Chase’s behavior this season with his character as established in S1-6. (Set after “Changes” but

Comments

Chase and faith - Part 2

[ext_770484]

(PLEASE THIS PART SECOND)Finally, the whole Dibala arc comes full circle and we see and hear Chase's life echoed back to him when 13 say's "Darrien did the right thing in shooting the kid, but she destroyed her life trying to forget it" The look on Chase's face when this is told to him is beautiful. So finally when he asks 13 if she's talked to anyone and she say's that she's spoken to a therapist and it didn't help. he say's (words to the effect) maybe you should talk to someone 'else' Most people have interpreted this as 'him' being the someone else. Given the blossoming and more assertiveness of Chase's faith, I'm more inclined to think he meant someone more spiritually inclined. It's only after she's say's "Do you have idea what it's like to take another's life", does he invite her for a coffee. (now that's a scene I'd like to see! Maybe in your most capable hands? *hint-hint*) There are many, many more such instances of Chase's views on his faith, but I've not had chance to log them all down, but when they come, if you're paying attention,(also to the body language)they're pretty subtle. Also,I've searched and searched all the fic's for the blanks concerning the what,why and how his test of faith was failed and how he really came to leave the seminary. It's been touched on..but most have come to the conclusion that he lost his faith and as clearly shown he hasn't..so what was it that made him turn his back on his religion.

If you watch this interview by Jesse, you hear clear as day, that he's not lost his faith.

So, sorry for the ramble....It's just that your last dable here kinda opened a door ( and opened it beautifully and with a wonderful and spot-on realism into the charater of Chase and his faith ridden angst.

The interview. :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMnr0Js2MfA&feature=related

Many thanks
PS, Any typo's or,indeed,if this makes no sense at all, forgive. I'm getting over a car accident and am on heavy meds. It's with great and humble thanks that people like you who write such insightful and compelling fiction of our favorite doctors that has helped greatly to ease the pain and endless bed-ridden days. *bows*
(sorry this is in two parts....exceeded my character length.)

Re: Chase and faith - Part 2

[lit_luminary]

Thank you so, so much for this insightful analysis: this is the kind of critique I live for, since it's rare for a reader to engage with any of my texts in such depth.

Chase's experience of faith is a richly nuanced topic, and the distinction you draw is a fine one: he retains his faith, but left the seminary because of qualms about religious dogma. I agree: faith and religion can be entirely different things.

I read Chase's ambivalence slightly differently--that is, that his struggle has been to reconcile faith with belief in science, and with the great unfairnesses of his life (Rowan's absenteeism, his mother's premature death), which would make it difficult to believe in an all-loving God: what kind of God would leave a child in that situation?

I also see his relationship with God and his relationship with House as manifestations of the same underlying need for a father: when Rowan abandoned him, he turned to the abstract idea of a heavenly father, and later to House as an earthly surrogate. The trick is balancing the two (recall "House vs. God" and Chase's literally keeping score. In the end, they tie: he realizes that he can reconcile science with faith, and not diminish the importance of either),

I'll look forward to your thoughts on any of my other work, most of which features Chase prominently. Issues of faith and spirituality feature somewhat in my Dæmonverse AAU, although that spirituality is different from the canonical, Catholicism-infused model. I also recommend the sonnet redoublé I wrote around the Dibala arc (http://lit-luminary.livejournal.com/16313.html#cutid1), which deals with issues of faith, morality and coping with guilt. This post-episodic piece deals with similar topics in prose (http://lit-luminary.livejournal.com/11318.html#cutid1).

