Moved from Main - the Dark is rising series and movie

[sistermagpie]

> Alla:
> 
> Oh. Very interesting. Do you think though that this was what Susan 
> Cooper intended? Meaning, do you think she intended to portray 
Dark 
> and Light as almost the same? Or just as two forces matched in 
> strength?
> 
> That's what I am wondering indeed, because you see today I 
finished 
> rereading the Dark is rising ( the second book only I mean) and I 
> totally get the impression that what was done to Walker was 
supposed 
> to be looked as deserving somehow. I mean, it is, but you get the 
> drift - I find it scary.
> 
> Isn't the light struggle portrayed as the just one?
> 
> Interesting in the wierd way.
> 
> Where do you get that was done to Walker was a law? I mean 
Merryman 
> says we did, I guess, so they probably decided together. I do not 
> know.
> 
> Somehow last time I read the series ( I read them only twice) 
couple 
> years ago, I was more impressed by Merryman supposedly giving 
Walker 
> a choice to rest or something.
> 
> I still adore these books, but my mental picture of them is 
changing.
> 
> We shall see what I think when I finish reread.

Magpie:
I definitely think that's what Susan Cooper intended, that the Light 
and the Dark are in some ways the same. I'm sure that opinion is 
voiced more than once in the series. The Light's answer is that they 
get that perspective, but that people can't understand their 
perspective because they're not human. They're fighting so that 
human beings can live freely, not for themselves. But that's all 
their concentrated on--if some people die along the way, or get 
hurt, they accept that. That's why ultimately the most important 
decisions that turn the tide are by human beings and not by Old 
Ones, because it's humans who can make these choices more freely. 
This is also why it's so annoying to me that the movie appears to 
show Will acting like a teenaged boy with his powers, using them for 
vengeance and stuff like that, because the point is he's not human. 
He's not tempted to do that; it's not in his nature. 

With the Walker, iirc, there's a sort of "Council" or whatever of 
the Light, and since the Walker betrayed them to the Dark he's 
punished by having to carry the sign. In the end Merriman doesn't 
give him a choice, he just points out to him that now that his 
punishment is over he has one. He could have died as soon as he 
handed over the Sign of Bronze. I think the point is more that the 
Light do care for people, they just always put the Light ahead of 
everything. Though Will and Merriman seem like they're supposed to 
be very different in that Will is far closer to people and can think 
much more like them. That's why Merriman makes such a huge mistake 
in giving the Walker the job he does. The Walker considers it a 
betrayal that Merriman is willing to let him die over a book. Will, 
otoh, realizes the Light gave him hepititas and thinks that's a 
perfectly good thing to do. Or, like, when he tries to comfort Bran 
over the death of Cafall he can't help himself from speaking as an 
Old One, even though he knows that's the last thing a human wants to 
hear in that moment. The Light definitely have ethics in the way the 
Dark does not, but it's still pretty cold. They seem to realize that 
the best thing they can do for people is not get involved with them 
as Old Ones. 

-m