FOREIGNER: Discussion Post #2

[krait]

Welcome to chapters 1 & 2!

Commence discussion, now that we've met our Actual Protagonist(s?) for this trip!

1. Impressions of Bren so far? (If you can make such quick judgments on only two chapters?)

2. Thoughts about or observations on what we've suddenly been introduced to regarding the aiji's court and (now technologically further advanced) atevi society? Unlike Ian, Bren's right in the middle of it; what stands out to him, what stands out to you, and how much overlap is there? :D


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Regarding spoilers: how far along is everyone? I've read either all, or all but one, book; someone mentioned they were only as far as the third book; and I think one of us has never read any Cherryh before...? So far I've been trying to avoid spoilers for absolutely everything beyond our current reading point, so the "Spoiler Edition" post will follow this one.

Comments

[krait]

I read it as being mainly Bren's overemotional state -- He's just woken in panic, shot at a person for the first time, missed the target, and reacted like a total n00b, complete with throwing up and shaking and not being able to keep his mind running straight (he doesn't get why Banichi tells him to wash his hands, or claims the gun, till later)...

Banichi walks in completely calm and professional, and stands there watching him throw up (and, likely, emoting all over the place, not able to keep his face straight like politeness requires) and not able to think his way through things in order to help his staff. And then Banichi says the failure is his/Bren is brave?

To Bren, it probably felt like Banichi was rubbing salt in the wound of how he's NOT coping at the moment. Plus a probably very common human resentment of someone who's not getting emotional while you can't help but being so; least it reminded me rather a lot of how I feel when I start crying in front of somebody. D:

(I am one of those people who can't keep from crying! Sometimes it doesn't even start till half a minute after whatever hurt/angered me; but I can't lock it down and turn it off the way some people do. So I stand there sniffling and feeling horribly embarrassed that I can't control it like a grownup, and wishing that the grownup witnessing this was anywhere else so they wouldn't be STARING at me while I fail at being calm and rational.) Or, as cheyinka says, patronising -- like Banichi doesn't expect a human to act like a grownup, because Bren can't possibly be as rational/useful/reliable as an ateva in situations where Banichi's under pressure and could use some backup. (Rereading, I notice he keeps re-instructing Bren regarding the "say that I fired" thing; I think he's noticed Bren isn't tracking well, and he seems a little bit nervous, on top of hiss security-related tension, about the whole the paidhi had a hidden contraband gun thing!)


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Also, quite possibly, atevi don't have such severe reactions to violence; at least not by the time they're adults, so Banichi may just be baffled and not sure what to say. Atevi seem... well, if you're as far as chapter 6, (some spoilerish speculation on atevi and aggression reactions) over on the Spoiler Post.