Comic Discussion > ALICE GROVE
Alice Grove MCDLT - May 2016
mikmaxs:
My sympathy for Gavia is waning. She's been dealt a shitty hand, but it really isn't Ardent's fault that she decided to follow him down to earth. Projecting a little anger is reasonable, sure, but when it gets to the point of projecting your fists onto someone else's face because of your own mistakes, that's not a quality character trait.
Wildroses:
Gavia does have some reason to be mad at Ardent for her current predicament. I think if somebody does something really stupid, you try to fix the mess and it backfires the fault isn't all yours and you are entitled to some anger. But she shouldn't be using violence. I'm kind of hoping her current emotional state might give us more information on the exact circumstances that led to her and perhaps Ardent getting down to Earth in the first place. The details have been kind of sketchy, and I would love to know if my theory that they were manipulated by someone more psychologically sophisticated has any merit.
JimC:
--- Quote from: Wildroses on 20 May 2016, 22:38 ---But she shouldn't be using violence.
--- End quote ---
Quite in character though. Violence to intimidate the town was first resort when she appeared, violence was imminent when the children set on her, violence in cave with Struthis... Makes you wonder what sort of society they have up in space.
Perhaps it also says something about us, because supposing you reverse the roles and we had Ardent the violent male and Gavia the likeable sociable female, instead of vice versa, how would that play out to us?
brasca:
--- Quote from: mikmaxs on 20 May 2016, 21:41 ---My sympathy for Gavia is waning. She's been dealt a shitty hand, but it really isn't Ardent's fault that she decided to follow him down to earth. Projecting a little anger is reasonable, sure, but when it gets to the point of projecting your fists onto someone else's face because of your own mistakes, that's not a quality character trait.
--- End quote ---
No it's not entirely Ardent's fault. I think the lion share of the blame is the Praeses and whatever they may be conspiring, but they are not here and he is. Moreover, she found out her brother was doing something forbidden and dangerous and followed him to Earth in an effort to bring him back. She's even been willing to risk her life knowing full well she was no match for Alice to save her brother. If she didn't love him then she'd have shrugged his departure off, but she does. And what has sibling loyalty gotten her? Marooned in a place she doesn't know and now stripped of the abilities that made her unique all because she did the right thing by trying to save her brother. Ardent certainly cares for his sister, but it's his carefree attitude that got them into this predicament and she's worse off than he so I can understand her outburst and I don't think it's going to improve any time soon. Having worked with a woman with disabilities there are some things that are some embarrassing bodily functions that will probably require assistance and constantly remind her what she's lost.
Wildroses:
--- Quote from: JimC on 20 May 2016, 22:49 ---
--- Quote from: Wildroses on 20 May 2016, 22:38 ---But she shouldn't be using violence.
--- End quote ---
Quite in character though. Violence to intimidate the town was first resort when she appeared, violence was imminent when the children set on her, violence in cave with Struthis... Makes you wonder what sort of society they have up in space.
Perhaps it also says something about us, because supposing you reverse the roles and we had Ardent the violent male and Gavia the likeable sociable female, instead of vice versa, how would that play out to us?
--- End quote ---
Oh good heavens yes, I'm certainly not going to argue with you there. Certainly in character. Alice Grove is in many ways an interesting foil to QC, as in QC all the characters are basically nice, and I have no doubts that is how Jeph wants people to see them. In Alice Grove, the four current characters who seem to be the protagonists aren't nice and I'm not sure Jeph wants his readers to see them as nice. Ardent is the closest, but I have my doubts sometimes about his inability to see how the pursuit of his own desires impacts on others.
Regarding the space society, it does seem to be one that is considered 'safe'. There was an earlier comic when Gavia expressed doubts about how safe it was for children to walk through the woods to Alice's home. Alice got sarcastic about her concern, but Gavia refused to be baited and said where she was from it was safe for children, but it isn't here.
I always wondered if their society was one in which people pretty much have nothing to do but pursue pleasure (probably because the Praeses do all the actual work and protection). They have no responsibilities, concerns or problems, and so they have never needed to learn skills like discipline, problem solving and coping with adversity. Thus, Ardent arrived thinking it was perfectly acceptable to disrupt the earth society because he wanted a vacation and was genuinely surprised when a girl slapped him for asking three minutes after they met if she wanted to fuck. And Gavia arrived thinking violence was the best solution for finding Ardent and getting home, and violence is the best way to express her current dissatisfaction with her life.
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