There's so much wonderful stuff in this analysis!!!! I keep coming back to it as much as I keep coming back to reading the books:
You said: ****“Without a word, he stalked from the doorway … and leapt across a construction ditch to firm ground without looking back. His guard and his attendants hastily followed. … Eugenides never slowed and he never looked back” (140-1) reminds me of the way he flees from the library to the temple after being shown the hooks and false hands (QoA 75-6). Both flights are prompted by confrontation with something he doesn’t want to accept or deal with (all the baggage of the loss of his hand and … being king). One is to a temple, one is from, and now his options for escape and privacy are even more limited.****
I'm not really able to answer this question on the nose but as I've been doing my re-reads I continue to notice how both Gen and Irene both have their moments reacting in pretty much the same way over the course of several kinds of reactions (although I think there are differences in their respective executions of their actions): Both of them kick their attendants out of their bedchambers while they throw the mother of all temper tantrums, shredding the drapes, throwing ink pots, smashing furniture... Irene's was in reaction to realizing that Gen was still a danger to her (in QofA) and Gen's in response to realizing that Nahusaresh was still a looming threat in KofA.
Your analysis got me thinking of how across the series, there are descriptions of both Gen and Irene "fleeing" from various things... and because I love Irene the most and I hang off of every word and action she makes in the books, one scene that sticks with me is how she "uncharacteristically fled" the room when the discussion of whether there would be an alter to Hephestia at the wedding... The difference between Gen and Irene's fleeing from things is it seems Gen really wants the privacy whereas in contrast it seemed like Irene... wanted to be followed, in how she went to her throne room and "ignored [Gen and Helen] until they were standing right in front of her" and in turn, when she reveals to Gen that Moira/his gods had betrayed him to her TWICE, it is Gen who flees and in response to him fleeing, Irene wants immediately to follow him (and Helen puts her hand on her arm to stop her and advises her to let him go).
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Gen running away from things he doesn't want to face
Date: 5/28/17 05:54 am (UTC)You said:
****“Without a word, he stalked from the doorway … and leapt across a construction ditch to firm ground without looking back. His guard and his attendants hastily followed. … Eugenides never slowed and he never looked back” (140-1) reminds me of the way he flees from the library to the temple after being shown the hooks and false hands (QoA 75-6). Both flights are prompted by confrontation with something he doesn’t want to accept or deal with (all the baggage of the loss of his hand and … being king). One is to a temple, one is from, and now his options for escape and privacy are even more limited.****
I'm not really able to answer this question on the nose but as I've been doing my re-reads I continue to notice how both Gen and Irene both have their moments reacting in pretty much the same way over the course of several kinds of reactions (although I think there are differences in their respective executions of their actions): Both of them kick their attendants out of their bedchambers while they throw the mother of all temper tantrums, shredding the drapes, throwing ink pots, smashing furniture... Irene's was in reaction to realizing that Gen was still a danger to her (in QofA) and Gen's in response to realizing that Nahusaresh was still a looming threat in KofA.
Your analysis got me thinking of how across the series, there are descriptions of both Gen and Irene "fleeing" from various things... and because I love Irene the most and I hang off of every word and action she makes in the books, one scene that sticks with me is how she "uncharacteristically fled" the room when the discussion of whether there would be an alter to Hephestia at the wedding... The difference between Gen and Irene's fleeing from things is it seems Gen really wants the privacy whereas in contrast it seemed like Irene... wanted to be followed, in how she went to her throne room and "ignored [Gen and Helen] until they were standing right in front of her" and in turn, when she reveals to Gen that Moira/his gods had betrayed him to her TWICE, it is Gen who flees and in response to him fleeing, Irene wants immediately to follow him (and Helen puts her hand on her arm to stop her and advises her to let him go).