Dark is rising again - final post reread impression

[sistermagpie]

Alla:
> Um, as far as I remember variation of myth that I read, didn't 
> Arthur forgive them both eventually?
> 
> What the heck would give her the idea that he would cast out the 
> child if he would even think the boy is not his?
> 
> Did Merryman by any chance put it in her mind? HATE if he did and 
> forced Bran to grow up there instead of with his real father.
> 
> I mean, his adopted father loves him, but seems like Arthur loves 
> him very much too, no?
> 
> 
> Oh yeah cannot stand memory loss of Drews and Bran of course.

Magpie:
I feel like he must have put Bran in the time he chose for a reason. 
Maybe not to fight...or maybe for that reason. I thought of him sort 
of putting him with Will on purpose, at least. Bran is a little older 
than Will--maybe less than a year, maybe a year, but it would make 
sense for Merriman to know the time Will would be born. Or maybe he 
just went to the time that seemed "right" to his Light senses. But it 
doesn't seem like a coincidence, at least. 

I can't picture him manipulating Gwen to actually think Bran would be 
rejected, just because, I don't know, that seems a bit too humanly 
manipulative. Will is wonderfully manipulative sometimes, but not in 
a mean way--he just knows his family well and so knows how they'll 
react to things. It's normal stuff for the smallest kid in a big 
family, I just love it when he does it. But I can't imagine him 
causing strife between people--that seems like stuff that the Dark 
does. I can see Merriman just agreeing to do what Gwen asks knowing 
it suits his purposes.

It's funny that for me I like Merriman more because he has no remorse-
-not because I have a problem wtih remorse, but because it seems like 
he does things because he thinks they're right, and since he thought 
they were right he can't regret them. He might regret hurting people, 
but he would still stand by his decision. Dumbledore bugs me because 
of exactly the stuff you seem to like about him. He seems to kind of 
want to be cuddly and at the same time do these coldly manipulative 
things, and get the support of Harry and be all tearful about it. 

Alla:
> 
> 
> LOVE how Cooper beatifully, beatifully waves antibigotry message in 
> Stephen defending immigrant boy and taking a stand against the 
> father of the offender.

Magpie:
I love that whole afternoon with the Stantons and how she shows them 
as just basically good people in the way they care about other people 
and each other--without being soppy or humorless. Like just Gwen 
giving Will a plate of something because she can see he was upset by 
the racist neighbor, even if it's because she's mistaken about just 
how he feels. This is of course why I'm so angry at the kind of 
conflict they seem to be putting into the family in the movie.

-m