[LMB] Re: The Hallowed Hunt, Chapter 19

[Sylvus Tarn]

On Fri, 2006-07-21 at 13:26 -0400, Tzivia Adler wrote:
> 'you begin to think like a princess.'
>       her gaze grew startled... as if a new road had opned up before
> her...
> that puzzles me.
> didn't she grow up as a princess?  and marrying a fairly wealthy (i
> think) 
> earl wouln't close off paths either.  why would she think she can't
> have 
> things her own way, that she'll get in trouble for acting like an 
> aristocrat? 

Speaking of cynicism:  we tend to think of princesses and aristocrats
*now*  as spoiled, and often using their power merely to have a life of
luxury.   But in traditional fairy tales/fantasies, royalty defaulted as
noble-kind-and-good with a few bad apples and the rude peasents were the
unthinking villains---like the meaning of the word `nice', the
presumptive nobility of the roles has (as a default) often reversed.  

So in modern stories, even when princesses are ``good'' the author often
has to justify it somehow.  ---And then, of course, in the best stories,
princesses and peasants are a mix of both god and bad.  But I think
Ingrey's point is that she begins to consider political consequences in
terms of noblesse oblige (i.e. decisions' value to the people they rule)
rather than merely being self-serving---once a, perhaps *the*, major
goal, at least in the abstract, for royalty.  Fara, caught up in her own
wants and desires (and not striking me as particularly reflective
besides likely feeling her role circumscribed by the men in her life)
has hereto focused upon her personal wants and needs; Ingrey's comment,
and her subsequent opening suggest that she realizes that she does have
the power to effect political consequences; and that she can choose good
or ill.

So his comment, and her subsequent widening vistas, made perfect sense.

Indeed that oft-forgotten focus on the people should be the goal for any
political leader, but even with the greater checks upon modern rulers
(i.e. elections) the populace is still subject to cynicism upon this
point.  Small wonder, then, that hereditary types were even more prone
to abuse.

Ugh.  This is incoherent.  Think I'll go back to bed now...

sylvus tarn
http://rejiquar.com