so listening to Danielle's history as an attempt to justify her actions, like, as an attempt to convince Diana that she's doing the right thing, is irrelevant. Her moral decisions now need to be considered from a different angle.
Yessss. I mean as much as I missed most of the Greek mythology stuff on the first time through, this is also so true. I think Danielle went to Diana partly because she thought Diana would listen and would agree with Danielle that protecting Danielle was justified, which would be comforting? But instead Diana offers protection on the grounds that Danielle asked for it, where what she did and why becomes irrelevant. In some ways, I think Diana knowing and caring about the history makes the situation actually more emotionally difficult for her, in the end? Like I guess if Danielle had been a cold-hearted mass murderer, Diana would have been more conflicted about protecting her, but it wouldn't have made her act differently once the ritual was invoked, AND it might have been easier in some ways too because she wouldn't have been emotionally involved. She could've stayed coolly practical, bound by the Furies and hiketeia, but not necessarily by her own personal feelings or motivations. Like Diana doesn't do what she does later specifically because she thinks Danielle was justified, but she's devastated by it because she thinks Danielle might have been? The why is supposed to be irrelevant under the ritual, and I think it's easier from both sides--whether Danielle's crimes are worse than she imagines, or more tragic than she imagines--if it remains irrelevant. So like I think it's kind of a protective measure from either angle (which fails, because Diana, self-protection isn't how she actually does anything <333). Which is where I get tangled in my inability to use words to capture all the boundless contradictions that Diana manages to inhabit at the same time.
no subject
on 8/6/14 11:02 pm (UTC)Yessss. I mean as much as I missed most of the Greek mythology stuff on the first time through, this is also so true. I think Danielle went to Diana partly because she thought Diana would listen and would agree with Danielle that protecting Danielle was justified, which would be comforting? But instead Diana offers protection on the grounds that Danielle asked for it, where what she did and why becomes irrelevant. In some ways, I think Diana knowing and caring about the history makes the situation actually more emotionally difficult for her, in the end? Like I guess if Danielle had been a cold-hearted mass murderer, Diana would have been more conflicted about protecting her, but it wouldn't have made her act differently once the ritual was invoked, AND it might have been easier in some ways too because she wouldn't have been emotionally involved. She could've stayed coolly practical, bound by the Furies and hiketeia, but not necessarily by her own personal feelings or motivations. Like Diana doesn't do what she does later specifically because she thinks Danielle was justified, but she's devastated by it because she thinks Danielle might have been? The why is supposed to be irrelevant under the ritual, and I think it's easier from both sides--whether Danielle's crimes are worse than she imagines, or more tragic than she imagines--if it remains irrelevant. So like I think it's kind of a protective measure from either angle (which fails, because Diana, self-protection isn't how she actually does anything <333). Which is where I get tangled in my inability to use words to capture all the boundless contradictions that Diana manages to inhabit at the same time.
UGH SO MANY DIANA FEELINGS.