TaT Re-read: Section Two, Chapters 4-6
Feb. 24th, 2019 03:57 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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queensthiefWelcome to section two of the Thick as Thieves community wide re-read. This week we’re covering chapters 4-6 (p86-181), that’s from lines: “We were more than halfway to Perf.” to “I dropped beside him.” All page numbers are from the 2017 hardcover edition.
If you were starting to get bored of Costis’s and Kamet's caravan jaunt through the desert, hang in there, because things are about to get dicey.
Chapter Four
In which Kamet fails at sword fighting, unknowingly takes refuge in an occupied lion’s den, and doesn’t laugh at Costis’s dad jokes.
Chapter Five
In which Costis earns his new moniker as a breaker of chains, takes a tourist’s interest in the local culture, and is told to pay a fastener.
Chapter Six
In which laziness is proved to cause fatalities, Costis goes beserk, and all the gold is lost.
I hope literary symbolism in your thing, because I’m about to talk a lot about that. Especially in regards to what I feel is a highly effective and skillfully written use of item symbolism--Kamet’s chain.
A Chain of Symbols
I was recently watching a literary analysis of the web series Rwby (a show you should absolutely watch if you never have) covering the topic of practical vs. psychological in literary narratives. Stated more simply, there is either a practical or a psychological motive for a character’s actions, but sometimes it's more interesting when there is both.
A surface examination of why Kamet continues to wear his chain reveal a number of practical reasons: it’s hard to inconspicuously sell, he wants to kept it so he can sell it after he escapes Costis, other people think he’s a slave so he has to, and so on.
I reluctantly agreed that we would need to part with the slave chain. (p131)
However, it is clear that Kamet has attributed deep psychological significance to his neck chain and Nahuseresh’s seal. Surprisingly, not all of them are negative. Kamet’s chain symbolizes his master’s trust in him, his position, even his skill. However, it also represents his otherness from his fellow slaves, his servitude, and his contemptible station in life.
This use of practical vs. psychological also extends to Costis. I really took note during this re-read that Costis hates Kamet’s chain. He wants to get rid of it from almost day one. There are practical reasons: it’s worth a great deal of money, it attracts attention; but there are psychological reasons tied up in there as well. Costis hates what the empire has done to Kamet. He hates Nahuseresh and what he did to Gen. To him, the chain only represents Kamet’s tragic backstory and a man he loathes.
The chain is a tangible symbol of where Kamet is in his journey. Not just of his physical journey, but his journey as a person.
How do you think Kamet progresses as a character during this section?
If QT were a Buddy Comedy
So, a lot of people like to compare this book to The Emperor's New Groove. Which I can’t even argue with (I love that movie), but I think it’s interesting how the humor in this book is different from other books in the series. Most of the series uses a combination of fatalistic black humor, self-depreciative humor, and humor in exaggeration.
TaT, however, has a distinct buddy comedy vibe that, at times, is comparable to The Emperor’s New Groove and The Road to Eldorado.
“Do you know any long prayers?”
“What? Ones to keep lions away?” (p96)
Considering the seriousness of the story and the gravity of the events, it’s surprising how well this style of comedy works. I mean, it’s almost a little slapstick at times. Costis even gets kicked in the you know where…
How do you think this style of humor reflects on the book itself?
Fond Memories of Drunk!Gen (p107)
I’m intrigued by the use of POV here. Kamet incorrectly interprets Costis fondly recalling that time drunk!Gen almost fell off the roof as malice. Not only is this really funny, but it’s a huge red flag that many of Kamet’s perceptions could be wrong or skewed in some way. Also, do you think Kamet is projecting his malice for Nahuseresh as Costis having malice towards Gen?
The Proxy Symbolism of Immakuk and Ennikar
There are two Immakuk and Ennikar poems in this section. I’ll go over them separately and how I choose to interpret some of their symbolic nature.
The Battle with Unse-Sek (p112-115)
What I want to draw your attention to here is Kamet’s eyes. Immakuk loses his eye during the fight with Unse-Sek. How did Kamet’s eyesight get so bad? From working in dark, smoky rooms for his master.
