Character Relationship Analysis - Achilles and the development of his feelings toward the Traveler.
Story Fifty Hollow Ships Masterlist [here] Analysis Masterlist [here]
Important: In this essay, I will refer to the reader as the Traveler, as other characters do.
Note: This analysis focuses on Achilles’ feelings toward the Traveler and their evolution. Normally, I would approach this from Achilles’ perspective; however, since the majority of the story is narrated from the Traveler’s perspective, I had to use some scenes from her point of view to allow for a better flow of the story and a clearer understanding of Achilles’ feelings.
While working on my current theory (which I have yet to finish), I found a very interesting continuation of events from one chapter to another from the perspective of different characters, that can tell us when Achilles fell for the Traveler, as well as observe how his behavior and opinions toward her changed.
In Chapter 3: Swift-Footed Achilles, we finally see his opinion of the Traveler without the narrative bias present in her perspective in the previous two chapters. In this chapter, we can actually pinpoint when Achilles falls in love with the Traveler, even though the change in his character is quite subtle.
The main turning point in Achilles’ feelings was the flower-giving scene. To support this point, I will present how he viewed the Traveler both before and after that moment, and how that changed his behavior towards her.
Before the flower-giving scene, there are several mentions of his dislike toward the Traveler, as she fears him—yet remain close to the women and to Patroclus.
"What angers him the most about you, however, is the way you gaze at him.
Fear. There is no other word to describe your emotions. Through every encounter Achilles has of you, you maintain that same stature of a trembling rabbit. Your entire being is an insult to the Gods. Demigods carried themselves with pride. None would bow the way you do, it’s beneath their parentage. Achilles is sure of this.
[...]
Something that displeases him even more is how you interact with the rest of his people.” (Poly, ch.3)
I also have a small draft suggesting that Achilles’ anger toward the Reader may stem from jealousy—both toward the Reader and toward the women and Patroclus. The Traveler, a demigod who resembles him more than they do, is closer to them and more distant from him—when in theory, the Traveler should understand Achilles’ nature better. He may also have developed a strong sense of pride in his nature as a demigod, as it is this very nature that keeps him apart from others. However, I won’t dwell on this subject here, as I plan to publish it in the coming days.
Even in the flower-giving scene (chapter 1: White Florals, form the Travelers' perspective), before he receives a flower, he comments to Patroclus on how useless she is:
“ "A loathsome creature." He tells Patroclus, who admires the flower you gave him earlier. “One who wastes the daylight for us all.”
[...]
“Unable to do basic tasks a child could do, yet decides to go floral-picking?” He continues, his anger clear and bright as the Sun Helios pulls in the sky. “The girl brings shame to the Mother-God who put life into her body.”” (Poly, ch.3)
And while he might have been able to continue ranting to Patroclus about how useless the Traveler is, he stops after she gives him a flower.
“Godlike Achilles turns to his friend with his ire, but he is stopped when something is tucked into his golden hair. You mumble something in that barbaric tongue he despises, and then you leave him with the flower.
Achilles can only stare at your glistening hair, coiled and wrapped in a floral hue. You behave as you did before, ignoring the Lord and focusing on the girl once more. Patroclus laughs again. He fails to feel the anger.
Slowly, he reaches up, grasping the flower with his warrior-like hands.
It curls back into his palm. ” (Poly, ch.3)
It is only after the flower-giving scene that Achilles truly changes his behavior towards the Traveler— even if she fails to notice these changes.
“To please the Gods, Achilles tries with you.
He never claims to be a patient man, but he bides his tongue when your hands are slow to weave the loom, or sculpt the pottery. He considers himself very benevolent for keeping you away from the food and other tasks Briseis had taken on, even when you pay no mind to his kindness.
[…]
Despite his ire, Achilles finds himself watching you. He sits in the clearing, tending to his knife, but his eyes wander.
They settle on you, Briseis and Pysus. The women had completely taken you in as their own at this point in time. You clearly prefer their company over his own.
[…]
Briseis kisses your cheek. You laugh.
He leaves before he is forced to watch anything more. ” (Poly, ch.3)
After the flower-giving scene in Chapter 1, the Traveler’s trauma response begins in the woman’s tent, once she finally relaxes and decides to summon a god, as mentioned in this [post]. However, even before this trauma response—and even before she leaves Achilles’ tent—there is a very interesting mention of a hunt.
“Your act pays off in the evening. [The follower giving]
You and Pysus were getting the pelts ready for Achilles to slumber.
[…]
When Achilles arrives, she usually has to take her leave. You hear the tents flap and you feel your heart sink in disappointment. Achilles sinks into the pelts with a sigh, running a hand through golden locks. He smelled of sweat and blood. He must have come back from another hunt. You can already hear the whoops of the other men right out, full of excitement. ” (Poly, ch. 1)
The next time the story mentions the pelts of a hunt is in Chapter 3: Swift-Footed Achilles, after Achilles returns to the camp, humiliated by Agamemnon’s demands.
“His body burns with humiliation of the loss, but he still strides forward in his desperation to see you and your being curled up within the pelts of the animals he’d slain for your comfort. He wishes nothing more than to see your face, a recompense for all that he’s suffered today.” (Poly, ch. 3)
Achilles—prideful, godlike Achilles— only desire after such humiliation (the very same that, in the original Iliad, drove him to withdraw from the Trojan War), was to see the Traveler wrapped in the pelts of the animals he had slain for her comfort. The same pelts he had taken from the hunt that followed the flower-giving scene in Chapter 1.
