Golden Balls of Bribery

[kippurbird]

Gifts of Gold pt.3


Last we left off Eragon learns that his mother was EVUL. So, he rationalizes it away. As for Jeod’s accounts of her misdeeds, Eragon chose to believe that Morzan had perverted her essentially good nature. For the sake of his own sanity, Eragon could not accept that both his parents had been evil. He's very good at rationalization and this could be a very good character flaw except that it never sticks. He rationalizes it and then he forgets about it. He never has trouble convincing himself after this moment. And while I admit that thinking both of your parents were evil - I believe a lot of children who's parents were Nazis had this problem - it again never sticks. He doesn't do things and then think is this what my father would have done? He has done inherently evil things but it doesn't come off like that in his mind. So the fact that he has to pretend like one of his parents isn't evil rings false.

Eragon then starts to wonder some reasonable questions.

A host of questions bedeviled him, but he knew that Jeod could not answer them
and it was unlikely anyone else could either: Why had Brom hidden himself in Carvahall? To keep watch over Eragon, the son of his most hated foe? Had it been some cruel joke giving Eragon Zar’roc, his father’s blade? And why had Brom not told him the truth about his parentage? He tightened his grip on the mug and, without meaning to, shattered the clay.

I imagine some of these will be revisited later, if only so Eragon can learn that no he's not evil.

After his mess is cleaned up, Jeod has a present for him. In Eragon Jeod possessed a book called "the Dominance of Fate" which is a complete history of Alagaësia written by Heslant
the Monk. It was a special book because it was special looking. It was forbidden to have in the Empire for ... some reason or another. Eragon is awed by the book and the neat rows of runes within. I do not believe runes is the word that Paolini is looking for. Runes, according to Dictionary.com are either of Germanic descent or letters that are considered to have magical significance. I know he doesn't mean the former and from what we know about the book it's most certainly not magical. It sounds good though, even if it doesn't make any sense in context. Runes would indicate that he doesn't understand the letters and likely that they're not used for writing. However he does know how to read and the letters are most definitely common, so using the word "runes" is down right wrong.

It turns out that Jeod is giving Eragon the book because in Sudra everyone seems to have a copy. Six people have already given him one. This, I think, is to show how better Sudra is because they value knowledge enough to make a rare book common.

Eragon asks what Heslant was a monk of and it turns out he was a History Monk, dedicated to preserving all knowledge because they believe a great catastrophe would be fall Alagaësia and destroy all civilizations. It doesn't quite feel like a religion to me, but okay. It seems like, so far, that the only people who actually worship gods or use it as a way to describe how the world came to be are the dwarves. The human religions -the Evil Mountain Worshipers and these monks- seem to have random ideas that have no basis in, for lack of a better term, reality.

There's no what made these people believe there was a catastrophe coming? What made them decided they needed to worship a mountain. There is no reasons for doing this no "If I don't I won't get into the good place". At least none that I've seen.

After this Eragon gives Helen one of the gold balls. He does this because Helen and Jeod has sacrificed much for helping the Varden. He says she should use this to help restart her merchant business here in the camps. She says that she'll be able to do a lot and then she hugs Eragon. Obviously she's no longer going to hate him. He sort of bribed her into liking him.

For Jeod he then gives him the offer of a ride on Saphira because he wanted to give him something of equal value to what he gave Helen. He's not happy about it, not wanting to share Saphira, but he wants to be fair. I think then he should have presented the gold to both of them and not just Helen. After all it was Jeod who went bankrupt not Helen.

They are both grateful to him for this and Eragon is grateful for his new book.

The next chapter is called "I need a sword."

No, really?

Comments

[torylltales.livejournal.com]

I gfotta say, this is one of the things that really got to me, it's that Eragon doesn't react. He angats for about a sentence, if that, and then forgets it completely and goes back to being "perfect".

I would really love to see him second-guessing some of his actions, I think that would make it far more believable.

Also it's a good point about the religions. All of my characters believe something because it givs them an accessible moral standing point and a way of understanding the world (and of accepting/dealing with death and loss), not so I can go "lolz, I gots religion!" and claim to be tolerant of different ideas while subtly proving that I'm not by ridiculing everything the religious people do and say through my atheitic characters.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't say perfect, rock like, perhaps.

Religions aren't pasted on yay. As you say they're there to give someone a way of understanding the world.

[torylltales.livejournal.com]

Exactly, and Paolini's religions don't do that. I once made a checklist of reasons for having a religion (things like dealing with loss/separation, hope for the future, explaining the world, a sense of purpose and meaning, a semblance of control and order in an unordered world, that sort of stuff), and Paolini's religions fail pretty much everything. Except perhaps the Dwarven religion, but 1/6 isn't too good.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

They're just there. Another piece of patchwork. Like he realizes that there should be religions but not their purpose. He's also trying to make a point, probably, that religions are useless. The way to do that then would be to create an actual religion and show that it's useless, I would think.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Well, he's read other really good books and still write books horribly cliched.

[kunolacarai.livejournal.com]

The worst part was, when Eragon first found out Murtaugh's father was Morzan, he seriously questioned whether he could continue to trust his friend, the same man he traveled with and who saved his life!

Of course, hypocrisy is just the cherry on the top, this is someone who kills out of convenience (the random soldier he strangled), demonstrates incredible cruelty and vindictiveness (the curse he placed on Sloan), and even abandons his own brother. (Murtaugh isn't even serving the Empire of his own free will. A hero should be out trying to SAVE him, not kill him!)

[smurasaki.livejournal.com]

The sad thing is, we're not supposed to notice any of that. And, ten to one, Paolini doesn't even remember Eragon's reaction to finding out who Murtaugh's father does. Or, if he does, he doesn't realize that it's relevant to Eragon's reaction to his parentage.

