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Post by lalaley on Jul 14, 2013 9:39:25 GMT 10
I have a feeling that all the main characters need their own little thread. So, thought I would start one with the main man himself, Kvothe.
So, what do we like about him? Dislike? How much of Kvothe's story is 100% real, how much is embellished to make the tail more thrilling? (And, I don't mean by PR, I mean by 'Kote') So much of his adolescence was spent trying to build a name for himself, so it can't be crazy to assume that he would do the same in his adulthood. Also, I'm pretty sure that I've read PR hint towards this, but I have a rubbish memory.
What do his feelings for Denna show about his character? She is so flighty -- could that possibly be a yearning for his younger days as part of a travelling troupe?
He survived many years of poverty, at a very young age -- what does that show about his character?
I can't think of anything else at the moment, but those are just a couple of starting points. Feel free to talk about anything to do with Kvothe.
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Post by displacement on Jul 15, 2013 1:48:10 GMT 10
I just want to say that my favorite Kvothe scene is when he's running from the draccus the first time it comes up the hill. He flips Denna up on the top of the waystones, then when he tries to jump up himself he slams into the side of them, bruises his chest, busts his knee, doesn't get a good grip on the stone and Denna has to pull him up by his hair. I feel like 99% of fantasy writers would say something like "I leapt at the stone and barely grabbed the edge, and I was only able to pull myself up due to my powerfully sculpted body that is capable of great feats of strength like this."
I think we have a reliable narrator. Well, reliable enough at least. He certainly isn't shying away from bad decisions (taunting Ambrose) or mistakes (lashing out at Meluan when she makes comments about the Ruh). I'm sure he's embellishing a few things like how beautiful the women were but I think he's telling the true story. What do you think he might be lying about or making up?
In reference to Kvothe and Denna- I think men and women have very different opinions about K&D's relationship- as a man I find it 100% believable and real that a teenage boy would be totally ensnared by an unavailable girl that occasionally gives strong hints. Nothing is sexier to a young man than a woman that turns him down. Her disappearances and other suitors are exactly the kind of unavailability that drives guys crazy. I don't think there's any hidden message, really, just a normal, unhealthy infatuation.
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Post by Ivory Doom on Jul 16, 2013 7:11:56 GMT 10
I like Kvothe, but I've never been able to put my finger on exactly what it is I like about him. The story pulled me in through the world building, not so much the characters. Sometimes I think I just like him because he's the sort I'd probably end up hanging out with if he were a real person.
So I guess I like that Kvothe seems real. LOL.
I can't think of a lot of stuff I really dislike about his character. One thing I do think about him though that isn't necessarily good is that he gets way to caught up in revenge. First he's all set to get revenge on the chandrian, then he has to get revenge on Pike in Tarbean when the chance presents itself, then he has to get revenge on Ambrose god knows how many time...I could seriously keep going, and thats just an unflattery quality to have. There does come a point when you just have to be the bigger person. I mean, I get wanting justice for his parents, that is completely understandable, but honestly, his other rivalries are extremely petty and immature. I actually feel zero sympathy for him at this point when shit goes wrong between him and Ambrose or Him and Hemme. I don't like Ambrose or Hemme, but Kvothe has been just ridiculous as the both of them so....they all freakin' deserve eachother.
I can't say that I think the story is 100 percent real, I think he keeps certain facts to himself to make the ending more like "BLAM" but generally tells the story true enough and relys a lot on the reader/listener making there own assumptions on those limited facts. Which in turn does make him an unreliable narrator, but not really liar.
I really think this thing with Denna is just an infatuation. He's attracted to her, because as Displacement said above, she is unnattainable and Kvothe clearly has an interest in anything he can't or isn't supposed to have. (Lethani, 4plate door, the chandrian/amyr....the list goes on and on) I think thats the pure reason for the attraction, other than she is surely a very lovely looking girl. I think deep down, they both know a relationship with eachother would likely be a failure, hence why they never act on it and keep things between eachother rather mysterious.
I really think his interest in her is just another aspect of showing how Kvothe hates to be denied something.
Now the poverty thing, I think it says a lot about how strong of character Kvothe is. I think this about the Denna thing to really. Kvothe perseveres, he will not be denied, he will succeed in whatever plan he decides to enact. Will the result be what he wanted, probably not, but he will do what he feels must be done, and he will likely survive to tell the tale.
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Post by displacement on Jul 16, 2013 8:04:46 GMT 10
I think Kvothe's need for revenge is really, really creepy. A kid breaks his lute so he sets his face on fire and burns down everything that's precious to him? That's metal.
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Post by Ivory Doom on Jul 16, 2013 9:36:16 GMT 10
BAHAHA, do you watch Metalocalypse by chance?
I started saying "thats metal" after watching that show is all.
And I agree, on first read I didn't notice it so much, but even in the second reread I was thinking, sheesh Kvothe, calm down buddy, no one has to die over this.
Plus, he is pretty judgy when it comes to nobility. I mean, sure they don't have to worry about money, but everyone has there problems.
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Post by strangebrewd on Jul 16, 2013 14:23:32 GMT 10
Haha I love metalocolypse, and say that's metal too often.
Revenge is one of K's big flaws that leads him to the sort of life he has led. It is basically what drives him through a majority of the books, and rarely does him any good. I assume his feud w/ Ambrose will lead to his expulsion, among other things. So just waiting on what stupid thing he will do to go into hiding, you know it will follow a similar pattern.
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Post by Ivory Doom on Jul 17, 2013 1:54:38 GMT 10
Yah, I have all the seasons on DVD, they are freakin' hilarious.
I completely agree that this will all come back on Kvothe in the end. He isn't thinking things through as far as he should. Plus, he's just plain stubborn LOL.
I am torn though between whether he will get expelled because of his fued with Ambrose or because of his fued with the now Chancellor Hemme. *sigh* It's not looking pretty for our favorite protagonist.
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Post by displacement on Jul 17, 2013 2:09:11 GMT 10
I love Metalocalypse. I went as Doctor Rockso for a halloween party a few years ago and it was an awesome, awesome night.
We already know that Kvothe is going to be responsible for all kinds of trouble in the frame. I think he's going to cause it for really bad reasons, too.
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Post by Ivory Doom on Jul 17, 2013 6:00:20 GMT 10
OMG, I would seriously LOVE to see a picture of that. LOL. That needs to be your avatar!
CCCCCOCAINE!!!!
Sorry...momentary outburst. LOL.
Yah, I'm sure his reasons will be almost as good as the time he decided it would be worth burning down an entire building and risking all of Imre's inhabitants lives just so Denna could get a ring back she GAVE to someone else she didn't even really like, like a moron.
LOL. I'm sorry, but I always found that part to be one of the most idiotic things he ever did. If it was SO special to her, why is she handing it off to jerks like Ambrose? Oh thats right, so she doesn't have to pay to get it polished her own damn self.
Christ, she can afford a brand new lute case but can't get her own special heirloom taken care of?
Sorry...obviously still outbursting. LOL
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Post by strangebrewd on Jul 17, 2013 9:38:30 GMT 10
What do you think the significance of that ring is? I have felt it is more than a simple ring, but can't quite figure out what yet. I have a feeling it has something to do with the moon.
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Post by strangebrewd on Jul 17, 2013 9:40:20 GMT 10
Don't reply to that I should just start a new thread to keep this one about K.
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Post by lalaley on Jul 17, 2013 23:22:00 GMT 10
I'm pretty sure that Kvothe has already been 'expelled'. I read an online interview with PR months ago, and I'm so annoyed because I can not find it anywhere! But, he said that he wont be expelled in Book 3, because he was in book 1 (Or was it Book 2? The mesh into one...) I guess you could call it a 'showbiz truth' because his expulsion was suspended.
I agree about his need for revenge. It is slightly worrying. He is the king of bad decisions. It really frustrates me, because he is obviously highly intelligent, yet he can not seem to rise above petty little boys like Ambrose!
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Post by Ivory Doom on Jul 18, 2013 3:05:34 GMT 10
Ahh, I could see that lalaley he is technically expelled. If you still have the link could you post it to the interview you read? I don't think I've read that one and would love too. Maybe he just leaves the university once Hemme is chancellor. We were talking about this on the other forum, but it doesn't seem that Kote has a guilder. Then again, he does seem to have a student which suggests he did become a full arcanist in a way. What do you think? |
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Post by strangebrewd on Jul 18, 2013 3:14:30 GMT 10
If that is the case then maybe he does get his Guilder. He did technically get expelled.
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Post by displacement on Jul 19, 2013 0:58:32 GMT 10
A thought occurred to me today- wouldn't Kvothe locking his knowledge in his lockless box be about as dumb as locking your keys in your car?
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