Series Re-Read: #13 The Change

[frenchroast]

The Ellimist didn’t laugh. “Tobias, you are a beginning. You are a point on which an entire time line may turn.”I want to start this re-read discussion with a question: what are your thoughts about what the Ellimist did for Tobias regarding morphing/being human? Was it fair? Was it what Tobias really wanted? How do you think the series would've

Comments

[growly]

I think Tobias didn't really want to admit to himself that he'd rather live as a hawk, so the Ellimist took the choice away from him. And now his friends can say "oh that darn tricky Ellimist!" instead of freaking out at Tobias for not wanting to be fully human. Now he can enjoy all the things he missed about being human, and be useful on missions, but still lives day-to-day in the way he is most comfortable.

I don't see the Ellimist as a trickster, more like a wise being that genuinely wants to help, in its own way.

[caitieness]

looking at this from the aspect that the ellimist is playing a game with crayak i see it much differently than when i read it the first time. going off what we know about these games -- that a player isn't allowed to interfere but can make one (or more depending on the length of the game, i assume) small change, the ellimst did what he could for tobias. i see it as he could either give tobias back the morphing ability or turn him human, not both. and he'd rather be helpful than human.

[anijen21]

This is my favorite Tobias book, but I've posted most of my thoughts about it hereI actually think this is one of, if not the most important regular-series book besides like #1 just because of the amount of stuff it injects into the story. Tobias morphing again, all the drama and angst regarding how THAT was done, the free Hork-Bajir colony. That stuff mattered until the very last book

[brennanspeaks]

I'd never heard that theory before, but I kind of love it. It explains why Jara was so quick to claim Ket as his wife, when I doubt the Yeerks would let them hold onto customs like that. It explains why the Ellimist's methods seem so abrupt and heavy handed. Unlike in #7, there's no subtle manipulation here to plant the idea of rescuing Hork-Bajir in the Animorphs' heads. Instead it's all "Mission. Voices in your head. Go, go, go

[anijen21]

Eh, I'm not sure about that. It's an interesting idea, but there were enough weird caveats and extra-special Andalite telepathic abilities interspersed throughout the series for me to forgive that one thing. Ax and his mirrorwave call (is that right?) in #4, Gafinilan and Mertil's weird connection that let them communicate over vast distances in #40, the utzum thing or whatever in #33. If anything, I'd be more tempted to explain the images/info dump in #1 by the utzum in #33--maybe Elfangor realized Tobias was his son and decided to exploit that connection by giving him all the exposition the scene didn't really have time for.

[brennanspeaks]

Fair enough--there were a few unexplained Andalite abilities. I don't doubt that KA intended the images to be from Elfangor. It's just a fanon possibility that popped into my head.

[seraphprowess]

The first time I read the series, I for some reason didn't grasp that Tobias getting stuck in morph may not have exactly been an accident. This book immediately became my favorite because I was absolutely ecstatic that he regained the ability to be human, even if for only 2 hours. In fact, I remember kinda wishing he had chosen to stay in human "morph", even though he would then lose his morphing ability. One thing that HASN'T changed though is my glee at unlocking all the back-story that comes to light in this book.

[blue_rampion]

I was the same - in fact I don't think I got at all when I was younger. It is a very subtle thing though, so assuming you were also a kid when you read it, it makes sense for it to go over kids' heads. (I mean hell, I don't think I even realised that Tobias tried to kill himself in #3. And that is WAY more explicit than the potentially-trapping-himself-on-purpose thing. clearly I was not the most observant of children)

[with_rainfall]

I think some kids pick up on those things and some don't. I thought it was actually fairly subtle for that target audience, since the average ten-or eleven- year old probably wouldn't think of suicide when they read it. Injury, yes, but not killing yourself.

[blue_rampion]

I kinda think I just went "Oh okay Tobias is going all crazy" and game it pretty much no extra thought, myself. For all that I love things like character analysis now, as I kid I pretty always just tended to just go "this is what happened the end no extra thought needed." Don't know how much other kids were/are the same though, hah