Assignment 6

An Exchange of Hostages, by Susan R. Matthews.
Genre: Dark Science Fiction

Andrej Ulexeievich Koscuisko is an empath who used his talents for healing and caring for his patients in medical school. Now he faces the other side of the coin as he realizes his talents also give rise to his own sadism and skill for torture.

Internal Conflict:
Andrej's compassion for another's torment vs. his own desire to dominate another by means of pain

External Conflict Set:
Andrej vs. Fleet Medical School (personal/simple)
Andrej vs. his own culture's expectations of filial obedience and respect for human volition and life. (social/complex)

How past positive traits prevent his success: Adrej's empathy made him an excellent healer and surgeon ... Andrej's empathy is what causes him to be aroused by pain and dominance as an Inquisitor and so drive him to want to repeat such against his concious desires.

How past positive, referent to protagonist, actions prevent his success: Andrej had behaved in some particular fashion which was considered unfilial and so had far more freedom to do as he chose before this novel ... Andrej's current obedience to his father is what has landed him in this position and keeps him here, again, against his desires.

Author's note: This work is by far the best of Matthews' novels to date. Her depiction of the dark side of empathy is right on the mark. The power balance between Andrej's loyalties to his father and his culture versus his own desires was exquisitely done. I sincerely appreciated the reversal from the standard stupid fool disobeys legitimate authority figure, gets hirself in trouble, which I often throw across the room in disgust.