[Aelthain]

Now that we are at the end of the series, I'm thinking it's a good time to think about the broader picture of the philosophical ideas and themes embedded throughout the series.

For example, I personally found the 'redemption' theme extremely interesting in Toll the Hounds. My take on what you have there is:

1) The idea of redemption itself is powerless as the notion of redemption by itself does not 'save' a person as personified by Itkovian not being able to defend himself and the 'normal' worshipers being unable to gain anything by begging the Redeemer

2) Redemption is only achieved by one's own actions, such as the Seerdomin's defense of his friend's love, that former Bridgeburner's saving of the children and Rake's sacrifice. You do not gain redemption by fighting for the idea of redemption itself (since the Seerdomin said he only fought to save the girl, and Rake was doing it for his people, plus the entire universe)

3) The enemy of redemption is despair, as represented by the death cult where you can surrender to despair, revel in it for a while since you care for nothing, but ultimately only be destroyed - the priestess was thus the best weapon because those actively seeking redemption can also be most susceptible to despair

Other themes are brotherhood (Stormy / Gesler, Mappo / Icarium, Onrack / Trull other numerous examples), motherhood (the Myhbe), children and innocence (the Snake, Sinn / Grub, Tool's children, plus numerous references in tCG and the series), certainty & justice vs. doubt & compassion, humanity vs. nature (Perish, Karsa) and countless others.

Anyone wants to take a stab at some of their favorite?

[Shadow of Shadowthrone]

The more I read the series, the more interest I took in the philosophical underpinnings. I think there is a lot of back and forth regarding that most elusive of topics - the meaning of life (and death), it's in every book I guess but even more so in Dust of Dreams and the first half of The Crippled God (haven't finished it yet...savoring, savoring....) - all these characters face death in a variety of ways, and react in a variety of ways, and have their own interpretations as to what they are doing and why they are doing it - many ask themselves, "what's the point?" and if I am not mistaken, I believe the answer Erikson will arrive at is something like "each of us do what we do that seems worthy to us". Or some such.

[rannald]

How about compassion?? isn't that a main theme?? all the way through there's compassion evident in everything thats done,
rake trying to convince whiskeyjack not to kill those mad women of the seed,
what toc feels for tool, mostly for his loneliness and lack of family and i suppose skin and mortality,(MOI)
what itkovan does for the t'lan imass is redemption but it's also out of compassion for their plight
quick ben reuniting the pannion seer with his sister,
it's why paran goes into draginpur, because he feels bad for the hounds,
Karsa finally killing rhualad is...kind of compassion in a karsa kinda way...

the list goes on and while i realize that most of my list comes from MOI thats mostly because i loved that book above all the others...

This post has been edited by rannald: 28 March 2011 - 07:21 PM

[Feathersmith]

rannald, on 28 March 2011 - 07:20 PM, said:

How about compassion?? isn't that a main theme?? all the way through there's compassion evident in everything thats done,
rake trying to convince whiskeyjack not to kill those mad women of the seed,
what toc feels for tool, mostly for his loneliness and lack of family and i suppose skin and mortality,(MOI)
what itkovan does for the t'lan imass is redemption but it's also out of compassion for their plight
quick ben reuniting the pannion seer with his sister,
it's why paran goes into draginpur, because he feels bad for the hounds,
Karsa finally killing rhualad is...kind of compassion in a karsa kinda way...

the list goes on and while i realize that most of my list comes from MOI thats mostly because i loved that book above all the others...

Yeah, I think that's a huge theme, one that stood out the most to me, along with the theme of war/destruction sucking a lot. Compassion as an answer to the despair and destruction. Or if not exactly an answer, something that helps balance the destruction and despair and sense of futility that can arise looking at history.

There's so much in this series that a person could probably write many thousands of words of careful analysis. If that person were completely insane. Or writing a dissertation.