SW timelines are difficult for me, but I was under the impression that Brendol had been dead for years when Cardinal interrogated Vi; is that wrong?
“Maybe treating his favoured cadets well was intended to create cadets who could pass as normal, well-balanced people?”
This really gets at why, for me anyway, Brendol feels so much less sympathetic than Armitage. It’s not because the things Brendol did are worse than what Armitage has done; they’re not. But in a very real sense Armitage can’t be genuinely personable, or affectionate, or empathetic because these, like most “human” behaviors, are learned and his social setting wasn’t conducive to his learning them. He’s able to manipulate others to strengthen his own chances of survival, but that’s all he can do. He’s a human who doesn’t know how to human.
I think Cardinal can actually do/feel those things, not just pass as being able to do so. I think we’re supposed to be glad Vi saves his life because he “deserves”–boy do I hate that word–a second chance. I don’t know whether Brendol is just passing or not; even some really evil people are capable of affection. But if he is passing, he’s doing so convincingly enough to inspire real affection and loyalty in Cardinal.
TLDR; still real tired of arguments that A. Hux decided to be evil.
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Date: 2018-12-06 03:02 am (UTC)SW timelines are difficult for me, but I was under the impression that Brendol had been dead for years when Cardinal interrogated Vi; is that wrong?
“Maybe treating his favoured cadets well was intended to create cadets who could pass as normal, well-balanced people?”
This really gets at why, for me anyway, Brendol feels so much less sympathetic than Armitage. It’s not because the things Brendol did are worse than what Armitage has done; they’re not. But in a very real sense Armitage can’t be genuinely personable, or affectionate, or empathetic because these, like most “human” behaviors, are learned and his social setting wasn’t conducive to his learning them. He’s able to manipulate others to strengthen his own chances of survival, but that’s all he can do. He’s a human who doesn’t know how to human.
I think Cardinal can actually do/feel those things, not just pass as being able to do so. I think we’re supposed to be glad Vi saves his life because he “deserves”–boy do I hate that word–a second chance. I don’t know whether Brendol is just passing or not; even some really evil people are capable of affection. But if he is passing, he’s doing so convincingly enough to inspire real affection and loyalty in Cardinal.
TLDR; still real tired of arguments that A. Hux decided to be evil.