The Dresden Files > CD Book Club

Cold Days Book Club - Chapters 45-53 **MAJOR SPOILERS**

<< < (24/24)

Megan Marie:

--- Quote from: Vikermac on November 30, 2012, 02:33:55 PM ---
And I don't mind at all, but this book seemed to make way more use of the f-word than the others did.  I mean, you might hear it every once and a while before, but I lost track of how many times it came up in this book.

--- End quote ---

There were enough F bombs in Changes that I noticed... Not that I'm offended, but enough for me to notice is saying something. Come to think of it, Ghost Story too... Hmmmm

OZ:
A lot of people noticed this. I believe that it was one of Jim's methods of showing that things are much darker now than in past books.

Zarl96:

--- Quote from: Lamarquise on July 14, 2013, 05:59:15 PM ---See, here's the problem with this situation: If you have free will, you also have the power to surrender it, by agreement or simply by painting yourself into a corner with your own actions.

--- End quote ---

I have to reject the entire premise of your response, I don't think you can surrender/give up your free will. If you'll recall, we're told in SK that mortals have no real penalty for breaking their word, beyond reputation (and power if they make a vow on it). This means that even if Harry vowed to do everything Mab told him to, he could theoretically disobey. Now, due to the mantle, she can force him to do whatever she says, but that would (as Harry points out) make him no better than a thug. You said earlier that she could command Harry to "act to his full abilities" or some such but with the Fae wording matters. Do you really think Mab wants to take the time to have to close all the loop holes every time she asks Harry to do anything? Beyond which, there's a certain amount of evidence that Harry could choose to remove/incapacitate the mantle at least temporarily. It obviously wouldn't be practical to walk around with a nail in him, but an iron/steel earring or something might work. Or, he was able to disable it temporarily by breaking Winter Law, which also shows that he still has free will although if he doesn't do Mabs will it "cancels out" his bargain with her. At least that's how I saw it, since Harry wouldn't be holding up his end, it's like Mab doesn't have to hold up hers (ie giving him the mantle). Now, I don't think that could be anything but a temporary measure since there was a big quality of ritual going on when the mantle passed to Harry. On the other hand, who knows if there's ever been such an antagonistic/rebellious knight, Slate comes to mind but he never really had the chance to break Winter Law/disobey Mab when she was torturing him.

 If the mantle is out of the picture Mab can't "make" Harry do anything. She can still put him in a situation where doing anything but her will would mean his own death or, more likely, the pain/deaths of his friends/family. Or she could just call it a lost cause and kill him outright.  Like Harry says, even if your choices are crap, they are always there (if only technically). For example, the obvious downside to that "solution" (removing the mantle) is that Harry would end up paralyzed and next to useless in most conflicts.

That's the whole point of free will. True, your choices might be suicidal, world dooming, whatever, they are still your choices. I agree that you have to deal with the consequences of your choices, but unless those consequences kill you, they don't take away your ability to make choices in the future. They might limit your options, but there will still be a choice of some sort.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page