Did anybody think lightsong was a detective in prev life

[SzethIsBadAsHell Oldblood]

Upon first reading Warbreaker , Did you at first assume Lightsong was a detective or constable in his precious life . The way he was curious about who broke into mercy star temple and investigated about what was going on with the lifeless commands. Yes I have finished the book . Yes I know what his occupation was , I was just wondering how many got that impression from the book .

[Snorkel Silent Gatherer]

I think we were supposed to be seriously considering the possibility.

[Debarra Gyorn]

I think the idea was that we would consider him that.

 My personal thoughts is that Brandon was playing on our idea of the brave hero. He made us think of Lightsong as some Sherlock Holmes adventurer who was larger than life. Personally I started thinking he died in some heroic last stand showing through bravery along the lines that Holmes is often shown to be at the falls.

 The problem with this though is that it's disconnecting. We don't see it as real. It makes bravery this almost cartoon like thing. Absurdly high stakes and sacrifices becomes what is needed to be someone like Lightsong. The way media paints this is entirely unrealistic, no one can be like that. Not the average person. Lightsong buys into this idea and desperately trys to become it. 

 When we learn the truth we are first hit with the fact his chief priest was his brother. Already this grounds the story, rather than some Watson figure it's the seemingly average person who was his close friend. Not only that but he implies Lightsong was some disaster at times also shattering our idea of a Sherlock Holmes type figure.

By making Lightsong the way he is we learn that we don't need to be some cartoonist hero to be brave. What he actually did is a lot more reasonable and still quite brave. Some people in real life have done such things. The way Brandon misleads us makes us question our own perception of what it means to be a hero in fiction and in reality and more in particular question the differences between the two.

[Guest]

I remember being a little disapointed about that.  Like the dude was just a bookie?  Hmmm.... Makes me wonder what Blushweaver was, as I can't remember if they mentioned it or not.

Edited November 5, 2019 by Enoshima Junko

[Debarra Gyorn]

21 minutes ago, Enoshima Junko said:

I remember being a little disapointed about that.  Like the dude was just a bookie?  Hmmm.... Makes me wonder what Blushweaver was, as I can't remember if they mentioned it or not.

In the annotations Sanderson told us which she was.

Spoiler

She wasn't anyone really speacil. She died because she was a witness to some sort of crime and they went after her as a result. Despite the personal risk to her she did so anyway. Hence why she was Blushweaver the honest.

 

[Karger Dawnshard]

25 minutes ago, Enoshima Junko said:

I remember being a little disapointed about that.  Like the dude was just a bookie?  Hmmm.... Makes me wonder what Blushweaver was, as I can't remember if they mentioned it or not.

She died because she testified at a trial that she knew was risky.  She was murdered afterward and gained the name Blushweaver the Honest.

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Debarra said:

In the annotations Sanderson told us which she was.

  Hide contents

She wasn't anyone really speacil. She died because she was a witness to some sort of crime and they went after her as a result. Despite the personal risk to her she did so anyway. Hence why she was Blushweaver the honest.

 

Thanks much.  This just further proves my theory that in any entertainment medium it's always my fave chraracters that will end up 

Spoiler

dying during or at the end of the story.  I really hate that.

 

[Lunu’anaki High Prelan]

I totally did. His real life was far better than his imaginary one though.

[Honorless Bondsmith]

I didn't think he was a detective or any other directly investigation related jobs simply because that was the first answer that popped into Lightsong's head.

Despite the Returned and "my life to yours" thing, I thought that finding out who he was before dying and Returning, was going to be Lightsong's story arc. I suppose it was, in a way...

Edited November 10, 2019 by Honorless

[wallyrocket Pahn Kahl]

This question got me thinking along some different lines.  The Returned don't remember anything about their 'previous life,' however, their spirit-web does.  It is essentially who they are really.  When they Return, they don't look like they did prior to death.  Thier bodies are made more perfect images of what is in their spirit-web.  One saw himself still as a child and that is how he appeared despite being one of the oldest known Returned.  Lightsong subconsiously saw himself as bigger, stronger and more noble looking than he was in his mortal life, because that is who he really was in his spirit-web.  This didn't change his past, but his spirit-web convinced him that he was a hero of some sort, because he acutally was; just not the type he assumed.