Hm I dunno, it probably depends on how you see it. I don't think someone that suffers a psychosomatic effect of a traumatic experience is in any way to blame for it. The brain can react like any other body part, when "injured", whether that's physically or psychologically. People who have ADHD or are bipolar, for example, are not to be blamed for their condition either. But that's probably not what you were implying here. Was it the self-blame bit?
Hm, you see, first of people often blame themselves for things even if they aren't to be blamed on a purely factual level. Secondly, I do think Charles did make a few mistakes with both Raven and Erik. He always meant well, always had their best interests in mind - and everybody's, really - but he didn't always approach things in the best of ways. I believe that there's no such thing as ONE person to blame for such situations. The trouble always lies in the communication, in how compatible approaches to certain things are.
Erik has had his fair share of trauma and angst in his life, he's not used to talking things out and confronting the people around him AND himself (which is why, as the "ghost" said in the first chapter, he needs her to show him). If I had been in his shoes, or Raven's too, I would have confronted Charles and asked him how he meant certain things, told him how that makes me feel and what it implies and so on and so forth. But Erik doesn't know how to do that. He's still too much of an "island" to allow himself to open up completely and entirely in every regard.
Charles, being who he is, may have seen all that when he connected with Erik's mind, but that doesn't mean he can completely relate to that way of thinking. So he said a couple of things that weren't ideal either.
So much for the blame ^^ I really hope I'll get it across properly that neither of them is solely to blame. But, after all, Erik is the character here that has to make a change. So, yes, that should kind of imply that most of the mistakes lie with him.
As for his love saving Charles... Well, it IS a Christmas fic ^^ Not sure what I can say here. I don't want to give out a spoiler either, but I think it's quite clear what my intention was with making it psychosomatic. Charles has been left by the two people he loved most, actually he SENT them away (which he did once again, at least in Raven's case, because he thought it was best for her), and he blames himself terribly for it. That loss is the reason for his paralysis. So, as a conclusion, if that somehow were to change...
I'm not sure I fully see why you find it problematic, but I'd totally understand if it was too kitschy for you and therefore not your cuppa. Not everybody likes the same kinds of stories ^^ But if you want you could explain to me where exactly you see the problem in case I haven't covered it.
And ugh, this got way too long, sorry ^^ I could probably write a 10 pages long essay on the whole blame question. Despite the plot holes and all, THAT at least was so amazingly complex in the movie. I just love it when characters aren't completely flawless or completely flawed. Because none of us normal people are ;)
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Date: 2011-12-22 06:59 pm (UTC)Hm, you see, first of people often blame themselves for things even if they aren't to be blamed on a purely factual level. Secondly, I do think Charles did make a few mistakes with both Raven and Erik. He always meant well, always had their best interests in mind - and everybody's, really - but he didn't always approach things in the best of ways. I believe that there's no such thing as ONE person to blame for such situations. The trouble always lies in the communication, in how compatible approaches to certain things are.
Erik has had his fair share of trauma and angst in his life, he's not used to talking things out and confronting the people around him AND himself (which is why, as the "ghost" said in the first chapter, he needs her to show him). If I had been in his shoes, or Raven's too, I would have confronted Charles and asked him how he meant certain things, told him how that makes me feel and what it implies and so on and so forth. But Erik doesn't know how to do that. He's still too much of an "island" to allow himself to open up completely and entirely in every regard.
Charles, being who he is, may have seen all that when he connected with Erik's mind, but that doesn't mean he can completely relate to that way of thinking. So he said a couple of things that weren't ideal either.
So much for the blame ^^ I really hope I'll get it across properly that neither of them is solely to blame. But, after all, Erik is the character here that has to make a change. So, yes, that should kind of imply that most of the mistakes lie with him.
As for his love saving Charles... Well, it IS a Christmas fic ^^ Not sure what I can say here. I don't want to give out a spoiler either, but I think it's quite clear what my intention was with making it psychosomatic. Charles has been left by the two people he loved most, actually he SENT them away (which he did once again, at least in Raven's case, because he thought it was best for her), and he blames himself terribly for it. That loss is the reason for his paralysis. So, as a conclusion, if that somehow were to change...
I'm not sure I fully see why you find it problematic, but I'd totally understand if it was too kitschy for you and therefore not your cuppa. Not everybody likes the same kinds of stories ^^ But if you want you could explain to me where exactly you see the problem in case I haven't covered it.
And ugh, this got way too long, sorry ^^ I could probably write a 10 pages long essay on the whole blame question. Despite the plot holes and all, THAT at least was so amazingly complex in the movie. I just love it when characters aren't completely flawless or completely flawed. Because none of us normal people are ;)