tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4446682073857250843.post2477099179884246876..comments2024-03-27T23:42:36.619-05:00Comments on Mock Ramblings: Deconstruction: Night of the Living Dead Christian 13Michael Mockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06233321050691782148noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4446682073857250843.post-43849098777945189762011-12-04T12:11:54.982-06:002011-12-04T12:11:54.982-06:00I don't think Luther was trying to trick Clari...I don't think Luther was trying to trick Clarissa into coming back to him, it's just that... No, on some level, I actually think he was.<br /><br />If he thought he had his werewolvery under control but was genuinely mistaken, that would be one thing. But he asks Narrator-Matt to stay and help him keep control, which is not the act of someone who legitimately believes that he's cured. That being the case, I can only read this as Luther <em>not</em> being sure that he has a working solution... but deciding to call Clarissa anyway. And that simply isn't "acting in good faith" in any sense. He's either trying to trick her into actually thinking he's better, or he's trying to force her to acknowledge that he's better regardless of the facts (which is, I'll admit, a very believable presentation in that it portrays a common emotionally-abusive behavior).<br /><br />Now, Luther himself may have <em>believed</em> that he was acting in good faith - denial and rationalization are quite likely to be very active elements of his thinking process. He's admitted that he has a problem, but that doesn't automatically make him able to evaluate its full nature and scope.<br /><br />To put that more simply, it makes sense for <em>Luther</em> to think that he acted in good faith, but Clarissa tore him apart. It doesn't, in these circumstances, make sense for <em>Matt</em> to think that.Michael Mockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06233321050691782148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4446682073857250843.post-31214089974842696272011-12-04T10:07:38.579-06:002011-12-04T10:07:38.579-06:00Also, sentences that include phrases like "be...Also, sentences that include phrases like "because he in his head he really thinks" are so beautiful to me, especially when I notice them after I already hit "publish."Matt Mikalatoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13279070118483678882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4446682073857250843.post-748650627943197122011-12-04T10:04:24.153-06:002011-12-04T10:04:24.153-06:00I know this particular piece of narration caused s...I know this particular piece of narration caused similar problems for Geds, but I think it's one of those moments of two ways of reading the same sentence. I think it's fair to say that Luther's motivation in inviting his wife over was to show her that he had become healthy... although obviously he has not. That doesn't change his motivation, because he in his head he really thinks that what will happen is that he will show himself as changed and they will live happily ever after. Also, I would just add that I do think that encouraging someone to commit suicide might be a step beyond "smart" and "fully-justified." I think it's an understandable thing, of course. I think it would have been understandable for her to shoot him dead. This may have been a good place to include pedantic footnotes in the novel. Ha ha ha.Matt Mikalatoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13279070118483678882noreply@blogger.com