Jaye n'haNaomi

orchestra@wingedharper.com

Beginning version

Assignment # 4

Due June 27, 1999

Word Count_420____

Molt Brother

by Jacqueline Lichtenberg

1. The first scene is important in introducing Arshel's inner conflict: her drive to rediscover First-Lifewave knowledge vs. her unwillingness to allow to herself to remember that she was instrumental in the downfall of the earlier civilization (will-to-know vs. will-to-hide-from-knowing). In the first scene we see dishonestly tell her surmother that she has already inoculated Dennis with her venom. The rest of the story takes place because she has committed her life to him, and though it is not state d, there is a feel that one element of her needing to refuse to admit to herself Dennis's basic dishonesty is that she has cut herself off from the option of returning to her family. She would probably eventually have come up against Ossminid even if she had told her surmother the truth in the first scene, but the details would have differed, including who would have been available as back-up.
2. Although Dennis appears in scene 2, not scene 1, he is an external mirror of Arshel's dishonesty. The difference in the two seems to be that Dennis steadfastly relies on the easy way, and Arshel is eventually willing to develop the traits of honesty and openness.
3. Because MB has two protagonists, Arshel and Zref, Chapter 2 introduces Zref and presents his inner conflict as the desire to be open and honest (not wanting Sudeen to tell his surfather that Zref would go off planet without him) vs. his lack of ability to be honest with himself (specifically admit to his own role in the downfall of the ancient civilization), and his outer conflict as his drive to go offworld to study vs. his loyalty to Sudeen. His choices lead to Sudeen's death, and his grief and d enial of his guilt make him unable to Open for prolonged periods, which prolongs the search for "Ossminid" and enables "Ossminid" to consolidate his position and do more damage to the group seeking him before he is defeated.
4. Therefore, Arshel's first lie and insistence on pledging to Dennis, and Zref's first insistence on him and Sudeen going off planet together set off the because-chains that lead them eventually to the rest of the story.
5. Both of the conflict lines suggest that the theme of the book could be stated as honesty vs. dishonesty or perhaps as courage to face the truth vs. the easier road of unawareness.

Instructors Comments