Animorphs reread the pretender
Aug. 8th, 2019 07:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
obsidianwolfOr the book were it becomes clear that even before this mess started Tobias was extremely messed up. This entire book is like one long look into the head of a very disturbed teenager who makes his own life far harder than it has to be out of his own issues.
Example he's starving cause of another Hawk so the answer should be deal with the Hawk anyway he can or go get some frozen mice from Cassie to stay in top shape to be of use in the war. His answer nope he won't cheat it'll be a fair fight against an animal. He also refuses to go get help showing a messed up almost suicidal streak and the viewpoint that he needs to not be a burden.
His relationship with Rachel also begins to take on some really messed up dynamics. His whole spiel about Rachel's soul emerging when she morphs the eagle but of course he's not attracted because hawk's don't mate with eagles and her morph is male just screams messed up denial. He shouldn't be thinking about Hawks mating at all in this but he is which just goes to show how absolutely messed up his view of what he is has gotten.
The thing is there's a strong argument for it being noble of him to stay a bird to stay useful in the fight. The problem is that that nobility goes out the window because he isn't staying a bird to stay in the fight he's staying a bird to not have to rely on anyone else and to leave the human Tobias he has quiet a bit of self loathing for behind.
I've always had mixed feelings about him being revealed to be Elfangor's son I think part of the problem is the fact that the writing waffle don how important he was to be to the final conflict with the Yerks. The early books lean heavily on the idea he's meant to play a major role and the later books dive away form it to push the Author's pet.
The thing is either direction works Tobias as a chosen one or as a deconstruction of a chosen one where his unique heritage and situation isn't that important. The problem is the narrative starts going one way and then clumsily reveres course which makes it appear disjointed.
Add in the fact that as a kids series even one as willing to dance around dark topics that exactly how messed up things are involving him never quite makes it into the narrative and it feels weaker.
Ah well up next the Andalite chronicles but no idea how long it will take me to reread cause real life issues are abounding.
Example he's starving cause of another Hawk so the answer should be deal with the Hawk anyway he can or go get some frozen mice from Cassie to stay in top shape to be of use in the war. His answer nope he won't cheat it'll be a fair fight against an animal. He also refuses to go get help showing a messed up almost suicidal streak and the viewpoint that he needs to not be a burden.
His relationship with Rachel also begins to take on some really messed up dynamics. His whole spiel about Rachel's soul emerging when she morphs the eagle but of course he's not attracted because hawk's don't mate with eagles and her morph is male just screams messed up denial. He shouldn't be thinking about Hawks mating at all in this but he is which just goes to show how absolutely messed up his view of what he is has gotten.
The thing is there's a strong argument for it being noble of him to stay a bird to stay useful in the fight. The problem is that that nobility goes out the window because he isn't staying a bird to stay in the fight he's staying a bird to not have to rely on anyone else and to leave the human Tobias he has quiet a bit of self loathing for behind.
I've always had mixed feelings about him being revealed to be Elfangor's son I think part of the problem is the fact that the writing waffle don how important he was to be to the final conflict with the Yerks. The early books lean heavily on the idea he's meant to play a major role and the later books dive away form it to push the Author's pet.
The thing is either direction works Tobias as a chosen one or as a deconstruction of a chosen one where his unique heritage and situation isn't that important. The problem is the narrative starts going one way and then clumsily reveres course which makes it appear disjointed.
Add in the fact that as a kids series even one as willing to dance around dark topics that exactly how messed up things are involving him never quite makes it into the narrative and it feels weaker.
Ah well up next the Andalite chronicles but no idea how long it will take me to reread cause real life issues are abounding.
