Jump to content

[OB] Teft's Character and Revelation


Shadowmancer

Recommended Posts

First of all, I just spent 11 hours straight finishing OB, so I'm not very coherent right now. There are many reasons I love Sanderson. One being he is perhaps one of four authors that have left me with less than an hour of sleep to run on in the middle of a workweek. The other -- Teft.

I cannot say how much I cried when he finally said the Oaths, vowing to protect those he hates, even if the one he hated was himself. I see myself in so many characters in the series, and Teft especially. What is beautiful is that a second-rate, washed-out addict still finds redemption, even though at the end of it all he is still an addict. I. Bawled.

I do not deserve an author like Sanderson, and that is why I love him.

EDIT: to be clear, I'm not saying Teft continuing in his addiction is a good thing, any more than Dalinar continuing to kill willynilly is acceptable. What I love is that he didn't magically change. Just because you're a good person trying to do good things doesn't mean you can't get lost along the way. Teft still has to fight his demon, but even with all the terrible things he's done, he chose to be a better man and was given a second chance when he obviously didn't deserve one. It touched me because I see myself so clearly in that mirror, and I see my loved ones around me offering me the same second chances to change and be better, even though I don't deserve them. Sanderson is a Soulcaster.

Edited by Shadowmancer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, kylemb83 said:

As a former addict I found myself in the same spot.  

 

What radient order is he? I rushed threw and started 2nd reading today for detail

 

Based on his oath, he would be a windrunner (not all members say their oaths the same way)

Edited by Blacksmithki
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/15/2017 at 10:21 AM, Shadowmancer said:

What is beautiful is that a second-rate, washed-out addict still finds redemption, even though at the end of it all he is still an addict.

I love that speaking the oaths did not magically cure Teft's addiction, any more than they did Kaladin's depression or Dalinar's alcoholism.  It's so easy to use this kind of character issue as backstory color, then forget about it once the plot starts moving and characters start growing.  Or to let such characters become one-dimensional cutouts defined only by their problems.  Brandon writes people who have massive challenges and are awesome at the same time.  It's real and beautiful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know why, but something Teft said made me think he was Jezrien. Of course the reveal that Jezrien was a babbling drunk is close to Teft as a hopeless addict, but I'm still annoyed I got invested in Herald-as-squire.

I'm also really glad that Teft said his third oath in a slightly different way. I never liked the way Kaladin said it, so to simplify the oath to I Will Protect Those I Hate was welcome to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Chaos locked this topic
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...