undoubtedly James and Helen did run different Sanctuaries. Theirs are two wholly different sort of manias. But Will being able to see how A Sanctuary may be different is not the same as knowing how or what direction to make changes in Helen's Sanctuary or even having the right. I don't doubt that had she Bren gone longer than an objective few hours things would've been very different when she returned.
This, though, regarding providing alternatives strike me either as straw man or just a failure to understand what they're arguing about, at least in The Depths. If I say to my BFF that she is too reckless and never listens to my advice, I don't need to present an alternative because the alternative, slow down and listen to me sometimes, is implicit. Will isn't, in that moment, arguing with the choice of going through the hole in the rocks, for example. He knows they have no choice, he's just afraid and lashing out at her continuously bossy behavior with the full knowledge that as much as it frustrates and annoys him, sometimes it saves his life.
in general, in The Depths, the arguments aren't about getting out of there, because that is clear: take stupid risks or die without trying. They're under extreme pressure, with no one to count on but each other, Will's angry about Abby and scared he's going to die (telling, isn't it, that Helen uses Abby to rouse him, but HE is still thinking all about Magnus and how him dying will affect her?), Helen is afraid of losing like she's lost so many others and being to blame for it, and the emotion becomes a tinderbox for an "argument" that has nothing to do with logcand everything to do with emotion.
There are a lot of ways to look at what Will is saying to Helen, but one of the simplest and neatest in my opinion is that Helen treats him like a child when she's afraid of losing him or of him getting hurt, but treats him like a lover or a partner when he's not in danger but she needs something done she can't do herself. She's at once overprotective and distrustful. He Rightly doesn't know whether he is heir or partner, and he needs her to decide. If he is always the child, he needs to break away from her and find his own path. If he is partner then she needs to open up and trust him. Being a junior partner is only different from being a protege if it comes with more trust along with more responsibility. But this isn't a logical argument with alternatives; it's an emotional one about the course of their relationship. It's the kind of fight spouses, lovers, parents and children have all the time.
As a side note, if we get another season and Will remains in/returns to her Sanctuary, I expect to hear him calling her Helen more often.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2011-12-19 04:44 pm (UTC)This, though, regarding providing alternatives strike me either as straw man or just a failure to understand what they're arguing about, at least in The Depths. If I say to my BFF that she is too reckless and never listens to my advice, I don't need to present an alternative because the alternative, slow down and listen to me sometimes, is implicit. Will isn't, in that moment, arguing with the choice of going through the hole in the rocks, for example. He knows they have no choice, he's just afraid and lashing out at her continuously bossy behavior with the full knowledge that as much as it frustrates and annoys him, sometimes it saves his life.
in general, in The Depths, the arguments aren't about getting out of there, because that is clear: take stupid risks or die without trying. They're under extreme pressure, with no one to count on but each other, Will's angry about Abby and scared he's going to die (telling, isn't it, that Helen uses Abby to rouse him, but HE is still thinking all about Magnus and how him dying will affect her?), Helen is afraid of losing like she's lost so many others and being to blame for it, and the emotion becomes a tinderbox for an "argument" that has nothing to do with logcand everything to do with emotion.
There are a lot of ways to look at what Will is saying to Helen, but one of the simplest and neatest in my opinion is that Helen treats him like a child when she's afraid of losing him or of him getting hurt, but treats him like a lover or a partner when he's not in danger but she needs something done she can't do herself. She's at once overprotective and distrustful. He Rightly doesn't know whether he is heir or partner, and he needs her to decide. If he is always the child, he needs to break away from her and find his own path. If he is partner then she needs to open up and trust him. Being a junior partner is only different from being a protege if it comes with more trust along with more responsibility. But this isn't a logical argument with alternatives; it's an emotional one about the course of their relationship. It's the kind of fight spouses, lovers, parents and children have all the time.
As a side note, if we get another season and Will remains in/returns to her Sanctuary, I expect to hear him calling her Helen more often.