Hi sorry I’m too lazy to retype it and also in school 😭😭. I have more but this was my first thought about the end of Thunderhead and the *symbolism* sorry it’s incoherent
no because that’s so interesting? xenocrates is literally middle of the road, not bad, not good. curie is obviously set on making the world a better place, and she knows the sacrifices that come with being a scythe, sacrificing the ones you love.
she and faraday took their punishment, and as curie is retelling it to citra later, this exchange takes place.
“i’m sorry.” said citra.
“don’t be. we deserved it―and we understood.” (page 348, Scythe)
they, although curie’s speaking so i’ll say she, came to terms with their punishment. she understood that that’s what had to happen. flash forward to her death, this is what happens:
“.....and then she held her blade above her own heart. it felt strange and awkward to have the hilt turned inward. she had lived a long life. a full life. there were things she regretted, and things she was proud of. here was the reckoning for her early deeds—the reckoning she had been waiting for all these years. it was almost a relief. she only wished she could have been here to see anastasia revived, when the vault was someday raised from the ocean floor—but marie had to accept that whenever it happened, it would happen without her.
she thrust her blade inward, directly into her heart.
she fell to the ground only seconds before the sea would wash over her, but knew death would wash over her faster. and the blade hurt far less than she imagined it would, which made her smile. she was good. very, very good.” (page 499, Thunderhead)
that. her death. “but marie had to accept that whenever it happened, it would happen without her.” that line. she had to accept that she was going to die. she had to accept her punishment for violating the 9th.
and the xenocrates! i don’t own thunderhead, so i can’t get the exact quotes i need, but let’s just take a look at his death. now i already talked about the parallels with his death and the “accident” at the party, but we’re not talking about that right now. in thunderhead, the thunderhead describes him by saying:
“xenocrates was functional, nothing more. these times call for someone exceptional.” (page_____, Thunderhead)
i find it so interesting, because at that moment, the thunderhead was comparing xenocrates to curie. and then on endura, curie and xenocrates are the only two to get an in depth permanent death. it’s almost as if shusterman is trying to bring even more attention to the differences between the two. coming back to that quote again:
“i am pleased that scythe curie is already talking like a high blade. even with no contact with the scythedom, i can recognize a worthy leader. xenocrates was functional, nothing more. these times call for someone exceptional.”
(page _____, Thunderhead)
and again, you talked about spite, and xenocrates’ spite for goddard. he even meets with curie and anastasia, and he has this moment:
[supreme blade xenocrates] took a moment to look at scythe curie, and for a moment it seemed he had dropped his own personal defenses. he actually seemed quite honest. “you and i may not have seen eye to eye, marie, but there is no question that goddard would be a disaster. i truly hope your inquest against him is a success, and although i am not allowed to vote, i will be rooting for you.” (page _____, Thunderhead)
xenocrates is literally spiting goddard then and there, and yet still, goddard beats him, sinking endura. his last action is to die on his own terms, and not someone else’s, but ultimately, goddard still won.
wow, that did not make sense.
bored? send me serotonin please <3
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