I remember in one of the early chapters, when Guwon goes to the bathroom after one of their tutoring sessions and is so excited by Teach bc he doesn't pretend that his wrong actions are right - unlike the rest of the town, who live in fear of him, or the hounds, who absolutely thrive off of his attention to them, and delight in violent rule.
The author presented to us that whilst some emotional reasoning is inaccessible to him, Guwon absolutely understands right from wrong, he simply chooses what will gratify him before all else - which isn't inherently wrong, until what pleases you is contingent on the suffering of others.
And then we have this monologue about the pain of watching a loved one die, and I wonder if it's hitting Guwon for the first time that his death - something entirely out of his control, just like the harm he inflicted on various ppl seeking refuge - is causing Teach that same heartache? And yet he wouldn't go back and undo it, because that would mean watching Teach die - an action that would cause Guwon himself immeasurable pain. What a strange bind to be stuck in for seemingly the first time in his life.
Idk idk its just such a beautiful exploration of what makes someone human without resorting to labelling ppl as intrinsically "good" or "bad". Its our actions that reveal our intentions - and luckily for the incredibly messy act of living, our intentions can change!
Guwon better go up that hill and magically heal, I need my bbs to have a happy ending or else
I remember in one of the early chapters, when Guwon goes to the bathroom after one of their tutoring sessions and is so excited by Teach bc he doesn't pretend that his wrong actions are right - unlike the rest of the town, who live in fear of him, or the hounds, who absolutely thrive off of his attention to them, and delight in violent rule.
The author presented to us that whilst some emotional reasoning is inaccessible to him, Guwon absolutely understands right from wrong, he simply chooses what will gratify him before all else - which isn't inherently wrong, until what pleases you is contingent on the suffering of others.
And then we have this monologue about the pain of watching a loved one die, and I wonder if it's hitting Guwon for the first time that his death - something entirely out of his control, just like the harm he inflicted on various ppl seeking refuge - is causing Teach that same heartache? And yet he wouldn't go back and undo it, because that would mean watching Teach die - an action that would cause Guwon himself immeasurable pain. What a strange bind to be stuck in for seemingly the first time in his life.
Idk idk its just such a beautiful exploration of what makes someone human without resorting to labelling ppl as intrinsically "good" or "bad". Its our actions that reveal our intentions - and luckily for the incredibly messy act of living, our intentions can change!
Guwon better go up that hill and magically heal, I need my bbs to have a happy ending or else