not to add to The Discourse but Denna frustrates me for the same reason Sabetha from the Gentleman Bastard sequence does.They purposefully avoid being consistent and and upfront with the MC, and while they’re given an in-universe explanation for it, they can come across at times as self-centered. They fulfill a role as this ideal for the MC to chase, and that role has to somehow needlessly torture him by being nowhere to be found, playing all these games. . It (not her) feels worn-out and boring
Okay, full disclosure, I only read the first 2 chapters of Gentleman Bastard cause like no girls and I didn’t like how crass it was and I didn’t care for Locke. Also dumb twin tropes, so I can’t speak for Sabetha.
BUT
Denna does not purposefully avoid being consistent. She just has more important things in her life than Kvothe. Not to mention, Kvothe is very inconsistent as well (Sim even pointed this out in notw). She tells Kvothe at a similar time she has one set of clothes (sound familiar?).
Her own agenda is to keep herself fed and safe. So she has an unconventional way of doing that, which doesn’t serve Kvothe’s agenda. She is self centered, but not because she puts her wants before others’s needs but because she puts her needs before others. And I think that’s an important quality to show in female characters. It’s not bad to take care of yourself.
I can see how it would be annoying to have Kvothe just pining though, even if you know she’s not intentionally doing it, it can be grating on the nerves. But she has made her feelings for him clear so many times and he consistently friend zones her/himself, instead of the two of them having a fricking conversation about their feelings instead of just assuming (I love my two idiots who can’t communicate, but they make it so hard sometimes).
And Denna tries very hard to make Kvothe happy (ie the lute case). She’s not playing games, she’s making a living. And they genuinely enjoy each other’s friendship. Kvothe is refreshing because even though he is in love with her, he is content being her friend and very set on not making her uncomfortable in their relationship (song scene aside). And that’s nice to see in a male character as well, which also effects my perception of Denna.
Another thing: I don’t see this as a trope because I haven’t read other books with the mysterious love interest (that I can think of).