Jeffa was the one who warned me that I must be out in the sun every day if I didn’t want to grow blind as he had, that the dark room where we kept our accounts, the smoke of the lamp, would damage my eyes over time. (p139)
Perhaps, Unse-Sek represents Kamet's inner demons and struggles with his life as a slave--what damaged his eyesight. Ultimately, it’s Cosits’s counterpart, Ennikar, who saves Immakuk from the monster and kills it.
This, however, has consequences for Costis/Ennikar. For Costis, it’s his illness later on in the book. For Ennikar, it’s being captured by the Queen of the Night. In both instances, it’s Kamet/Immakuk who saves them in return from death itself.
The Journey to the Grey Lands (p118-125)
I think this poem’s primary function is to foreshadow Costis falling in the well and his illness later on in the book. To summarize, the story is about Immakuk saving Ennikar from the consequences of killing Unse-Sek. Ennikar is captured by the Queen of the Night and taken to the underworld.
This story also seems to have something to do with the “Pay the Fastener” prophecy. In the poem, Immakuk doesn’t pay the ferryman, but tricks him in order to cross the river.
Do you think Godekker represents the ferryman? Why was it so important that Costis pay him?
The False Narrative of Sinabid and his Foolish Master
“So, you don’t like Sinabid jokes?”
The jokes about Sinabid and his master are not the sort of thing a slave tells to a free man. (p110)
The purpose of the Sinabid skits was something that eluded me during initial read throughs, but I’ve come to understand that their use is similar to the Immakuk and Ennikar poems.
There are two possible interpretations of Costis’s and Kamet’s relationship played up on the same stage from the very start of the book--the epic of two heros and the shenanigans of a witty slave misleading a foolish master. Both interpretations play into the narrative and one is ultimately proven false.
What do you feel is the significance of the Sinabid jokes?
Kamet’s “Otherness”
Another important topic in this section is Kamet’s “otherness” as a slave. He touches upon this while recounting his backstory. When his master learned he could write, he was given an extra cup of water and was set apart from the other slaves.
“I was something different.” (p138)
This also comes up when he helps the head slave being tormented by the other slaves at the cobbler’s stall. Kamet recognizes instantly what’s going on, and seems to commiserate out of personal experience.
How do you think this contributed to his “smarter-than-thou” attitude? Is it even possibly responsible for it?
Next week we will be covering chapters 7-10 and![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
whataliethatwas will be your lead. Happy reading!
If you were starting to get bored of Costis’s and Kamet's caravan jaunt through the desert, hang in there, because things are about to get dicey.
Chapter Four
In which Kamet fails at sword fighting, unknowingly takes refuge in an occupied lion’s den, and doesn’t laugh at Costis’s dad jokes.
Chapter Five
In which Costis earns his new moniker as a breaker of chains, takes a tourist’s interest in the local culture, and is told to pay a fastener.
Chapter Six
In which laziness is proved to cause fatalities, Costis goes beserk, and all the gold is lost.
I hope literary symbolism in your thing, because I’m about to talk a lot about that. Especially in regards to what I feel is a highly effective and skillfully written use of item symbolism--Kamet’s chain.
I was recently watching a literary analysis of the web series Rwby (a show you should absolutely watch if you never have) covering the topic of practical vs. psychological in literary narratives. Stated more simply, there is either a practical or a psychological motive for a character’s actions, but sometimes it's more interesting when there is both.
A surface examination of why Kamet continues to wear his chain reveal a number of practical reasons: it’s hard to inconspicuously sell, he wants to kept it so he can sell it after he escapes Costis, other people think he’s a slave so he has to, and so on.
However, it is clear that Kamet has attributed deep psychological significance to his neck chain and Nahuseresh’s seal. Surprisingly, not all of them are negative. Kamet’s chain symbolizes his master’s trust in him, his position, even his skill. However, it also represents his otherness from his fellow slaves, his servitude, and his contemptible station in life.
This use of practical vs. psychological also extends to Costis. I really took note during this re-read that Costis hates Kamet’s chain. He wants to get rid of it from almost day one. There are practical reasons: it’s worth a great deal of money, it attracts attention; but there are psychological reasons tied up in there as well. Costis hates what the empire has done to Kamet. He hates Nahuseresh and what he did to Gen. To him, the chain only represents Kamet’s tragic backstory and a man he loathes.