Re: Chase and faith - Part 2

[ext_770484]

You're most welcome. I have been a spiritual guidance counselor/adviser for nigh-on 20 years. Having studied Theology for over 3 years after an awakening experience that came out of the blue and knocked me sideways.
I'd like to think that I am open minded and cover all aspects of spirituality. Over the years, I've sifted through the dogma of practiced religions and although I don't deem my self a Christian, I'd like to call my self a Christ-person. I'm also what people call a Clairsentient, or Empath in lay-terms. I was purely drawn to House because of the spiritual counter balance and liked very much that they placed that 'voice' in one who, on the surface,would be seen as the last person to be spiritual. I.E. A good looking, pretty boy! Very clever. I also like that they leave the viewer to come to their own conclusions and as I said, so much is spoken by no words at all. So, do we know that Chase turned to God because his father left him? (and his mother) For me, this a father who sadly let him down. In my mind God is the only Father who's not let him down.( only his religion has) I think that mores the point,that Chase feels he's let God down. How do we know that he hadn't had that calling from a very early age? (I own all the box sets and don't seem to recall if it's ever actually been mentioned.) I see Chases reconciliation with science and faith (not religion) as the next best thing to being of service to humanity. If he couldn't heal their spiritual needs then he'd use his brain for earthly healing. House deducts that Chase was forced to become a doctor by his father. I read that,Chase is not just angry with his own father because he left him, but because he made it impossible for him to truly follow his true path. Then when religion and dogma didn't quite fill his needs he lost the will to fight him and trotted off to med school. It is indeed funny how we each interpret something though. I watched 'House vs God' as though Chase was desperate for God to come out on top. This was the ultimate judgement scale. He was impressed that it came out even, because an 'even' outcome when dealing with God does indeed puts House up on some sort of divine pedestal. (in Chases brain this literally puts House on par wit God) If you watch his body language when ever God is brought up, he lights up. He's even been brought to a dead Stop. In 'Fall From Grace', when Danny tells them that he was declared clinically dead during rehab and say's that he thought it was a sign from God. Chase just stops dead. Hesitates and say's "God?" (all hail to Jesse btw on how he plays this complex character. I've heard people say he's a little wooden, yet his acting in not just in is delivery of the words, the subtle body language is to a tee and speaks volumes.) Anyway, I could add more, but I've been up all night with a muscle spasm in my neck (whiplash) and I'm done in. I've read some of your other stuff and loved the 'redouble' I'm not sure about the Dæmonverse AAU stuff though, can you explain what that means? I did read a one shot, and got a little confused.

2 things before I trot off to bed. Did you watch the YouTube link I posted? (I loved the interview) and do you see the synchronization between name and faith? Robert Chase. R.S = Roman Catholic *heh heh*
I look forward to reading your amazing, insightful stories and to continuing our chat. :)

Re: Chase and faith - Part 2

[ext_770484]

Oh God! I've just re-read this and can only apologise for the dreadful way in which it's written. I'm in a Morphine haze and utterly exhausted. It was meant to read R.C and not R.S. *sigh* (and a whole host of other typo's,grammatical mistakes and bad phrasing. - now you see why I don't write fic! *heh heh* )
One more thing, when Chase talks about his faith,or indeed when he deals with other peoples faith, he lowers and softens his tone of voice. As though giving it reverence. When I'm rested, I'll share with you a true story. Medicine and faith combined. Here in the U.K, we're a couple of episodes behind the States. ( which makes a change than usually a whole season/year) I follow Jesse on Twitter and have noticed that he's off all over the place surfing. Do you know in which episode he returns? Thanks again. ~ Sandra

Re: Chase and faith - Part 2

[lit_luminary]

No worries about the mechanics. Your thoughts come through clearly; that's all that matters.

I majored in English literature as an undergraduate, and am currently working on a graduate degree in teaching secondary English. My undergraduate years instilled a deep love for this kind of analysis, and I'm enjoying your perspective very much.

I come from a Judeo-Christian background but identify as eclectic Wiccan, which was my answer to organized religion's dogma: spirituality structured individually. Coming back to the capacity for faith was an interesting journey, and makes me identify with those aspects of Chase's character.

By the way, your attention to his body language is impressive: I think many viewers miss how much of his character comes through this way, and never in spoken words. (It's my theory that that's why he's so often overlooked: most of what gives his character depth doesn't come through if you're not watching him closely.) He's due to return in the fifth episode of S8.

As far as the Dæmonverse AAU, if you want to read that, I'd start here, with the introduction to the concept of dæmons (http://lit-luminary.livejournal.com/6871.html#cutid1), and then continue to the first story written in the 'verse, "Principles of Growth," which includes an explanation of everything you need to know in the preface (http://lit-luminary.livejournal.com/357.html).