Thomas Andresen wrote...
If this thread proves anything, it's how well BioWare conveyed the "cultural rift" between Dalish and human society.
Yeah. This.
Anywho, I know I'm late to the party, but I totally missed this thread somehow.
I just want to address this because I think that as much I as I adore Merrill (I seriously enjoyed ALL of the companions this time around and found them all to be delightfully complex), she was wrong, so very wrong.
I've seen a lot of folks pointing fingers at Marethari, but I'm going to stick up for her a little bit. I don't see the Keeper as blameless in the situation but Merrill should have known better. The key to understanding why Marethari chose to "protect" Merrill comes from understanding the role the youth play in Dalish culture. The Dalish origin was my favorite in DA:O and when Mahariel finally comes to consciousness, Hahren Paivel rips into Mahariel for endangering the future of the clan. To paraphrase, he essentially claims that, "you just don't belong to yourself (he calls her dahlen), you belong to the clan." The Dalish are trying to preserve their past, and essentially preserve a cultural that is in essence, dying. It would make sense then that Marethari would sacrifice all to save Merrill. She sees Merrill as the future of the clan.
The second (and more obvious) bit is that Marethari is a bit like a mother to Merrill and I'm sure that Marethari was simply trying to protect her "child" from a dangerous end. I don't doubt any mother who wouldn't sacrifice her life to save her child which make Fenarel's bitterness after the Pride's End scene extra telling.
It was pride that was Merrill's downfall
Pride and arrogance.
Merrill: Are you alright?
Anders: I nearly killed an innocent girl. How could I be alright?
Merrill: I'm sorry.
Anders: You're sorry? For me? This could be you! You could be the next monster threatening helpless girls!
Merrill: Anders... There's no such thing as a good spirit. There never was.
Merrill: All spirits are dangerous. I understood that. I'm sorry that you didn't.
This says to me that she realizes the dangers of what she's doing, but thinks that she can keep that damage relative to herself. This is not case, and of course, this is the folly of hubris. I see her statement as ironic not wise, and wrought with arrogance. The key to phrase is "I understood that" prefacing the "I'm sorry you didn't." She's reinforcing the notion that she knows better and thus the same end will not apply to her.
One more example and then I'm done. Generally, I wish Hawke could rip Fenris a new one when he talks to Merrill as he's really at his worst when he talks to her (generally, I think it's because she has a "family" and left it all behind in order to embrace what he would consider the evil of blood magic and demons) but there is one time that her response is actually telling, and gives more insight into the sort of hubris and arrogance that is a flaw in Merrill's personality.
Merrill: You've probably never met a Dalish before, have you?
Fenris: I wouldn't know.
Merrill: I'm sure you'd be able to tell. Dalish aren't much like the elves in the cities.
Fenris: The smug sense of superiority does give you away.
The fact that she presses him about it later makes this all the more obvious. My first playthrough (after we were rival friends), my mage Hawke essentially tells her to help the elves in the Alienage and Merrill admits that she hasn't been as open with them as she should. I'm of the opinion that this is the best ending for her.
But this is one of the many reasons why I adore her. She has wonderful sense of humor and a boatload of good intentions. It's not that she's stupid or insane, it's more about arrogance and hubris, and the dangers of pride in her actions. It's subsequent the consequences of her stubborn fixation with "saving her people" and by proxy her arrogance at being the self-sacrificing one to do it.
Okay. Sorry for the exhaustive wall of text. <3
Modifié par Village Idiot, 26 mars 2011 - 08:03 .
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