Farnese-The Lily Blooms

Farnese-The Lily Blooms

It's not a coincidence that both Guts and Roderick look similar and have comparable talents. Both men are also important to Farnese: Farnese nearly worships Guts and Roderick is clearly attracted to her, but Farnese doesn't reciprocate his feelings. This dynamic mirrors the Golden Age love triangle between Guts, Casca, and Griffith. Just like Casca, Farnese has to choose not just between self-acceptance and self-rejection.

Farnese's journey is one of becoming more courageous through service. She was a fearful girl who armored herself with aloofness and acts of terror. She wanted people to be more scared of her than she was of the things that frightened her. Farnese's encounter with Guts during the Conviction Arc demonstrates a new way of confronting horrors- head-on rather than running away. Her inability to care for Casca forces her to confront her vulnerabilities and overcome them for someone else's sake. Farnese even learns magic so she can become more self-reliant and defend Casca herself.

Guts is the catalyst for Farnese's aforementioned development. Farnese worships Guts as the embodiment of the resilience she desperately desires. This is reminiscent of how Casca idolized Griffith. By giving Casca a sword, Griffith gave Casca a means of asserting and defending herself in a world that would otherwise oppress her. She, like Farnese, idolized a man who gave her greater autonomy.

Ironically, Casca's self-image became dependent on how Griffith could use her. She even disdained her womanhood, seeing it as an obstacle to serving Griffith. Farnese self-esteem isn't nearly as low, but she is clearly crushed whenever she doesn't get Guts' attention.

Her improvement finally grants her a chance to get more of it. It isn't until she meets Roderick, however, that she finally has a chance to be loved. Roderick is curious about Farnese, saying he always wanted to see the Vandimion devil child. The worst parts of Farnese's history don't scare Roderick away but only intrigue him. Likewise, Guts saw the worst of Casca: her abrasiveness, jealousy, and insecurity, all derived from her unrequited crush on Griffith. However, this only endears Casca to Guts further. Roderick is similarly patient towards Farnese: he understands she has feelings for the Black Swordsman, but isn't jealous.

Both Guts and Roderick respect their love interests' prowess as well. When Farnese protects the ship using magic, Roderick calls Farnese a goddess among angels. For a man from a society that prohibits witchcraft and limits women, this response is remarkably accepting. Farnese and Roderick's relationship will mirror the total acceptance found in Casca and Guts'.

Farnese's romantic relationships mirror Casca's almost 1-to-1. The protective admirer (Serpico), the unrequited love (Guts), and now her possible soulmate (Roderick). As of now, I see Roderick and Farnese getting together. Farnese's gentle and compassionate nature would make her a great partner, and I can see her joining Roderick on his journeys. I'll keep in mind what Lady Vandimion said about Farnese's unpredictability. Farnese may surprise not only her brother but us as well.

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Doll-Tearing = Loss of Innocence

In ASOIAF, doll tearing is often associated with the loss of innocence. When Arya visits a village, the village elder's daughter begs Arya to play with her. Annoyed and frustrated, Arya rips apart the young girl's toy knight, shouting "Now he's like a real knight! Torn apart and bloody!" (i can't remember which book). Arya has seen harrowing sights of violence and death that no normal adult should witness, much less a child. This incident highlights how deeply traumatized Arya is after what she has been through.

A similar scene occurs with her sister Sansa. She's building a snow Winterfell, thinking the snow has the "taste of innocence". Robin Arryn, her cousin, then destroys it with his stuffed toy. She accidentally tears it and Robin storms away, sobbing. Littlefinger then comes and kisses Sansa. This isn't Sansa's first time suffering an unwanted advance, but she truly realizes how little support she has when her aunt tries to punish her. Sansa has relied on the memory of her family for strength and the only relative she's seen after the death of her father threatens to kill her after an incredibly vulnerable moment.

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Jaime Lannister's life is a series of good intentions leading him closer to hell. He saves King's Landing from wildfire? He suffers condemnation. He innocently congratulates Robb Stark on his upcoming marriage? Now he's suddenly implicated in the Frey's betrayal. He can't win!

lydia bennet-19th century sansa stark

Poor Lydia. Her dreams were realized, but, unlike Sansa Stark, she never recognized they were nightmares too. Sansa and Lydia were beauties who insulted their sisters for not adhering to societal standards. Sansa grew exasperated with Arya's boyishness and called her a horseface. Lydia snarks about Wickham's previous love interest and insults Mary's performance. Sansa, however, quickly gets bitten in the butt by the standards she revered. Numerous tragedies, such as the Battle of the Blackwater and Joffrey's abuse, force Sansa to confront how women's conformity only leaves them at the mercy of others.

By contrast, Lydia seems to be rewarded for fitting into society's mold. She and Wickham are deep into the honeymoon phase when they get married. By the end of Pride and Prejudice, she still doesn't know about Wickham's manipulativeness. Lydia even gloats about her marriage to Wickham, seeing no issue with her actions. Slowly but surely, reality sinks in. In the epilogue, Lydia and Wickham move frequently, saddled by debts. Lydia isn't great at managing her money, but Wickham is expected to provide a living income. Even if she were a financial mastermind, Lydia's livelihood would still be hurt by Wickham's inability to manage money. However, the Wickhams are always cushioned from the consequences of their mismanagement. Sadly, it seems like Lydia will always remain blinded to the issues within her society.

Princess Charlotte-Damsel to the Rescue

Remember how Princess Charlotte informed the Band of the Hawk of Griffith's location and helped them sneak in? Causality is a spiral. I would not be surprised if she plays the same role again, this time helping Guts' band rescue Casca from her imprisonment.

I think that Charlotte will find out where Casca is being kept when Griffith transforms into the Moonlight Child. Griffith most likely has measures to make sure his identity as the Moonlight Child stays hidden. However, the Moonlight Child is very playful. When he appears on Elfhelm, he engages with Guts' band and the inhabitants of the island. He'll likely try to interact with other people around the castle. In fact, Charlotte even stated that she wanted to open an orphanage. If she sees the Moonlight Child wandering around the castle, she might confuse him for an orphan. The Moonlight Child would escape from Charlotte's grasp and run to his mother, leading the princess to Casca.

Mind you, that earlier paragraph veered off into fanfiction. I'm not sure exactly how Casca and Guts' third reunion will go down, but it'll be satisfying to see if Charlotte plays a role in it.