[Eventine]

At one point Covenant says something like "I keep telling you I'm a leper but not one of you has thought to ask me what that is"
I think Donaldson does deal with this - he is showing that they are so blinded by his similarities with Berek and his white gold and their knowledge of health that the concept of disease, let alone one so damaging as leprosy cannot take hold in their mind. That was just my take though.

[Lani]

Originally posted by Eventine


That scene really made me realise the bitterness of this man - Foamfollower spends his whole time being nice to Covenant and attempting to befriend him, and TC's first instinct is to lash out at him. Even worse though is the fact that TC realises he does this as a defence mechanism, and feels remorse, yet does it again and again. He does this because the alternative is actually feeling something, and lepers aren't allowed to do that.


Well, I think TC is quite understandable with the way he pushes people away even the nice ones. Maybe it's not because the alternative is feeling something, but because he started that way. I get a feeling that he just started out on it an cannot stop. His whole journey is really fast paced, so I don't really think he has much time to think and balance himself. He started out with his encounter with Lord Foul and I think it's then when he just tunes himself against everything that happens to him and just goes on. TC seems like a person on a roll, who does not stop to rationlaze. It seems like he is set to hurt people around him, lash out at them, repel them and no matter what happens to him he just goes on. Even if he understands that what he does is wrong, it just seems that he cannot stop and reconsider - instead he feels sorry and keeps on doing the same thing.

[Rob B]

Perhaps TC also hurts others to protect himself later on. The two people he was closest to-his wife and son-were taken away from him, which left a gaping wound.

TC doesn't want to let himself open for that again.

[Hereford Eye]

Fitz: Do I read you correctly? TC's need to protect himself justifies his actions?

[saintjon]

He's just reminding us of an important facet of TC's personality I think.

[Rob B]

Originally posted by Hereford Eye
Fitz: Do I read you correctly? TC's need to protect himself justifies his actions?

I'm not saying that justifies the rape and his over all prickishness, just it could be a reason and a form of self defense for TC.

Almost like his VSE where he checks his body for unnoticed wounds, he keeps people away in that manner to prevent any emotional wounds.

[kegasaurus]

Warning
The following is garbled crap adn if you read, your IQ might drop by thirty points.


Thomas Covenant has been taught to deny life, to survive he has to close himself to everything thats out there htat remotely makes us human. His robotic checks of himself, the hospital sterility that surrounds him in his house. The simple things that make us what we are, are taken from him, the love, respect and passion that hwe take for granted, and Covenant most likely did before his illness.


From here Covenants bitterness becomes apperent, as its possibly the only thing he's allowed to feel and at the same time survive.

Rape is quite possibly the worst thing that can happen to a person apart from death and through the leprosy, its something that has happened to Covenant. He has been 'raped' of all the things I've mentioned above, his family and friends, and as a victim of such, coupled withthe fact that he is now in a world he has to deny, he lashes out.

The rape is a very powerful scene as it sets up the growth of Thomas Covenant throughout the this and the next couple of books. Covenat believes the land to be a delusion, a creation of his mind to drive him to the brink of insanity and as such he lashes out and in the worst way possible. What he ahs to do is deny the life around him, kill the delusion and the best way to do this is the most despicable act that he can think of. He has to destroy everything he has forsaken adn the thing that best epitomises this is Lena. She is young and has everything to look forward to, she is Thomas covenant at the same age. So to destroy her he takes her trust, turns it around and has his way with her, destroying the innocence that was stolen from him.

The Reason this doesn't effect ot t he start of the story as Covenant believes thisall to be a delusion adn he believes the rape only occured in his own mind, thus making it unreal.


Spoiler






At the end of the third book, he once again has chosen to live, he kills lord foul (Leprosy stigma) adn regains the feel and the love of life.




end spoiler

I believe the books are a powerful statement of the value of life and no matter the circumstances we should always, as Monty Python put it, Always look on the bright side of life. Celebrate waht we are, what we've been and what we are to become

[hclark]

I have not been able to get through this book!! I don't know what chapter I got to, but TC just reached the place where he is going to relay the message. I thought I'd read this discussion to perhaps spark my interest in giving it another go, but I constantly find myself coming up with what seem like much more worthwhile reads.

I'm not sure what turned me off to it, but the rape scene didn't help. So far I have found no real justification for its inclusion and was interested to read people's thoughts on here as to why it was important. I can see the necessity of the release, but it just seems like there could have been many other outlets he could have turned to. Unless its important to the plot (ie: later pregnancy) I wish he would have left it out. I guess if nothing else it makes you dislike TC more.

I like to escape when I read fantasy. It's usually a nice break from the mundane. This book includes some of the harsh parts of everyday life - the very things I am trying to escape from. I don't feel myself wanting to visit the land or have anything to do with TC! Perhaps that's why I can't get into it?

[ezchaos]

I'll admit that some years ago I tried reading LFB and couldn't get through it either. This time around, I stuck with it. IMO, it's a great book. However, having since read the second and third books in the trilogy, I have to say that LFB is my least favorite of the three.
Once TC gets to Revelstone, things start getting interesting.

[Crysania]

Originally posted by hclark


I like to escape when I read fantasy. It's usually a nice break from the mundane. This book includes some of the harsh parts of everyday life - the very things I am trying to escape from. I don't feel myself wanting to visit the land or have anything to do with TC! Perhaps that's why I can't get into it?

Then do yourself a favor and steer clear of George R.R. Martin.