Cosmere, Wheel of Time, whatever other sci-fi, fantasy, or other nerdy topic strikes my fancy

101 posts

I See A Lot Of Discussion Arguing About Whether Moash Or Other Characters Are Redeemable, Or Complaining

I see a lot of discussion arguing about whether Moash or other characters are redeemable, or complaining about the ways that characters like Amaram became less ambiguous and more evil, and I think this misses the themes of the series.

A big theme of the series is that a good person is one who is simply trying to do better - improving themselves and trying to be better each day than they were the last day. A lot of the series seems to support this reading: the progression of oaths, Kaladin's decision at the Honor Chasm, Dalinar's "Sometimes a hypocrite is nothing more than a man in the process of changing". Dalinar's "You will not have my pain!" speech basically spells this out, with him discussing the need to accept his past actions so that he can do better.

Throughout the story, characters like Kaladin, who attempt to improve themselves are the heroes. Even characters who've done horrifying things, like Dalinar and Szeth, are redeemable if they choose redemption. According to the morality of the Stormlight Archive, these are the heroes. Even Elhokar becomes a hero once he begins to try to improve himself, though this journey is cut short.

But this has a converse. Characters like Sadeas and Amaram, who are repeatedly given chances to do the right thing, but always choose the wrong thing. This, more than anything else, is what makes them the villains in the morality of the Stormlight Archives. These choices stack up worse and worse, and so, eventually, you end up the way they did, where there is nothing morally grey or defensible about either of them. That's why, by the end, Amaram is a monster bonding an Unmade and Sadeas is a mustache twirling villain. The morality of the Stormlight Archive will not allow them to stick around like the people we met early on.

Moash, right now, is headed down that path. He has had plenty of chances to choose to be less evil, but whenever given the option, seems to choose the worst option.

This does not mean he is irredeemable. No character in Stormlight is irredeemable, but they have to choose redemption. Whether or not he is redeemable does not depend on his past, or his motivations, merely whether he chooses redemption or not.

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More Posts from Asteroidfieldgame

1 year ago

Destroying Vorin gender norms with sweet & spicy sauce


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1 year ago

Sazed: *picks up Marsh* but sir, this is my Emotional Support Inquisitor™️

1 year ago

If Gavilar Had Survived a Little Longer

Gavilar: Tell Thaidakar he's too late!

Szeth: I don't know who that is

Gavilar: Restares? Sadeas?

Szeth: My masters are...

Gavilar: Don't tell me, I want to guess. Was it Nale?

Szeth: You mean Nin? No.

Gavilar: Taln is mad that I want to take his place?

Szeth: Stop guessing Heralds

Gavilar: I've got it! The stormfather! I knew he was lying!

Szeth: You're insane.

Gavilar: Elhokar or Dalinar making a play for the throne?

Szeth: No

Gavilar: Navani's really mad that I yelled at her?

Szeth: Is there anyone in your family you don't suspect of killing you? It wasn't them.

Gavilar: I don't suspect Jasnah. Was it Taravingian? He seems to be up to more than he lets on.

Szeth: Don't be silly, I would never work for him.

Gavilar: Is the king of Jah Keved so scared of our alliance with the Parshendi that he’d have me killed?

Szeth: How do you have so many enemies but still have more than you think? My masters are the Parshendi.

Gavilar: That doesn't make any sense!?

Szeth: RAFO

Gavilar: ...Take this sphere and tell my brother he must find the most important words a man can say.

Szeth: Dying requests are sacred in my culture, I will do as you ask.

Gavilar: Wait! As my dying request can you instead kill everyone else I guessed except my family members?

Szeth: ...Okay not that sacred.

1 year ago
asteroidfieldgame

I think Gavilar should have read the entirety of Way of Kings aloud and attained radiance in the middle of a random paragraph <3


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