1. Humans apparently are just as pacifistic as they were during Ian's time? Ian's thinking that the colony had pretty much nothing to pursue him with except some things designed to repel animals, and his complete lack of armament in the field (where presumably there might be animals) are an interesting mirror of Bren's general unfamiliarity with guns -- he's only had one for the last two weeks, and the aiji taught him to shoot, meaning it's not something he knew how to do before then. Which I suppose one could attribute to his not being legally allowed to have a firearm amongst atevi; but he doesn't have any stray thoughts about human marksmen he has known, or refer to hunting in any way (in fact, we find out humans are ordering packed meat from somewhere else, annoying the aiji); and the comment about "marksmanship was a hobby among atevi" seems pretty focused -- no "and some humans" in sight. Huh.
2. That said: I know little about shooting, but Bren came across as pretty awesome in those first few pages! From a sound sleep, based on a silhouette at night, he had the presence of mind to locate, aim, and fire a gun he's only had for a fortnight! Accurately enough to wound, too. I would guess most people take a lot longer to get used to something as a reflex; i.e. if I started keeping a gun beside my bed today and you suddenly woke me up a week later, I don't know that I would think to reach for the gun, not instinctively at least.
3. That sudden, initial competence is contrasted pretty sharply by everything that follows: no one will answer in any detail about an attempt on his own life; the aiji never warned him about potential attacks*; he has no vote or even voice in the legislature; he has very little "presence" in the court as a whole ('no one would want to kill him' ... except 'a lunatic') and lives in some out-of-the-way apartment near the servants' quarters; his servants are reassigned at random over his protests. And he has even less power amongst his own species than he does in atevi society. It's really strongly setting us up for SOMETHING, because why would this powerless person, however quick-reacting and linguistically gifted, have assassins climbing in his bedroom windows?
----------- *Honestly, the way this whole thing was phrased made me think we're being shown very strongly that Bren is naive/still not on perfect form recognising atevi behaviours.
And a handful of weeks ago Tabini had found unprecedented whimsy in arming him and giving him two hours of personal instruction at his personal retreat. They had joked, and shot melons on poles, and had supper together, and Tabini had had all the time he could possibly want to warn him if something was coming up
Arming someone in complete violation of your own law isn't a warning? The leader of a large and complex nation, whose personal attention is needed for just about everything that goes on, takes two whole weeks of vacation to give Bren gun training, and that's not a warning?
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branchandroot
Thoughts so far!
Date: 2011-06-07 09:58 pm (UTC)1. Humans apparently are just as pacifistic as they were during Ian's time? Ian's thinking that the colony had pretty much nothing to pursue him with except some things designed to repel animals, and his complete lack of armament in the field (where presumably there might be animals) are an interesting mirror of Bren's general unfamiliarity with guns -- he's only had one for the last two weeks, and the aiji taught him to shoot, meaning it's not something he knew how to do before then. Which I suppose one could attribute to his not being legally allowed to have a firearm amongst atevi; but he doesn't have any stray thoughts about human marksmen he has known, or refer to hunting in any way (in fact, we find out humans are ordering packed meat from somewhere else, annoying the aiji); and the comment about "marksmanship was a hobby among atevi" seems pretty focused -- no "and some humans" in sight. Huh.
2. That said: I know little about shooting, but Bren came across as pretty awesome in those first few pages! From a sound sleep, based on a silhouette at night, he had the presence of mind to locate, aim, and fire a gun he's only had for a fortnight! Accurately enough to wound, too. I would guess most people take a lot longer to get used to something as a reflex; i.e. if I started keeping a gun beside my bed today and you suddenly woke me up a week later, I don't know that I would think to reach for the gun, not instinctively at least.
3. That sudden, initial competence is contrasted pretty sharply by everything that follows: no one will answer in any detail about an attempt on his own life; the aiji never warned him about potential attacks*; he has no vote or even voice in the legislature; he has very little "presence" in the court as a whole ('no one would want to kill him' ... except 'a lunatic') and lives in some out-of-the-way apartment near the servants' quarters; his servants are reassigned at random over his protests. And he has even less power amongst his own species than he does in atevi society. It's really strongly setting us up for SOMETHING, because why would this powerless person, however quick-reacting and linguistically gifted, have assassins climbing in his bedroom windows?
-----------
*Honestly, the way this whole thing was phrased made me think we're being shown very strongly that Bren is naive/still not on perfect form recognising atevi behaviours.
And a handful of weeks ago Tabini had found unprecedented whimsy in arming him and giving him two hours of personal instruction at his personal retreat. They had joked, and shot melons on poles, and had supper together, and Tabini had had all the time he could possibly want to warn him if something was coming up
Arming someone in complete violation of your own law isn't a warning? The leader of a large and complex nation, whose personal attention is needed for just about everything that goes on, takes two whole weeks of vacation to give Bren gun training, and that's not a warning?