Somewhere in this mess, there might be an interesting story, but Paolini got patted on the head instead of getting the serious editing and writing help he needed. Blah.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Because Evil is Evil even if it does something good, it is still evil. And you get your alignment from your parents.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

And your point is...? After all religion is the opium for the masses or what not and this only proves it or something...

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

I wish we knew what Eragon thought of his parents while growing up; if he had any basic assumptions, hopes, or dreams regarding them. Instead, he never seems to think about them until the few instances they get brought up. :P

Same old complaints though. Of course, I already know the surprise that's going to be pulled regarding his father. I can't wait to see how poorly that's handed to us and how Eragon will react for the minute or so that he probably does. XD

[(Anonymous)]

Runes.
I would add: the runes were only simple lines, in various combination.
That was because runes were made for writing on hard surfaces, like stone.
Try engraving curves, if you can!

But... that book, is it made of stone? oO'

And then, only a small number of runes existed, because of the simplicity. A runic book cannot exist! (usually runes were entire words, not letters)

[the-norseman.livejournal.com]

Urm there are books that were written in the runic alphabet, back in the days when runes and latin letters competed. Moreover Futhark is an alphabet. Also look at Medieval Runes.

[(Anonymous)]

Gosh!

My mistake. I tend to generalize too much. -_-''

However, I still am not convinced about a book the size we are told..
And I really would like an explanation about CP runes and how they work >.< so we can approve it or not! Paolini, why do you TELL us "watch this, runic!" and nothing else?

(and the question about traduction, or not?)

[(Anonymous)]

To avoid mistakes, I will do what I am able to.
These are absolutely frail numbers, I know it.

Golden balls, three. Gold is heavy. Hypotesis: 1 kg total (small spheres).
Concentration of gold in soil: 5 mg/ton (from Goldschmidt analysis).
Mass/volume of soil: from 1,3-1,5 to 2,65 of rock; let's say, for simplicity, 2?
One woul say then it would be simple obtaining the radius of the "sucking aurum" effect (hypotesis, emisphere):
4 * pi * r^3 * (density of soil=2) / 2 = 2 * 10 ^ 5 (ton of soil)

That's not entirely true: gold is NOT usually disponible in soil:
- it has state of oxidation +1, so it's adsorbed by clay. High consume of energy required
- it is a metal! it is normally a precipitate, in solid phase. IT IS NOT ACCESSIBLE, it would require a chelating molecule or a VERY HIGH consume of energy
- And then, Magik wold have to find the gold farther (or consume a hell of energy)
- Finally atoms would not follow a linear path in soil, never! Consume of energy rises

Conclusions: why Eragon found this relaxing?
Objection: this is fantasy!
Answer to it: but it must have rules, and it should follow them (see: brick one)

Thank you for your attenction

[(Anonymous)]

I just can't do a perfect work, can I?

The formula, it's 4/3 pi etc.
And the theorical result would be radius = 36 m

[torylltales.livejournal.com]

Ooh, this is cool. I don't understand any of it, but it's cool.

Are you the one who did that "The Physics of Alagaesia (http://impishidea.com/criticism/310/the-physics-of-alagaesia-part-1)" article?

[(Anonymous)]

o_O
Wow! Nice article.

Anyway, I was talking about soil chemistry. Probably because I'm studying that. And then, you endured my rantings. I have some problem, right? ^_^'''

[easol.livejournal.com]

Paolini is really going gung-ho for the "MY perfect fantasyland is all atheistic all the time!" There are a thousand words that would be more appropriate than "monk," but he latched onto one and tried to redefine it.

When was the last time you heard of a monk who didn't belong to a religion, except for the OCD type? It's like having a nun of politics, or a priest of nonfiction.

[torylltales.livejournal.com]

I could totally imagine a becowled, shaven-headed friar wandering the aisles of a library, debating with the gods of fiction over which boook to read next.

... Now where do I get a cowl at this time of night?

[easol.livejournal.com]

Not to mention friars of fantasy fiction!

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

That would be good for a satire piece, which isn't what Paolini is doing.

[berseker.livejournal.com]

Sorry, but gold ball > ride on Saphira. Eragon should get a clue.


(ps: should be offering her rides like that? I mean, shouldn´t he ask her first? Since they´re such good friends and all...)

[easol.livejournal.com]

But... but Saphira is SPARKLY! Like a disco ball! That's way better than a lump of gold!

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Of course it is! Saphira is a DRAGON and DRAGONS are the most AWESOME of CREATURES and EVERYONE Is in AWE of THEM. Gold is just...gold.

[16lettersonly.livejournal.com]

The next chapter is called "I need a sword."

For fun, let's count the opportunities Eragon has had to get a sword so far:
1. The Varden, before heading the Helgrind.
2. The Ra'zac. Hey, better 'n nothing.
3. A random village in the Empire, either stolen or paid for.
4. The soldiers on the road.
5. Murtagh's sword.

Have finished Brisingr and concluded that Paolini has a katana fetish.

[kunolacarai.livejournal.com]

Because, if it isn't a SPECIAL sword, it's not worthy of a guy like Eragon. I mean, I can understand needing a superior blade to make full use of one's abilities (or something like that), but refusing to use any ordinary sword is idiotic, especially in the middle of a war.

I'm starting to see a pattern here. Eragon's can't just be a warrior, he's got to play God as well. He can't be human, he has a to be a superior elf. He can't just get a normal lover, he needs the beautiful princess of the elves. Wish-fulfillment fantasy's bad enough, but this is absurd.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

He said that somewhere. Paolini did.