"But for me you, you might never have lost Molly for all those years."
Now, I'm not sure, but this line, followed by the Fool's insistence that he is the architect of all Fitz's misery, that he had betrayed Fitz, that (apparently) everything had gone wrong in Fitz's life because of him -- feels like something born out of his trauma.
I actually would like other people's opinion on this, because I have no idea what to make of it. I don't know if we're meant to read it as truth, or if we need to doubt the Fool's account of his own actions. Because I, for one, am very confused by these assertions he makes, by his attempts to convince Fitz that all he has been in Fitz's life is some architect of his pain.
Because when reading the Farseer trilogy, sure the Fool's cryptic messages changes the course of Fitz's life somewhat but. My gods, the choices Fitz made to place his duty to the Farseer crown before all else (before Molly as well), were his choices. Influenced more by Chade and Verity - and King Shrewd as well - than anything the Fool said at all. During Assassin's Quest, the person who keeps him from Molly is Verity, with his Skill command. And after all is said and done, it is Fitz who chooses to remain "dead" and not return to Molly and Burrich.
Honestly, if anything, Beloved's insistence on being this master influencer of Fitz's youth feels... irrational? He is so convinced of his own importance as the White Prophet, he is so consumed with the work he has done and the ways in which he has used Fitz, that he cannot separate their lives from one another at all.
I genuinely am so confused by his insistence on his own influence during the Farseer trilogy because he so rarely features in the books At All, especially in Assassin's Apprentice and Royal Assassin. Of course, you can make the argument that all of his actions are "pebbles in front of the wheel" but like I said - when he speaks of how he treated Fitz it's like he makes himself out to be this master manipulator who has designed all of Fitz's life. And that just does not feel true At All.
It's also frustrating to me that Fitz seems to accept? It? In some ways? Though I understand it is comforting to just think "nothing that's gone wrong in my life was my fault, I was powerless really" and not accept responsibility, but like. My guy. The years of separation from Molly were YOUR doing, not your friend's. (Talking post AssQuest here.)
I'm chalking it up to the torture and trauma the Fool suffered, that he would insist on this interpretation of things. It feels like the guilt and self-harm one inflicts on oneself after being plunged into endless misery. I also feel like weirdly, it is this assigning of guilt that he should carry all the responsibility for the whole of Fitz's life that makes Beloved act the way he does in this final trilogy? "I've already harmed so much, guess there is no way to go but forward."
I don't know. I would love to hear what other people think.
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People who are saying things like “making fitz and fool romantic minimises their bond”. You’re not understanding fitz and fool are NOT PLATONIC.
The fool is VERY clear during the quarrel that he has romantic feelings for Fitz.
You CAN debate what Fitz thinks, but the fool is clear that his feelings are romantic. Therefore their relationship is NOT simply platonic.
So please stop saying it takes away from their bond. IT IS THEIR BOND. It doesn’t make it cheap or less than. Now go reread the quarrel if you can’t understand.
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"Beloved, I have missed your company" only to be teased about having people misunderstand, ask to be called Fool.
"Beloved...Beloved...Beloved" only to have him not respond, to be told that the Pale Woman had used that name to mock him - asked to not use the name for him.
In Tawny Man, we see so much of Fitz's reticence to call Beloved by his name, and two of the times Fitz actually feels pulled to do it, to name him as he is - Beloved - the Fool denies him that, and asks him not to.
so a while back i wanted to find out where the phrase "we were boys together" originated, given its popularity Currently i wondered if Hobb popularised it, but then I found this poem by George Pope Morris
and i have No way of knowing whether or not this is where Hobb got the phrase from, but it does so vividly remind me of Fitz and the Fool that I can almost believe it.
secondarily, and definitely not what inspired Hobb, is this poem by Walt Whitman, "We two boys together clinging":
and this poem, with its implication and the way it teeters between friendship and romantic intimacy, also brings them to mind for me. but that's just me being a poetry nerd.
