Is J.C. JUST a Hallucination?

[Melaan]

First, I'm sorely disappointed at how little attention the next Legion 'Skin Deep' is getting. I personally adore the Legion book. But non of my Sanderson reading friends have read it so I thought I'd see if anyone here wanted to discuss it. So yes, there are spoilers.

I read the Steelhunt chapters for Legion and right afterward I listened to the first book again and realized something quite odd.

J.C. Doesn't act like the other hallucinations.

1. He starts a relationship with Ivy, something the Steelhunt chapter points out hasn't happened between hallucinations before.

2. He was able to help Stephen shoot people in book 1, which again in the book 2 chapters is pointed out to be a very odd occurrence.

AND THEN. . .

3: Take a look at the sample chapter where Stephen and his hallucinations get in the limo to discuss a transaction. Stephen's (Friend?) Tells J.C. That he donated a million dollars or whatever in his name to some anti-gun association. Now, go back to book one. I’m sorry I don't have the chapter or page number because all I have is the audio book, but when they are in Israel and Stephen mentions that he feels like he's missing something, some clue to the mystery, J.C. Says, (and I'm quoting this the best I can off the top of my head) “Really? I feel like I'm missing a million dollars, I don't know how I got a million dollars but I feel like I'm missing it.”

 

With any other author, I would just ignore this as some ironic humor, but not with Sanderson. This has to mean something. Somehow, J.C. Seems more in touch with the real world than the other hallucinations.

[Shardbearer]

Hmm, good catch on #3.

 

I put the #1 and #2 down to the fact that Stephen seems to be on the verge of losing control or whatever it is that Ivy is worried about.

[FidesFortuna]

Yeah, I got the same feeling. However we know BS researches his characters thoroughly before writing about them abs if he had he knows of Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences one of which is kinesthetics, since JCs aspect is geared towards physical intelligence it would be more likely to have physical interaction with Stephen. He may be trying to give us the illusion that he is losing control though... just a wild theory lol.

I didn't pick up on the monetary revelation there though! Good spot

[Melaan]

I agree that the first two pieces of ‘evidence’ dont matter nearly as much as the third, though I do recall Ivy worrying about J.C.’s ability to help Stephen shoot the gun.

I’m not sure if it’s a matter of lost control over the hallucinations or perhaps too much control.  Have you ever been in a dream where you know if you push a little too hard to control it you’ll wake up and it will just shatter around you? I wonder if it’s more like that, though I don’t have any evidence to support the idea.

The other interesting thing about J.C. though, is I’m pretty sure he’s mentioned as being one of the hallucinations that’s been around the longest, so I also wonder if that means he's most like the person Stephen used to be. I mean, each hallucinations is an ‘aspect’ of Stephen, so it would make sense.

[FidesFortuna]

No JC was a new aspect that was developed by Stephen give or take a month before the events in Legion. It was the first time he brought JC on a case I believe as well. 

[Melaan]

Oh really? I must be mistaken then. My bad.

[kmosiman]

I think it's mentioned at some point that Aspects have been lost before.

I think that this happens if he becomes too familiar with a certain skill set. So J.C. could disappear if Stephen overuses him or loses control.

[Melaan]

His missing apsects seem to also be related to 'Her'  Ivy seems to get worried whenever Stephen starts looking into tracking down his missing friend, whomever she may be.

[Aoibheann]

I agree that #3 is a great catch.  

 

Maybe it means that the "friend" is really a hallucination instead (at which point it doesn't matter which pocket it comes from, it's all Stephen's).  

 

I'll have to re-read. 

[Melaan]

Yes, Ivy always seems most worried when 'Her' is mentioned. I like the idea that maybe Stephen adapting to the skill set, or taking over a skill set from a hallucination ends up destroying it. I belive Tobias says something the the idea 'how long before you won't need us anymore?' when finding out that Stephen was capable of solving a large part of the mystery himself, I believe they were talking about the flash on the camera near the end.

I've always been under the impression that Stephen was once able to learn very quickly and do all the things his hallucinations can do until he got so much information in his head that he, in a sense, broke apart. Thus the hallucinations. This would explain why it's dangerous to have too many around him at a time.

I've have also wondered if the 'her' is a hallucination. Right now I'm leaning to a NO on that. I'm not sure, but it seems too predictable and cliche' feeling, for Sanderson, then again, maybe that's all the more reason for him to do something like that.

 

Oh and just for a note, I listened to the audio book again and I'm pretty convinced it doesn't spesify how long J.C. has been around.

[Raleford]

Isn't the "her" you guys are referring to Sandra? Seems she's definitely a real person since there's a photo (admittedly a time-travelling photo) of her?

[Melaan]

Sandra that was her name. I could not remember it for some reason. I agree, the photo seems like very good proof that she's a real person. I bet she has a lot to do with why Leeds is the way he is mentally. (So finding her may or may not be a good thing.)

Edited September 23, 2014 by Melaan