SA and mental illness

[Elsecaller_17.5 he/him]

Alright so Brandon has done a lot with mental illness especially in SA which I think is great. Not only that he has done an amazing job portraying those illnesses.  I have connected on a personal level to his characters more than any other author’s and I have many friends who feel the same. Here’s the but. If those characters don’t get a happy ending (and dying is mutually exclusive with a happy ending unless it’s old age) me, several of my friends, and I’m sure many of you are going to be seriously screwed up. I’m not even sure what sort of response I’m looking for, just want to throw the topic out there.

Edited July 8, 2019 by Truthwatcher_17.5

[Karger he/him]

1 hour ago, Truthwatcher_17.5 said:

Alright so Brandon has done a lot with mental illness especially in SA which I think is great. Not only that he has done an amazing job portraying those illnesses.  I have connected on a personal level to his characters more than any other author’s and I have many friends who feel the same. Here’s the but. If those characters don’t get a happy ending (and dying is mutually exclusive with a happy ending unless it’s old age) me, several of my friends, and I’m sure many of you are going to be seriously screwed up. I’m not even sure what sort of response I’m looking for, just want to throw the topic out there.

Several of them are going to die.  Get over it.  Angrily wipes away tear.

[+Invocation]

Dying isn't mutually exclusive with a happy ending if the character dies in a good way. 

[Elsecaller_17.5 he/him]

13 hours ago, Invocation said:

Dying isn't mutually exclusive with a happy ending if the character dies in a good way. 

Harry Potter 

Spoiler

Sirius

died in a great way

I cried 

Eragon

Spoiler

Brom

died in a great way

I cried

 Death can be a good ending, but not a happy one 

Edited July 8, 2019 by Truthwatcher_17.5

[Snipexe he/him]

11 hours ago, Truthwatcher_17.5 said:

 

I would put a spoiler box on this, seeing as they are really major spoilers for the book.

Edited July 9, 2019 by Snipexe

[Toaster Retribution he/him]

16 hours ago, Truthwatcher_17.5 said:

Alright so Brandon has done a lot with mental illness especially in SA which I think is great. Not only that he has done an amazing job portraying those illnesses.  I have connected on a personal level to his characters more than any other author’s and I have many friends who feel the same. Here’s the but. If those characters don’t get a happy ending (and dying is mutually exclusive with a happy ending unless it’s old age) me, several of my friends, and I’m sure many of you are going to be seriously screwed up. I’m not even sure what sort of response I’m looking for, just want to throw the topic out there.

I suffer from mental illness (some kind of OCD). Not really one that Brandon has portrayed, at least not yet, but if he did, I don’t think I would be screwed up if the character didn’t get a happy ending. I think we can use journey before destination here. Kaladin, Shallan, and all the other characters who suffer from mental issues are doing their very best in spite of their issues. They are facing their problems, and they are heroes in spite of them. If Kaladin, for example, dies in the first chapter of SA4 (not even George RR Martin would do that), we can still look back at how he saved the Bridgemen, saved Dalinar, revived Syl, stood up against Moash, pulled himself together after Elhokars death, fought Amaram and chose life before death at the Chasm in WoK. Even if he should die, his struggles has helped him, and many, many others. I think that is a really powerful message. 

This is how I see it, at least. Hope it helps. Just trying to see it from a positive light. I get if you dont feel the same though. We all have different experiences, and cope with our problems in different ways. 

Good luck mate (and hope the characters you identify with gets a happy ending).

[Elsecaller_17.5 he/him]

2 hours ago, Snipexe said:

I would put a spoiler box on this, seeing as they are really major spoilers for the book.

That’s fair, didn’t think about it since it’s a different book

[+Invocation]

4 hours ago, Truthwatcher_17.5 said:

 Death can be a good ending, but not a happy one 

This is one of those mostly subjective things, so while I disagree with you, I also recognize there's no 100% correct answer to this and respect your different viewpoint.

[Rebecca she/her]

Psst, @Snipexe. You might want to edit the quote in your post since that also shows the spoilers.

[Snipexe he/him]

Just now, Rebecca said:

Psst, @Snipexe. You might want to edit the quote in your post since that also shows the spoilers.

*facepalms*

[Rebecca she/her]

1 minute ago, Snipexe said:

*facepalms*

Haha, don’t worry about it too much, we all make that mistake at one time or another. Just thought I should let you know.