Whoooo that was an old ask. Thank you for your interpretation! I think you're right but I also think the text fails at communicating here, because "it's apparent that everyone else present already agrees with him" doesn't feel like the natural conclusion readers in 1990s catholic, conservative Poland would be expected to make. I can very much see it interpreted as Geralt getting angry at 'it's a woman's choice', because he thinks aborting children is murder. :/ But, well, that's on the author.
No worries!
And yeah I can see that criticism, though Geralt and Cahir have already stated it explicitly in-text (Geralt in earlier stories iirc) and Regis implicitly. But yes, it could easily be interpreted the wrong way, though in the original Polish there may be some nuances that didn’t carry over.
You're one of the few who read the books and I gotta gripe to someone: remember the part where Geralt, Regis and Jaskier are discussing Milva's pregnancy, and they start talking about her options? It's generally pro-choice, and Jaskier very strongly says it's obviously exclusively the woman's decision and Geralt shuts him down as rudely as if he'd said something really stupid, which for once he didn't. I can't figure that bit out and it annoys me. Do you have any interpretations? Thoughts?
First of all I am SO sorry that I only just saw this now. I don’t check this blog too often anymore compared to my other blog for random stuff
In the context of that chapter, Cahir has just stated that in the Empire, the woman decides whether or not to keep it, but he admits that he doesn’t know anything about Northern customs regarding such things. Dandelion isn’t so much speaking up for Milva and other women, he’s getting defensive and turning it into an argument about nationalism/ethnicity (“Do you think we’re savages, Nilfgaardian?”). He then begins devolving into preaching about women’s right to choose.
While Dandelion is on the side of justice here, he’s bloviating and pontificating rather than doing any good, as it is apparent that everyone else present already agrees with him and don’t need their minds changed.
The actual problem, however, is entirely different, as Cahir has pointed out already, and Dandelion (being Dandelion) has missed this as he’s more of an idealist than a pragmatist like the others. In this scene, they aren’t truly discussing whether or not Milva should be allowed to make their own decision, they’re trying to decide what to do, because either way, whatever Milva chooses, it is no longer just herself and her potential child that will be impacted. The entire hansa will be impacted, meaning Ciri and thus the whole of the Continent could be potentially impacted.
If Milva decides to keep the pregnancy, that will pose serious risks on the road as they’re travelling through a war zone and pregnang women tend to have very specific health needs and risks. Furthermore, what if they get all the way into Nilfgaard and Milva is 8 or 9 months along and now they have to deal with sneaking a baby through enemy territory? At the same time, abortion–even under Regis’s skilled hands–would pose its own health risks out in the wilderness and in a war zone (infections, illness, etc). It also has political implications for Milva and the others since this is a child of the Scoia'tael resistance and thus a member of a race already enduring ongoing genocide. Pressuring her into it would thus also lead them into a political quandry, especially from Milva’s perspective. Finally, abandoning her or making her turn back is out of the question: it’d be too dangerous for her to turn back alone at this point and it would be heartless of them.
So while this group of men cares deeply about Milva and want to protect her and her rights, they also know that given the situation every possible choice has massive risks for the entire group. Dandelion, meanwhile, thought the argument was about nationalism (it wasn’t, and tensions with Cahir in the group are already so high that they don’t need to devolve into fighting about it again) and about whether women have rights or not (which, again, it wasn’t–everyone was already in agreement on that front).
Hence why Geralt snaps at Dandelion to shut the fuck up. It’s not that he’s saying something wrong, necessarily, it’s that he’s missing both the point and the gravity of the discussion.
Sadly, of course, Fate makes a decision for them.
Looked up your blog after a million years on a whim (v glad you’re still around and writing!!), had a moment of acute brain fail and thought the cute protagonist in that illustration was SSX from dynasty warriors. Er, glad to see our types have remained the same since, what, six years ago? Anyway, if you publish that novel I’ll buy it in a heartbeat, also best wishes re:dealing with the plague and everything! 💕
Yoooooo it’s been a while but I know who this is! This blog is basically just for my art and writing these days but follow me on baixueagain for my nonsense if you feel like it!
Also lmao it’s been way longer than six years, pretty sure it’s more like 12….probably more….
I did a brief comic about the worst thing that’s ever happened to me in my whole entire life
background: my dad and I take an annual road trip out west to the desert because we both love wilderness camping out there, exploring national parks, and checking out old western towns. this was an actual conversation that occurred in one of those towns. i hated it.
also, i later discovered that this exact same guy also thought I was like 18.
Just popping in for a quick update on this blog:
My current novel is sitting at about ~41k/60k. It’s a YA fantasy with enemies-to-lovers, fake marriage, a sad bad man, cannibalism, and big fancy hats.
Stay tuned!
no you can’t sit with me or my outlaw wizard gang
another quickie of the main 3 characters of my fantasy novel. for some reason I drew all three in Earth clothes even though only Vickie (right) is actually from Earth.
also they act tough but their gang is literally just a magical murderer and the two teenage girls he somehow convinced to hang out with him
a year-end sketch of the heroine and villain (and main couple) of my fantasy novel, Vickie Lewis (left) and Shiftama Takhpari (right). as shitty as this year has been, i’m so, SO happy that i finally sat down and wrote their story. i’m currently querying agents and i hope that very soon i can share their story with all of you.
Quick sketch of the villain and heroine (and main couple!) of my novel. I’m about ½ done with editing the completed manuscript.
Barbara Remington, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of The Rings, Middle-Earth Mural (paperback editions with puzzle board), Ballantine Books, 1965.
Barbara Remington, E.R. Eddison’s The Worm Oroboros (paperback edition), Ballantine Books, 1967.
My parents have this edition. I grew up absolutely entranced by the covers.
How did you write a novel in three months I've been working on this fanfic for eight and I'm only six and a bit chapters in
Step one is write a doctoral thesis and after that writing fiction feels like the easiest thing in the world because you can just say like….whatever you want
