Now to the topic on hand! My main point here is that having a strong sense of responsibility and duty, helped along by a steadfast conscience, is by no means the same as being guilty and apologising for everything regardless of whether you're to blame or not.
Perhaps unsurprisingly I'm 100% on the same page as you. *g*
I still didn't notice any guilt on his part: neither for the enemies his army killed nor for those who died fighting by his side; only the firm belief that he must do right by everyone's sacrifices while ensuring that as many people as possible stayed alive at the end.
Yes! To me he comes across as very much wishing he could have avoided those sacrifices, but not feeling guilty so much as feeling responsible for doing whatever it takes to make sure it ends somewhere.
He's clearly sorry that a child had to die and that his best friend is so broken up over it, but again, I don't see remorse there: only sympathy and the very awkward situation of having to console someone over a death that he was technically responsible for, which is what I think motivated him to shove "comforting duty" onto Yunlan like that.
Again, yes! I think he feels bad that his friend is grieving, but can't regret what he did. He doesn't tear his hair and wish he could have found another solution; he did what he considered necessary. And I think the fact that he doesn't actually feel that guilty is part of why he can't comfort his friend; it would feel hypocritical.
And as for Ye Zun, it hurts him that he has to consider his brother that far gone, but given that that's the situation, he simply does the best he can to stop him.
I don't think he has any self-confidence issues, or even self-worth issues. He is, after all, a very proud and self-possessed man, and that doesn't come from nowhere. However, the source of that self-confidence and self-worth is totally different from what a normal person in our modern era would consider acceptable. To him, his own value is firmly linked to his ability to correctly perform his duties and fulfil his responsibilities.
That's a very good way to put it!
in his own mind, if he fails to protect Yunlan, he would become unworthy of Yunlan's love
Hmm. Protecting people is at the core of his self-image, and not living up to that is definitely failure for him, but I'm not quite sure he thinks of it as being worthy of love? I don't really see him thinking in those terms ...
But other than that, all your examples are spot on for my own reading of Shen Wei, which is a fabulous thing to find. Thank you for this excellent post!
no subject
Perhaps unsurprisingly I'm 100% on the same page as you. *g*
I still didn't notice any guilt on his part: neither for the enemies his army killed nor for those who died fighting by his side; only the firm belief that he must do right by everyone's sacrifices while ensuring that as many people as possible stayed alive at the end.
Yes! To me he comes across as very much wishing he could have avoided those sacrifices, but not feeling guilty so much as feeling responsible for doing whatever it takes to make sure it ends somewhere.
He's clearly sorry that a child had to die and that his best friend is so broken up over it, but again, I don't see remorse there: only sympathy and the very awkward situation of having to console someone over a death that he was technically responsible for, which is what I think motivated him to shove "comforting duty" onto Yunlan like that.
Again, yes! I think he feels bad that his friend is grieving, but can't regret what he did. He doesn't tear his hair and wish he could have found another solution; he did what he considered necessary. And I think the fact that he doesn't actually feel that guilty is part of why he can't comfort his friend; it would feel hypocritical.
And as for Ye Zun, it hurts him that he has to consider his brother that far gone, but given that that's the situation, he simply does the best he can to stop him.
I don't think he has any self-confidence issues, or even self-worth issues. He is, after all, a very proud and self-possessed man, and that doesn't come from nowhere. However, the source of that self-confidence and self-worth is totally different from what a normal person in our modern era would consider acceptable. To him, his own value is firmly linked to his ability to correctly perform his duties and fulfil his responsibilities.
That's a very good way to put it!
in his own mind, if he fails to protect Yunlan, he would become unworthy of Yunlan's love
Hmm. Protecting people is at the core of his self-image, and not living up to that is definitely failure for him, but I'm not quite sure he thinks of it as being worthy of love? I don't really see him thinking in those terms ...
But other than that, all your examples are spot on for my own reading of Shen Wei, which is a fabulous thing to find. Thank you for this excellent post!