#Harrow The Ninth Is A Wish Fulfillment Story About Grief

[theriverbeyond]

This is actually one of my favorite parts of HtN, because in context of everything we the readers know, of course you would fight for Gideon. This is a book where magic is real! Love Conquers All! But the thing is.... Magnus' advice is normal, in the context of Gideon is dead. She died. She is 100% no longer alive and Harrow does not want her to be dead and she is dealing with it Badly.

To me, a core aspect of HtN is that it is a wish fulfillment story about grief. Therefore it is thematically important that the people telling Harrow to "move on" are NOT just people who are using her, like John/Ianthe/etc. Magnus cares about Harrow, on a very genuine level, and he tells her what anyone who cares about you tells you when someone you love dies and you want to set the world on fire: she loved you, she is dead, you shouldn't let yourself die with her. You can live for her.

And like, no one wants to hear that. It's good advice!! It is kind. It is loving. But when someone you love is dead, you don't want kind and loving advice. You want your person to be alive. You want the kind and loving person to shut up. And in this situation, Harrow DOES says no, I won't accept that, and she's *rewarded* for it, a thing that never happens in the real world if someone dies and you refuse to accept it. But Harrow is rewarded. Gideon's soul is saved. Wish fulfilled.

I'm still hung up on Magnus, earnestly telling an 18-year-old that she needs to give up her one friend and love because sometimes you strike out.

WHILE HE'S WITH HIS WIFE THAT HE GOT TO MARRY AND BE WITH FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS!!!

B. R. U. H. Incapable of reading the room... er, bubble in the river.

[theriverbeyond]

Re: Novacam (and coming off anon to have the courage of my convictions), I didn’t really think through whether the role reversal extended to other houses. I just started contemplating the interaction between two brain-worms-having buff women who fundamentally disagree on What It Means To Be A Cavalier and instantly blacked out.

you are sooooooo valid for this.... HarrowCam is such an interesting dynamic for me primarily due to how they both experience grief in a very similar way? Harrow with the lobotomy and Cam with saving Palamades' skull. they both have someone that makes up Their World die, they both refuse to accept it, and then they are, of course, both rewarded for their conviction..... Harrow the Ninth is a wish fulfillment story about grief.

ANYWAY -> back to them being buff and hot together. I support this as well.