Yes, Rashta is a victim. But that doesn't absolve her of the terrible things she did. You can acknowledge her circumstances and empathize with what she went through without overlooking how awful she became once she was in a position of power. Being a victim and being capable of victimizing others are not mutually exclusive.
I also don't understand the hate for Navier. She's a noblewoman who was born and raised within a system that normalized slavery and upheld the privileges of the aristocracy. Expecting her to suddenly develop the moral consciousness to question that system is a little unrealistic. It wasn't exactly common sense, especially for someone in her position, to recognize the inherent injustice of slavery. Why would she suddenly care about Rashta? She's acting in accordance with the worldview and privileges she's been raised with. She's not a saint, so why are some of you expecting her to behave like Mother Teresa?
Besides, Navier wasn't particularly bothered by her husband's infidelity, and she eventually got together with a man who was practically a war criminal (I forgot his name). She's hardly an example of some moral paragon.
If anything, the discussion in the comments should be about how awful the men in this story are. Why aren't we demanding more accountability from them? These are the men who arguably deserved far worse consequences than what Rashta experienced. Yet somehow, the discussion always devolves into a debate between Team Rashta and Team Navier, as though these two women are the root of all the problems in the story.
And, as usual, when it comes to shallow plots and poorly developed characters, I blame the author.
This manhwa could have explored so many interesting themes. It could have been an opportunity to examine the realities of slavery, the dehumanization of enslaved people, and why the institution itself is fundamentally wrong. It could have explored how women, regardless of their social standing, remain vulnerable to the whims and decisions of powerful men, their patriarchal families, and the imperial household. It could have delved into diplomacy, political maneuvering, and the realities of imperial administration.
There was so much potential here. Instead, the author chose not to meaningfully explore any of those themes. As I've said before, this is ultimately nothing more than a face-slapping revenge story about a cheating husband and his mistress.
And I think that's the real disappointment. People are trying to have nuanced discussions about characters and social structures in a story that, quite frankly, doesn't seem particularly interested in engaging with those complexities in the first place.
Yes, Rashta is a victim. But that doesn't absolve her of the terrible things she did. You can acknowledge her circumstances and empathize with what she went through without overlooking how awful she became once she was in a position of power. Being a victim and being capable of victimizing others are not mutually exclusive.
I also don't understand the hate for Navier. She's a noblewoman who was born and raised within a system that normalized slavery and upheld the privileges of the aristocracy. Expecting her to suddenly develop the moral consciousness to question that system is a little unrealistic. It wasn't exactly common sense, especially for someone in her position, to recognize the inherent injustice of slavery. Why would she suddenly care about Rashta? She's acting in accordance with the worldview and privileges she's been raised with. She's not a saint, so why are some of you expecting her to behave like Mother Teresa?
Besides, Navier wasn't particularly bothered by her husband's infidelity, and she eventually got together with a man who was practically a war criminal (I forgot his name). She's hardly an example of some moral paragon.
If anything, the discussion in the comments should be about how awful the men in this story are. Why aren't we demanding more accountability from them? These are the men who arguably deserved far worse consequences than what Rashta experienced. Yet somehow, the discussion always devolves into a debate between Team Rashta and Team Navier, as though these two women are the root of all the problems in the story.
And, as usual, when it comes to shallow plots and poorly developed characters, I blame the author.
This manhwa could have explored so many interesting themes. It could have been an opportunity to examine the realities of slavery, the dehumanization of enslaved people, and why the institution itself is fundamentally wrong. It could have explored how women, regardless of their social standing, remain vulnerable to the whims and decisions of powerful men, their patriarchal families, and the imperial household. It could have delved into diplomacy, political maneuvering, and the realities of imperial administration.
There was so much potential here. Instead, the author chose not to meaningfully explore any of those themes. As I've said before, this is ultimately nothing more than a face-slapping revenge story about a cheating husband and his mistress.
And I think that's the real disappointment. People are trying to have nuanced discussions about characters and social structures in a story that, quite frankly, doesn't seem particularly interested in engaging with those complexities in the first place.