The chain is a tangible symbol of where Kamet is in his journey. Not just of his physical journey, but his journey as a person.
How do you think Kamet progresses as a character during this section?
So, a lot of people like to compare this book to The Emperor's New Groove. Which I can’t even argue with (I love that movie), but I think it’s interesting how the humor in this book is different from other books in the series. Most of the series uses a combination of fatalistic black humor, self-depreciative humor, and humor in exaggeration.
TaT, however, has a distinct buddy comedy vibe that, at times, is comparable to The Emperor’s New Groove and The Road to Eldorado.
“What? Ones to keep lions away?” (p96)
Considering the seriousness of the story and the gravity of the events, it’s surprising how well this style of comedy works. I mean, it’s almost a little slapstick at times. Costis even gets kicked in the you know where…
How do you think this style of humor reflects on the book itself?
I’m intrigued by the use of POV here. Kamet incorrectly interprets Costis fondly recalling that time drunk!Gen almost fell off the roof as malice. Not only is this really funny, but it’s a huge red flag that many of Kamet’s perceptions could be wrong or skewed in some way. Also, do you think Kamet is projecting his malice for Nahuseresh as Costis having malice towards Gen?
There are two Immakuk and Ennikar poems in this section. I’ll go over them separately and how I choose to interpret some of their symbolic nature.
The Battle with Unse-Sek (p112-115)
What I want to draw your attention to here is Kamet’s eyes. Immakuk loses his eye during the fight with Unse-Sek. How did Kamet’s eyesight get so bad? From working in dark, smoky rooms for his master.
Perhaps, Unse-Sek represents Kamet's inner demons and struggles with his life as a slave--what damaged his eyesight. Ultimately, it’s Cosits’s counterpart, Ennikar, who saves Immakuk from the monster and kills it.
This, however, has consequences for Costis/Ennikar. For Costis, it’s his illness later on in the book. For Ennikar, it’s being captured by the Queen of the Night. In both instances, it’s Kamet/Immakuk who saves them in return from death itself.
The Journey to the Grey Lands (p118-125)
I think this poem’s primary function is to foreshadow Costis falling in the well and his illness later on in the book. To summarize, the story is about Immakuk saving Ennikar from the consequences of killing Unse-Sek. Ennikar is captured by the Queen of the Night and taken to the underworld.
This story also seems to have something to do with the “Pay the Fastener” prophecy. In the poem, Immakuk doesn’t pay the ferryman, but tricks him in order to cross the river.
Do you think Godekker represents the ferryman? Why was it so important that Costis pay him?
The jokes about Sinabid and his master are not the sort of thing a slave tells to a free man. (p110)
The purpose of the Sinabid skits was something that eluded me during initial read throughs, but I’ve come to understand that their use is similar to the Immakuk and Ennikar poems.
There are two possible interpretations of Costis’s and Kamet’s relationship played up on the same stage from the very start of the book--the epic of two heros and the shenanigans of a witty slave misleading a foolish master. Both interpretations play into the narrative and one is ultimately proven false.
What do you feel is the significance of the Sinabid jokes?
Another important topic in this section is Kamet’s “otherness” as a slave. He touches upon this while recounting his backstory. When his master learned he could write, he was given an extra cup of water and was set apart from the other slaves.
This also comes up when he helps the head slave being tormented by the other slaves at the cobbler’s stall. Kamet recognizes instantly what’s going on, and seems to commiserate out of personal experience.
How do you think this contributed to his “smarter-than-thou” attitude? Is it even possibly responsible for it?
Next week we will be covering chapters 7-10 and
whataliethatwas will be your lead. Happy reading!
slavery
Date: 2/26/19 07:49 pm (UTC)It was really telling to me when Costis asked Kamet if he'd been a slave all his life and Kamet thought, "I considered what I should answer--yes, I had been beneath contempt since birth? Or, on the contrary, that I had once been a man as worthy as himself and had become less of one at some time in my life?"