I hate that Sleeman is all luxuriously dressed when people are starving! What an ARSE.
This is very telling on Sleeman and the Company's part: they claim to be in India to make it a better place for the inhabitants, and that they're treating them better than the Indian rulers, but when it comes right down to it they act just as badly. And then justify it with, "Oh, well, they wouldn't respect us if we didn't act exactly like the people we're here to replace, so just ignore the man hypocrisy behind the curtain."
Given what Blake's seen of Jubblepore, I think you're spot on that Sleeman's dislike of the Rao sends him straight into Doora, because he knows he'll probably get a straight(er) answer from the Rao, and because it's probably where Mountstuart would have gone, given that he was probably of the same opinion as Blake about the place.
Mountstuart apparently just ‘randomly’ became rude to Sleeman - which, uh, he quite obviously deserves it. Interesting that from this the main cause of the split seems to be Mountstuart acting reasonably, trying to assimilate instead of conquer. Also an interesting note on his disappearance, considering what we saw happening to a monkey at the beginning of the book…
I wonder if the anger over Mountstuart's assimilation isn't actually well-founded concern: Sleeman and several of his goons are fluent in the local languages, so they must know what's being said about their methods in the bazaar, right? That's not something they have to worry about most European society cottoning on to, but with Mountstuart it's definitely a worry, particularly if a sudden coldness on his part were to indicate that he's on to what they're up to. And yes, the monkey and its demise are ominous...
The dinner scene is interesting. Nobody mentioning the brutality and contradictions of the hanging, all dancing around the subject.
The social dynamics here are fascinating. On the one hand, you have everyone trying to pretend they're back home enjoying all the comforts of home, and on the other pretending that hangings-as-entertainment don't happen there either. (Which, given Avery's reminiscences we know for certain that they do.) And then, because most of these people probably don't speak any Indian languages, they just have to trust that what Sleeman et al. are doing is just, and that it's making them safer. Which are both assumptions you might be forgiven for questioning given the scene at the hanging's aftermath. And that's probably a pretty uncomfortable place to be in, mentally.
I find it interesting that the ladies are trying to draw Blake’s eye instead of Avery’s - who, as you said, is handsome and young and willing to gossip - just how handsome is he???
I know!! He's apparently cleaned up quite a bit, as Avery himself noticed earlier. :)
I love that he calls out so much hypocrisy throughout this. And that bit where he says “Once I would’ve agreed with you” and acknowledges his own change of opinion and developing thoughts is really interesting and great.
Exactly! I love all the little bits that are parceled out to us over the course of the novel about what's happened to Blake to make him into the (on the surface) prickly and disagreeable person he is when the novel opens. It wouldn't be apparent to many--any, probably--of the people there, but I think at least some of Blake's clear distaste during this scene is directed at himself for who he had been, in addition to all the people he's confronting who are still very much of those opinions.
The thing is, he really would accept it all if Blake just communicated with him for five seconds!
AVERY NO! DON’T BETRAY BLAKE!
I know! And because he doesn't, things unravel rather badly (although we don't necessarily know about this for quite some time). And it's totally believable for Blake to still not trust Avery with what he's uncovered about Jubblepore's inner workings, but oh, is it frustrating, because we immediately see the results when Avery feels himself backed into a corner by Blake's actions and goes to spill the beans. D:
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Re: Chapter 9
Date: 2021-03-07 09:55 pm (UTC)This is very telling on Sleeman and the Company's part: they claim to be in India to make it a better place for the inhabitants, and that they're treating them better than the Indian rulers, but when it comes right down to it they act just as badly. And then justify it with, "Oh, well, they wouldn't respect us if we didn't act exactly like the people we're here to replace, so just ignore the
manhypocrisy behind the curtain."Given what Blake's seen of Jubblepore, I think you're spot on that Sleeman's dislike of the Rao sends him straight into Doora, because he knows he'll probably get a straight(er) answer from the Rao, and because it's probably where Mountstuart would have gone, given that he was probably of the same opinion as Blake about the place.
Mountstuart apparently just ‘randomly’ became rude to Sleeman - which, uh, he quite obviously deserves it. Interesting that from this the main cause of the split seems to be Mountstuart acting reasonably, trying to assimilate instead of conquer. Also an interesting note on his disappearance, considering what we saw happening to a monkey at the beginning of the book…
I wonder if the anger over Mountstuart's assimilation isn't actually well-founded concern: Sleeman and several of his goons are fluent in the local languages, so they must know what's being said about their methods in the bazaar, right? That's not something they have to worry about most European society cottoning on to, but with Mountstuart it's definitely a worry, particularly if a sudden coldness on his part were to indicate that he's on to what they're up to. And yes, the monkey and its demise are ominous...
The dinner scene is interesting. Nobody mentioning the brutality and contradictions of the hanging, all dancing around the subject.
The social dynamics here are fascinating. On the one hand, you have everyone trying to pretend they're back home enjoying all the comforts of home, and on the other pretending that hangings-as-entertainment don't happen there either. (Which, given Avery's reminiscences we know for certain that they do.) And then, because most of these people probably don't speak any Indian languages, they just have to trust that what Sleeman et al. are doing is just, and that it's making them safer. Which are both assumptions you might be forgiven for questioning given the scene at the hanging's aftermath. And that's probably a pretty uncomfortable place to be in, mentally.
I find it interesting that the ladies are trying to draw Blake’s eye instead of Avery’s - who, as you said, is handsome and young and willing to gossip - just how handsome is he???
I know!! He's apparently cleaned up quite a bit, as Avery himself noticed earlier. :)
I love that he calls out so much hypocrisy throughout this. And that bit where he says “Once I would’ve agreed with you” and acknowledges his own change of opinion and developing thoughts is really interesting and great.
Exactly! I love all the little bits that are parceled out to us over the course of the novel about what's happened to Blake to make him into the (on the surface) prickly and disagreeable person he is when the novel opens. It wouldn't be apparent to many--any, probably--of the people there, but I think at least some of Blake's clear distaste during this scene is directed at himself for who he had been, in addition to all the people he's confronting who are still very much of those opinions.
The thing is, he really would accept it all if Blake just communicated with him for five seconds!
AVERY NO! DON’T BETRAY BLAKE!
I know! And because he doesn't, things unravel rather badly (although we don't necessarily know about this for quite some time). And it's totally believable for Blake to still not trust Avery with what he's uncovered about Jubblepore's inner workings, but oh, is it frustrating, because we immediately see the results when Avery feels himself backed into a corner by Blake's actions and goes to spill the beans. D: