by James Sanghyun Han (Tay Trefenwyd)

written February 2000 © (steal this and DIE ;P)

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(This is just a short rant about Amberle, Eretria, and some other stuff. This rant is actually a reply I made to a post someone left at a Shannara message board - my words are plain, while the text I'm replying to is in italics.)

>... lessee, Amberle, now what was she? oh yeah, angry-at-life-for-wanting-her-to-turn-into-a-tree chick.

She's another DID (Damsel in Distress). She views herself as trapped, basically, sees herself with no power or choice of her own, and she's angry at the Ellcrys for making her lose her sense of self(-control). Everything in Elfstones centers around her, or more specifically, her protection (odd how they never mention anything about Wil or the others trying to teach her self-defense; had the Chosen been male it probably would have been a subject that was mentioned at least once... though I suppose in the end there's not much one can do against a Demon without any magic :p). In the end she's not even a real person, but a symbol, a living talisman or holy vessel, if you will, and in the end she views the "trap" as really being an honor (as any good Elven person would) and "empowers" herself by making the choice to accept it.

>and eretria was the gypsy chick, basically a variation of busty barwench.

Which is why I still don't like her character that much. Wren was just as independent as Eretria (more so, I'd say, barring her reliance on Garth and considering the fact that her character has more depth), but she never offered to bathe Gavilan on their first meeting. :p

>what gets me is that in all these worlds (okay, except for Shannara, because Terry Brooks seems to stay away from the lust issue) the chicks are all either princesses or whores. (okay, sometimes the line is blurry, but work with me here, people)

A lot of men used to (some men still do) view women as either a saint/Madonna or a whore. Either she was pure, virginal/virtuous, a ideal of a female human being, or she was a lusty, slutty sinner-wench. The schism between these two contrasting images of women explains why a lot of married men in the Victorian Era sought out prostitutes: wives were considered too pure and virtuous for a man to defile/pollute with his "baser instincts" unless they were trying to fulfill their God-given duty of trying to conceive a child. Whores, on the other hand, were worth nothing anyway, and could be defiled by horny men without worry, since they were full of sin anyway.

>Sheesh, you'd think the world was run by sex or something. (don't answer that)

*cough*

That, and money.

- Tay