Laurence is an interesting character. He’s very much a product of his environment and suffers from a severe case of “Our benevolent leader vs their evil despot,” but what really catches my attention is his patriotic cognitive dissonance and the change in his view of duty and treason.
Until Temeraire forces his eyes open with a crowbar, he is absolutely convinced that England is 100% the best nation on Earth and its society is the only correct way to live. If any English citizen questions this or resists the will of the English government, it’s TREASON and can only be punished with turbo-execution!
At the same time, though, Lawrence has no respect for the admiralty, expects no consideration for justice from the government, considers the courts a cesspool of disappointments/injustice, understands that his favorite military branch typically leaves veterans and their families on the street, thinks most of his societal peers are overpaid frivolous idiots, and has admitted his king is insane. But woe to you if you point any of that out to him! (And the endless whataboutisms involving Napoleon!)
Lawrence’s character arc across the series hits so hard for me after I watched the rise of fascism out of neoliberalism in my home country. He is the most patriotic, indoctrinated character he can be in book one, and by the end he has learned to say “No, my country is wrong and victory is not worth this.” All it took was a lifelong bond with a celestial dragon and an odyssey around the entire globe!
