The Jamey Dodger Society

[ninedaysaqueen]

For prevention of cruelty to reprobates.

Current Members
ninedaysaqueen
smallsotong
inkasrain
an_english_girl
dannybailey
filkferengi
mikkaybear
agh_4
frosted_feather

*rings gong*

I call to order the first meeting of the Jamey Dodger Society, a group for those who have read a "Thick as Thieves" arc or want to become as spoiled as Varuca Salt.

Comments

Re: Kamet’s journey

[smallsotong]

I didn't quite see it as brainwashing, unless living most of your life in a society and internalising its structure and values is considered brainwashing. For example, I'm sure Nahuseresh genuinely believed that he cared about Kamet and that he treated his slave well. And he probably actually did, within the context of Medean hierarchical society (there are so many examples of less fortunate slaves...). Slavery was the norm throughout much of human history, especially in empires that took over other peoples, and I'm sure part of the 'obvious truths of life' that those societies held without questioning, is that some humans were worth less than others. Eddis and Attolia (and maybe Sounis? though it's less explicit) are outliers in that regard...

I think that's why I loved the crossing of the Taymets so much - it definitely challenged Kamet's empire-think by showing him a different way of doing things. The mountains weren't impassable - they just weren't passable by the empire's armies, free people lived their lives and even helped each other out on the crossing (firewood in caves, etc).

And like I said, Kamet definitely grew on me. He's introspective and capable of observing and then admitting to himself when his own perceptions were wrong. He grows with each experience (whereas I think that Nahuseresh did not learn from his experiences). He represents the best we can hope to do in our lives - learning from new experiences and information, reflecting, growing, overcoming the limits that are placed on us by our past :)

(Upon more reflection, I think I was also disappointed with Kamet initially because I expected more of him based on the insightfulness he showed in QoA - the Kamet that I expected wasn't there at the start of TaT)