The Traveler, without even knowing it, managed to tame Achilles’ temper with a simple small white flower.
taglist: @envy-of-the-apple
Side note: Poly, I hope I hit the jackpot instead of just sounding like a crazy fan. I also like to think that Achilles fell for the Traveler after she gave him the flower because, despite fearing him, she did something very audacious by offering it. But beyond that, she gave him something small and delicate—something that does not belong to a man who most likely grew up in war, who is so used to violence, and who knows that is what others expect from him.—even his other half, Patroclus.
Hi, just wondering, would Achilles be able to share his girlfriend or would he be too possessive?
like im assuming you mean the modern au i semi-talked about????
i think achilles would be more possessive pre-relationship tbh. if you talk to anyone else while he's supposed to be having his time with you, he'd definitely get mad and start nagging you over it.
i think in a modern setting where he sees women as actual ppl he'd be a lot less terrible so yea you could probs have a semi-healthy relationship with him. he'd be very hot/cold tho and he'd never ever admit he loves you even tho you and everyone else in the vicinity knows he's whipped. you're gonna be the one who has to ask him out first and on the outside he'd be like 'sure, might as well-_-' but on the inside hes just 'LETSFUCKINGGOOOOOO'.
i think his possessiveness/jealousy will vary on the person you're with. for ppl like desmache/pysus/naarya and other ppl who have a sibling relationship with he's pretty ok with you ditching him for their sake. he'd be pretty annoyed tho cuz those three would probs constantly try to interrupt dates purely to piss him off buuut he'll keep his anger in check cuz he like loves you and wants to be with you forever or whatever >///<
for someone like patroclus...it depends??? he is his bestfriend/in another life buuuut he'd get pretty mad if you become too cozy with patroclus.
Continuing the idea of this [post], Achilles seems to fold very easily for the Traveler because, from his perspective, she is audacious with him despite the fear she feels toward him. We don’t actually see many other characters interact with Achilles the way she does (for example, approaching him just to give him a flower, or even slapping him when they first met)
I also believe Achilles may have repressed feelings of alienation that he masks with pride. He is at the top not only because of what he is able to do, but also because he has a significant advantage as a demi-god. While I don’t mean to discredit him in any way, we do have to acknowledge this duality—his heritage gives him an advantage, but it also serves as a disadvantage.
People put him so high on a pedestal (or did he put himself there?) that they cannot see him for who he truly is, but rather for who they want him to be: strong, powerful, violent, merciless—a proper Greek warrior.
That would explain both why he resents the Traveler’s lack of pride as a demigod and his dislike of how well she manages to get along with the woman and Patroclus, despite being the child of the Drought Goddess Persephone.
They do not fear the Traveler, just as the Traveler does not fear them. But for Achilles, it makes no sense— the Traveler is just like him, a child of a goddess, and yet they are so far apart. The one person who should understand him the most doesn’t—she fears him.
In other words, I think Achilles struggles with his humanity—the part of him that is not a demi-god. So seeing someone else not struggle with their humanity (and, on top of that, being liked and not feared) made him jealous.
Finally, I would like to comment on Poly’s previous writing. A theme I have noticed recurring in her work is the struggle of being human and expressing humanity—this is especially evident in her stories about Gojo, as she mentions in this [ask] (I couldn’t find the exact post, but she mentions that her favorite character isn’t Gojo, but Yuji. She writes more about Gojo because his character allows for more exploration of internal struggle of humanity). I would like to extend this analysis to Achilles and his struggle with his human side once the story comes to an end.
hi polyyyyy! it's me again! i dyed my hair, yahoo! unfortunately, it's not pink (my uni is strict when it comes to hair color so boo to them) but the one I got wasn't too bad as well! i went for a deep violet that's only visible when hit by direct light (u can't stop me stupid rules lol) but the color only lasted for a week lol. anywayyyyys, 50hs got me out of my artblock and I wanted to show it to you! it's been over a year since I picked up a pen so I'm a little rusty (and i was never good with the color pencil lol) but I hope you like this one! it's inspired from one of my favorite scenes in the fic
ive never heard of a uni being strict about hair dye but ahhhh bestie im so glad you did it!!!! and OMGGGG ITS SO BEAUTIFUL WHAT IM IN LITERAL TEARS RNNNN
Omg i just read your dark illiad fic (obsessed, btw) and have so many questions about persephone turning the mc's hair bright pink.
1. Like, is it now permanently that colour and will grow that colour?
2. Is it persephone acknowledging the mc as her "daughter" for the sake of entertainment and more sacrifices?
3. Is the mc an actual demigod now?
4. How does everyone react to the mc bring back the dead?
ahhhh!!! im so glad you enjoyed that fic!!! tytyyyy
unfortunately thats a bit of a spoiler TT but if you rlly wanna know you can dm me and ill spoil away lmaoooo
yes! that was persephones way of 'aknowledging' the mc. and its like you said, now she can get sacrifices and more worship while the mc gets to borrow her name some more. a win win!!!
ehhhh i mean???? what counts as a demigod???
also a spoiler TT sorry im not good at answering these types of questions...
istggg the more you reread the iliad the more crazy achilles' actions become cuz what do you mean achilles ties a body to the back of his chariot and just drags the corpse around as he forces the parents of said dead body to watch???? what do you mean he fills a river up with so many corpses the river grows sentience and tries to fight him????
