#hilay mantel

[cosmic-walkers]

This was evident to me in the show, but the book paints such a clear picture of when Thomas, eventually, cuts ties with Anne.

And it was this scene right here. For various reasons, this displeases Thomas. The most obvious reason is, that asking a man to compromise a young girl is one thing, but asking him of all people to do that, is another.

It also shows how, no matter how far he's climbed, Anne will always see him as a ruffian. She will always see him as someone below her that she commands to do heinous things, such as taking advantage of a princess. They have just addressed on the page before, that whatever man got caught with Mary, he would be killed. Regardless, Anne simply doesn't care.

Master Secretary or not, to Anne, Thomas is a dog, a dog whom she can make do vile things with absolutely no repercussions on her. Because, if Thomas did do this, there would be no way it could be tied back to Anne. No writing, no contract, nothing; his word against hers. It is a death mission that she is sending him on, and she simply just doesn't care.

He is a pet to her, something to command. And for such a long time, she thinks she has him under her control, but she doesn't.

Thomas was never looking for Annne's approval, nor was he looking to be recognized by her, but what he did see her as, was an equal of some sort, and someone he respected. Anne and Thomas were two people who subverted every expectation of their station, brought in a new religion, disposed of a Spanish queen, etc. There was this idea that they were in this together. Of course, in the books, he never expects Anne to see HIM as her equal, but what he does expect is some respect. Because she would not ask this from a nobleman, she wouldn't ask this of any man close to her.

Thomas realizes that in this scene, most of what he thought of her is wrong. Because for everything vile they've both done, the turning point, is talking about potentially assaulting/grooming and compromising a girl the second she turns 18.

More importantly, Thomas is from Putney and he is a true lowborn man. The majority of the book, we see that while he does respect his Putney roots, he does not want to be associated with the rascal like, scoundrel personality that is typically tied to Putney. Shit like this, is probably what Putney men do, and that is somewhat of a trigger for Thomas.

He didn't climb this high, just for someone to throw what she assumes he is, because of his low birth, back at him.

Long story short, Thomas spends his whole life subverting the ideas others have of him, and Anne did that as well. But in this moment, he sees her for what she is, and he knows how she views him. They were never the same, they were never equals, they were truly on the same team.

And at least, in Wolf Hall, that is why he decides to turn on her.