Hatrack River Forum: Newbie with a question

This is topic Newbie with a question in forum Discussions About Orson Scott Card at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by binky (Member # 6895) on :

Hey all.
I'm new at hatrack and also to OSC's books (Just finished the Ender's Quartet).
I wanted to discuss a question about the last part, "Children Of The Mind", but alas, i don't really know a lot of people here in Israel who read OSC, so i thought maybe i'd hear some of your opinions...
In the last chapter of Children Of The Mind, Quara Tells Wang Mu about Quim molesting her as a child. Before the reader even begins to digest such a harsh twist of events - she rebucks the statement, using, in my opinion, alot of revesr psychology.
What do you think about it? Did it really happen? Is this trully the reason of Quara's... ummm... Bitchiness? Is it the reason why she's described so quiet in "Speaker For The Dead"?

I'd love to hear your opinions.

Binky.

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

I think I'd had to go back and re-read that book again before I could feel comfortable giving an answer.

welcome to Hatrack, though!

Farmgirl

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

Having just skimmed the book and re-read that part carefully, I think it's pretty clear, in my mind, at least, that he didn't. She's just making a point to Wang Mu.

Posted by Morbo (Member # 5309) on :

Welcome, binky. [Wave]

I agree with ketchup, but it's hard to say. I have recently re-read Children of the Mind and Ender's Game, but haven't read Xenocide nor Speaker for the Dead in years.

If it was just to make a point, it's a fairly psychotic way to do so, accusing a family member of molestation, then withdrawing it moments later and laughing at the gullibility of the listener. Which may have been Card's point: both the ambiguity (did it happen or not?) and the utter vileness of Quara's character, even it does have molestation as a root cause.

[ September 27, 2004, 03:50 PM: Message edited by: Morbo ]

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

In my family, we routinely say outrageous things as a form of sarcasm. Of course, we wouldn't joke about molestation, but it's not that far off sometimes. [Blushing]